Upper Elk Lake, Washington: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Upper Elk Lake is one of the Mason County listings for Washington. The setting is open valley on every side. This is a pocket water of some 4 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Our Mason County list holds plenty of bigger water. Seabeck lies 15 miles from the water. Belfair is 17 miles and Allyn 19 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Upper Elk Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name Chum salmon, cutthroat trout, Coho salmon, largemouth bass and rainbow trout. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Fish Upper Elk Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 60°F and December at 37°F. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. That shapes the year on Upper Elk Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Elk Lake at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. For Upper Elk Lake in particular, ask before you travel.