Vances Lake, Washington: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In Washington, Vances Lake belongs to Pend Oreille County. Elevation runs to 2,766 feet. The water measures roughly 13 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Newport lies 9.3 miles from the water. Priest River lies 14 miles off, Chewelah another 26 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Vances Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Pend Oreille County records list rainbow trout, tench and cutthroat trout among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Vances Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 64°F and January about 24°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Ice-out usually falls in late March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up sits around late March on average, with the water closing again about early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. At Vances Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. No Name Lake sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Vances Lake may have changed since it was mapped.