Ufish camp washington1/5/2024 Fish slow and cover likely spots thoroughly before moving on. While this lake relinquishes abundant 1-2 pound bass all season, the big ones take some work. Fishing holds up through early summer when a switch to soft plastics is key to extending the bite.Īnglers need to be patient on Eloika. Top water frogs, poppers and jitterbugs are great in early spring. Largemouth in excess of 5-6 pounds are not uncommon. Bass quickly ramp up their appetite and gorge on the plentiful panfish prey. Most of Eloika Lake is less than 12 feet deep so the water warms fast after ice out in the spring. It’s perfect habitat for Eloika’s healthy population of largemouth. This 629 acre warm-water fishery is almost entirely surrounded by weed beds and brushy shoreline with smatterings of sunken logs and downed trees. When it comes to largemouth bass, Eloika Lake is the Spokane area’s pride and joy. Smallmouth are evenly dispersed around the many rocky banks that surround Lake Palmer.īLM and DNR access areas provide decent boat launches and a small camping area along the southern and eastern shore. You’ll find good spots for a few largemouth around submerged wood structure and grass beds that are scattered around the lake edge as well. Often blue or purple sparkle are top choices as vegetation takes hold during the dry, hot summers.Įxpect to also encounter plenty of decent sized largemouth hanging around the scant collection of docks on Palmer. Natural colors like brown, black and green pumpkin produce well. Effective tackle includes tube jigs, Senkos and crankbaits. Most of the smallmouth average 2-3 pounds but quality fish up to 5 pounds are in the mix. Just about every foot of shoreline has bass to give up. It’s lightly fished and needs to be on every smallmouth junkie’s bucket list. Palmer Lake is tucked close to the Canadian border in Okanogan County and covers 2,032 very fertile acres. The next lake on our list is yet another smallmouth bass hot spot. Find more information about permits and reservations here. One of the best ways to enjoy the fishing is via boat-in camping at one of the 35 remote camp areas. Recreational access and camping along the hundreds of miles of shoreline is handled by the National Park Service. Largemouth over 4 pounds are common but tricky to find at times.īoat access to Lake Roosevelt is easiest at either Spring Canyon or Keller Ferry on the southern shore. Whereas smallmouth prefer rocky shorelines, points and breaks, largemouth bass are concentrated around downed trees and marina docks. But you’ll also find decent populations of largemouth as well. Go beyond that for solitude and an endless supply of willing smallmouth.Ĭountless inlets and coves along Lake Roosevelt are prime habitat for smallmouth. The most intense fishing pressure is within a mile or two of the boat launches. You just might need to sort through numerous 1-3 pounders with insatiable appetites that provide non-stop action. Chunky bronze backs pushing 5-6 pounds are routinely caught. Smallmouth bass are a huge draw for most anglers. Summers can be hot and dry but the cool, clear water provides a welcome reprieve. Starting at the Grand Coulee Dam, this Columbia River impoundment stretches 151 miles through a semi-arid landscape of sage and basalt. With over 650 miles of rocky shoreline, this remote gem doesn’t get nearly as much pressure as the other lakes on our list. Not only does Lake Roosevelt claim the title as Washington’s largest lake at 79,000 acres, it also holds a top slot for smallmouth bass fishing. Read on so you don’t miss your chance to cast a line for trophy bass this season. These are 9 of the most exceptional bass fishing lakes in Washington State. Only lakes that regularly relinquish 4-8 pound largemouth and smallmouth make it on this list. In this article, we narrow down the lakes that stand above the rest. On top of that, the Columbia River system hosts world class smallmouth fishing that is almost entirely overlooked.Įven so, not all lakes have what it takes to produce high numbers of big bass. Not to mention, just about every lake in Washington provides anglers with opportunities to catch America’s favorite gamefish.Īnglers who call Washington home likely live within spitting distance of a quality bass fishery that pumps out 4-5 pound bass regularly. The state record largemouth bass crossed the 12.5 pound mark in 2016. Sure, maybe Washington State has world class salmon and steelhead action but bass? No way.īelieve it or not, Washington State grows plentiful amounts of largemouth and smallmouth bass. I once mentioned to a few out-of-state anglers that Washington actually boasts some of the finest bass fishing in the West.
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