A Guide to the Best Bass Fishing in Okanogan County
You could say there is a love-hate attitude about bass around here. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are not what would be called a native species to our area. How they got here or who brought them here and if they are a good or bad thing is a Pandora's box I’m not going to open right now. All I know is they are fun to catch and like the saying goes, “when given lemons make lemonade.”
Once our area trout stillwaters start to warm up above 65 degrees it’s time to give the trout a break and switch to chasing bass. Here in Okanogan County, we have several bodies of water that house some great bass fishing. For me, smallmouth is my favorite of the two. Pound for pound a smallie will give you a hard fight. Below is a brief break down of our area waters to try for bass.
What are the best strategies for catching summertime bass? Read this.
A Guide to the Best Bass Fishing in Okanogan County
Alta Lake - Alta Lake is 219 acres and located a couple of miles northwest of the town of Pateros. Turn west onto Hwy 153 from SR 97, head up the valley for about two miles then turn on to the Alta Lake road. Stay on this road until you come to the lake. There is a state park boat ramp available, but you will need a Discovery Pass and have a boat ramp fee to pay. Largemouth is found here in the three-pound range along with rainbow trout and kokanee trout. Fish around the docks, weed beds, and rocky areas. For camping, there is a state park plus the city of Pateros allows camping too. There are also a couple of motels and restaurants in Pateros as well.
Patterson Lake - Patterson Lake is 160 acres and located about six miles southeast of the town of Winthrop over in the Methow Valley. Turn west from SR 20 onto the Twin Lakes road for a couple of miles then turn onto the Patterson Lake road. Then continue on the road until you see the lake. It is right next to the road. There is a state boat launch and parking area that you will turn into. The west side of the lake is the best area for the larger fish. The lake holds both large and smallmouth bass along with tiger trout, rainbow trout, kokanee trout, yellow perch, and crappie. The largemouth will be in the three-pound range and the smallmouth can get up to four pounds. There are pay campgrounds in the Winthrop and Twisp area along with several motels and restaurants.
Leader Lake - Leader Lake is 155 acres and is located approximately six miles west of the city of Okanogan. Between mile marker 223 and 224 on SR 20, you will turn onto the Leader Lake road. Drive this for about a half mile and you will then come to the lake. There are two boat launches, one on the north side and the other one on the south side. You will find both largemouth and smallmouth bass in this lake. You will find largemouth up to three-pounds and a few smallmouth around two pounds. Other species of fish found at Leader Lake include; rainbow trout, yellow perch, bluegill, and crappie. Also, fishing around the island and some of the small bays can be the more productive areas for bass. There is a Department of Natural Resources campground on both sides of the lake but, you will need a Discovery Pass to camp and/ or park in these lands. Motels and restaurants and be found in both Okanogan and Omak.
Whitestone Lake - Whitestone Lake is 147 acres and located about five miles northwest from the city of Tonasket. To get to Whitestone from Tonasket cross the bridge on 4th street then turn onto Hwy 7 and head north for approximately nine miles. Then turn west onto the Loomis-Oroville road. Continue on this road for a couple of miles. Whitestone will be on your left next to the road. There is a state fish and wildlife access area with a boat launch and parking available. You will need either a WDFW parking pass or a Discovery Pass to use this site. The lake holds largemouth bass up to three pounds with a few going larger. This lake is what you may call a classic bass lake with weed beds, cattails, and different types of structure. The lake also holds bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, and pumpkinseed sunfish. There is paid camping at Spectacle Lake. Motels and restaurants can be found back in Tonasket.
Spectacle Lake - Spectacle Lake is 313 acres and located seven miles northwest of the city of Tonasket. The lake is only a couple of miles west of Whitestone Lake, both on the same road. There are two WDFW access sites. One is an improved boat launch with parking. You will need either a WDFW parking pass or a Discovery Pass at both sites. Spectacle is home to both largemouth and smallmouth bass, both averaging about three pounds. You will find both types of bass throughout the lake but, you will need to do a little exploring to find the best areas. The lake also is home to rainbow trout, yellow perch, kokanee trout, bluegill, and pumpkinseed sunfish. There are two private resorts on the lake and the closest motel and restaurants are in Tonasket.
Palmer Lake - Palmer Lake is 2,032 acres and located a couple of miles north of Loomis and 35 miles northwest of Tonasket. Take the same road as you would for Spectacle Lake then continue on for approximately six more miles. You will see Palmer and the first boat launch, that is a BLM site with an improved boat launch and plenty of parking. No parking pass is required at this location. At the other end of the lake is a DNR campground with a gravel boat launch. You will need a Discovery Pass to use this site.
You will find both smallmouth and largemouth bass up to three pounds but, don’t be surprised if you catch a few smallmouths that will go well over that size. Some of the other species of fish in the lake include rainbow and kokanee trout, yellow perch, and crappie. Palmer is one of our largest lakes in the area, so you will need to move around to find where the bass are holding. The northwest end of the lake is best for largemouth and a good starting point for the smallmouth would be in front of the homes on the east side of the lake. Loomis has a small store/gas station otherwise the closest restaurants and motels will be back in Tonasket.
Okanogan River - The Okanogan River from the Canadian/USA border runs south approximately 50 miles before it empties into the Columbia River near the city of Brewster. The average summer flows for the river run about 700 cfs. There are only a few public access locations on this river. Stop into the shop and we can best explain them to you. The river is accessible easier with a jet sled/john boat than it is on foot. A 16 to 18-foot boat works just fine on this river with only one location that most won't make it to during summertime flows. Smallmouth are the main bass species in the river. However, you may also encounter a largemouth now and then. Motels and restaurants can be found at Brewster, Okanogan, Omak, Tonasket, and Oroville.
Best Fly Rod and Fly Line for Bass
What type of rod and line to fish bass is pretty much straight up for all the waters listed. For rod weight, I use rods in the 6 to 8-weight range. For example, I’ll use a 6-weight when I know I don’t have to pull a bass out of heavy cover. For the most part, I like the 6-weight for smallmouth when I’m specifically targeting them. For largemouth, I will use an 8-weight. The 8-weight has the needed backbone to pull largemouth out of the weeds they like to hang out in. I have used my 6-weight for largemouth and have done okay with it -up until they find some nasty, heavy weed beds and then it’s a big maybe if I can get them out of those.
Need a great fly rod with backbone. Check these out.
For best fly line for bass a good floating line that can turn over the larger poppers, sliders, and mouse patterns is great. Due to the size of these flies and the drag, they create when casting them, you’ll need a line that can make casting pleasant. Most of the time you will not need a full sinking line. A floating sink tip will handle the need for getting the fly down where you need it. If the situation does arise that you need a sinking line, I would recommend a triple density designed line. This type of line will get your fly down and allow you to keep it in the target zone as you strip it back.
Looking for line that keeps it in the target zone? Order online here.
Best Bass Flies
If popper fishing in the morning is your game, I would recommend the following flies: Luna Slider, Kermit Slider, Fl. Green Splatter, Froggy, Todd’s Wiggle Minnow.
What are the do's and don'ts of bass fishing with poppers? Learn here.
For streamers type flies you’ll want to use the following: Near Nuff Crayfish, Bass Turd, Jawbreaker, RJ’s Jiggy Worm, Belly Scratcher Minnow, Clouser Minnow.
The above list of flies will give you the basics to get started. On some of them, I did not list colors only because there are several colors that will work at different times, and everyone has their favorite flavor.
That said, this should help you get started for bass fishing in our area with some basic knowledge to use. For a little more detail and to get the inside scope, stop into the fly shop and we will point you in the right direction for a good day on the water. Believe it or not, bass are not the evil invaders that some might think they are. What they are is another reason to get on the water and have some fun.
Wonder what the current conditions are? Read our latest eastern Washington fishing reports here.