Bass Fishing in the Pacific Northwest: When, Where, and How to Catch Largemouth and Smallmouth

Although not famous for bass fishing, the Pacific Northwest offers a number of excellent fisheries for both Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. The Columbia and Willamette Rivers both have very healthy populations of Smallmouth, but the majority of small ponds and local lakes in Oregon and Washington have Largemouth as well. 

Because of cold winter water temperatures and temperamental weather patterns, the window of time to fish for bass is often smaller in these local lakes and ponds. Water temperature also varies widely between bodies of water, so while one lake may offer bites as early as March, another may not be very active until June. 

Learning these patterns is a matter of trial and error, and over time you will find reliable times to fish. In general though, for most lakes in Oregon and Washington, May and June are well worth trying for bass. You can read up on spawn timing and water temperature in detail, but you can also follow this general rule: When you have three nights in a row where the temperature stays above 55 degrees fahrenheit, Largemouth bass are more likely to be willing to bite in the Pacific Northwest. 

It’s hard to beat the simple “Senko” or plastic-worm  “Texas” rig for these shallow lakes. In five feet of depth or less, no weight at all is necessary, as the slow-fall of the worm will entice bites. Other lures like white spinnerbaits, green pumpkin ½ oz football jigs and crawdad pattern crankbaits can be very effective, but soft plastics in more subtle colors like black, blue and green do the trick most of the time.

If you live near a pond or lake that you suspect may have bass, keep an eye out for the fish cruising the shallows anywhere from March to June. Once you see bluegill spawning near the bank, most of the bass have already spawned but can still be caught, often just a little deeper than the depth of the shore. Bass will usually bite on the first good cast with the right lure, so once you’ve made several casts in an area, move to another area and keep looking for them. Keep an eye out for submerged logs, lily pads and creek mouths, which can attract fish. 

It’s actually very surprising how many bass exist in local lakes, ponds and rivers. I’ve caught Smallmouth Bass off of the Waterfront in Portland, on ponds right on the Pacific Coast, and many from little ponds just off the highway. It’s worth a few casts!