Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service
Thanks to Mike for adding this little gem of a lake in Yakima County.
This lake is accessed by accessing the Pacific Crest Trail North, from White Pass (highway 12). Heading west on highway 12, there is a gravel road to the North approximately .5 miles from the White Pass Summit. This gravel road will take you to the Pacific Crest Trail. There is a small parking lot by the trail head. This is also the parking area for Leach Lake which is footsteps away.
The hike in is fairly easy. It's only 2.1 miles to the lake. The first portion consists of several switchbacks, but eventually levels out for an elevation gain of 800-900 feet. It's a really beautiful hike, and even in the midst of our drought, still green at its elevation of 5200. After around two miles on the Crest Trail there will be a very large meadow to your right. It is at this point you are close to the lake. The lake can be easily missed, so keep an eye out for a well traveled spur trail on the left. This will take you straight to the lake. My advice, use a map or GPS! (I'm not a garmin).
According to WDFW the lake contains Eastern Brooks and Cutthroat, both of which I confirmed today.
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It was a gorgeous day at Deer Lake today. It was a nice relief from the smoke that has settled in the Yakima Valley. The day was perfect -- sunny, light breeze and mild. The fishing action was modest, but I also didn't arrive until noon. Fish were jumping rising all over the lake. Initially, I tried various spoons (Kastmasters, rooster tails, etc), but found that a night crawler and a power egg on the bottom worked best. In order to get out of the shallow water and into the deeps, a fair amount of weight is needed. This combination seemed to work for me. I ended up catching my biggest cutthroat to date (14 inches), followed by another, and finally an 11 inch Eastern Brook. Throughout the day, I saw deer, squirrels and birds I call "camp robbers." It was a really nice day and I'm glad I can share this beautiful lake with you.
Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service