Lake Mattawa

Lake Mattawa covers 118 acres in Franklin County. The recorded maximum depth at Lake Mattawa is 43 feet.

What to Expect at Lake Mattawa

The verified 43-foot maximum gives Lake Mattawa enough depth for fish to move away from the bank without turning the lake into a purely open-water fishery.

Fish and Useful Baits at Lake Mattawa

Fish reported from Lake Mattawa include banded killifish, black crappie, bluegill, brook trout, brown bullhead, brown trout, chain pickerel, golden shiner, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, rainbow smelt, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, tiger trout, white perch, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and yellow perch.

Bass

When largemouth bass hold tight to cover on Lake Mattawa, a compact jig or weedless worm is more useful than repeated open-water casts. Rocky points on Lake Mattawa suit a grub, tube or compact crankbait when smallmouth are the target.

Crappie, Perch and Sunfish

A soft-plastic minnow or live minnow placed beside cover is a sound crappie approach on Lake Mattawa. For sunfish on Lake Mattawa, keep a cricket or tiny jig close to weed edges and shaded wood. For Lake Mattawa yellow perch, work a light jig slowly along the first firm-bottom break.

Walleye and Larger Predators

For Lake Mattawa pickerel, cover weed edges with a flashy moving lure and use a short leader when bite-offs become common.

A Simple Fishing Plan for Lake Mattawa

Choose three different structural stops before changing sections on Lake Mattawa. Compare incoming water, the old channel and a point leading toward the deeper end of Lake Mattawa.

When to Fish Lake Mattawa

Spring at Lake Mattawa favors warming coves, feeder mouths and protected spawning banks. Once summer heat settles over Lake Mattawa, work the deepest active cover instead of assuming every fish has moved to the bottom. Windblown points on Lake Mattawa become worth checking when autumn baitfish move shallow.