Lake Cortez is a reservoir in Washington, near Chelan County.
Lake Cortez is a reservoir in Chelan County, Washington and covers about 31.78 acres.
During the first pass near the outside weed line in clear water, a point, weed edge, or small drop is more important than simply covering the whole shoreline.
Fish listed for Lake Cortez include Brook Trout, Brown Bullhead, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Northern Pikeminnow, Redside Shiner, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, and Yellow Perch.
During a steady fall day near a quiet corner while the water is rising, keep a small jig tipped with a worm or minnow close to bottom on a shelf for yellow perch.
During a low-light period near a soft-to-hard bottom change with a slow lure, drag a tube or Ned rig across rock and the hard edge of a point for smallmouth bass.
During a warm summer afternoon near scattered wood with a moving bait, use a worm on the bottom in a warm, quiet pocket during low light for brown bullhead.
During an overcast morning near scattered wood with a moving bait, cast a small spoon, inline spinner, light jig, or fly through cool water for rainbow trout.
During a calm morning near the downwind side close to shade, Other targets listed here include Brown Trout; give each one its own bait and depth instead of trying to catch everything with the same rig.
During a short evening pass near a rocky edge before changing depth, use wind as a clue; a light push can carry food toward a bank, but hard wind may muddy it, so look for a clean edge near a point or protected pocket.
While using a quick look at firm bottom near a rocky edge near visible bait, shallow water is worth a careful look in spring and again during fall; bright summer days favor shade, weeds, or deeper breaks; under ice, a small depth change can be more useful than a long move.
During an overcast morning near a shallow shelf near visible bait, a light spinning rod, thin line, a few small spoons, inline spinners, and jigs cover the listed trout; carry one slightly heavier setup when other fish or windy water call for more control.
During the last hour of daylight near a small drop with a slow lure, record the wind, water color, depth of the first good pass, and cover after a bite; those four notes are more useful on the next trip than a long list of spots that did not produce.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.