While there are so many lakes with amazing fishing opportunities in Washington State that I love, Riffe Lake may just be my favorite. Located just 60 miles south of Tacoma, Riffe Lake is a 13-mile long reservoir that’s famous for its landlocked salmon fishing. Tacoma Power not only raises and lowers the water levels of this lake, but they also stock it with thousands of coho salmon every year. Once they meet their quota of fish, they put the excess fish in Riffe Lake to give sportsmen an opportunity to target them there. It’s usually well worth the drive, Riffe Lake is a consistently good fishery. I cut my teeth learning how to troll on this lake. Landlocked coho taste amazing on the grill and the smoker. The action is typically hot and fast. Let’s go over how to have a successful day at Riffe Lake!
Trolling is by far the most popular way to fish Riffe Lake. You don’t need to run all the way across the lake to catch fish; you can start trolling right after you launch. You can use your kokanee setups- the coho here are about the same size. Coho in Riffe Lake love the color pink! You’ll want to use small pink dodgers and pink lures. Some popular lures include Mack’s Wedding Rings, Brad’s Kokanee Cut Plugs, small spoons, and small hoochie spinners. The coho are usually willing, aggressive biters. If you get some hits but no fish, reel up and check your bait. This trait also makes them a great way to teach kids how to reel in bigger fish. Before taking your kids out to the Sound to target the big boys, let them practice reeling in these feisty Riffe Lake coho!
During this time of year, the heat will have pushed the coho down in the water column. Salmonids do not tolerate warm water temperatures as well as other species. They will also travel deeper during the heat of the day to escape the sun. During sunset, sunrise, and on cloudy days, you won’t have to fish quite as deep. A good fish finder is essential to find out how deep to run your downriggers. Riffe Lake is extremely deep and large. With 13 miles of 200 feet deep water, there’s a lot of room for fish to spread out.
Keep a close eye on your fish finder, it’s easy to get lulled into a false sense of security when trolling in such deep water. The lake shallows up surprisingly quickly, especially near islands. Some days the fish can be 90 feet deep. The fish school up very tightly, so they will be easy to find on your fish finder. Be ready to adjust the settings on your fish finder, especially if you’re used to fishing shallow lakes. You don’t need to see all 200+ feet of the lake, adjust your settings so you only see the depth you need.
As of this writing, all boat launches except Mossyrock Park are closed due to low water levels. As previously mentioned, Tacoma Power raises and lowers the water levels throughout the year. You can give them a call or check their website to see which boat launches are open. There’s a nice fish cleaning station at Mossyrock Park, restrooms, ample parking, and a play area for the kids. You can find restaurants, stores, and other amenities at the nearby town of Mossyrock.
Once you’ve launched, you can start your troll and turn left or right. I’ve consistently found fish in both directions. Some days, we’ve limited out all 4 people in an hour, and couldn’t even get all 4 rods back in the water! There are fish all over Riffe Lake. If you’re struggling to find willing biters, try targeting points and islands. These fish like drop-offs, just like their saltwater cousins.
There’s something for everyone at Riffe Lake. Don’t have a boat? No worries, there are several places near the dams that you can shore fish. Cast out a piece of shrimp underneath a bobber, and wait. Just like when you’re fishing from a boat, you’ll want to adjust the depth you’re fishing at to find the fish. Remember that there is a 5 fish limit. You can catch a variety of species at this lake other than coho, including cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, chinook salmon, and steelhead. Salmonids have a hard time surviving catch and release, especially in this hot weather.
Another word of warning, check the forecast before heading out. Riffe Lake is famous for those afternoon winds that can blow small vessels off the . Most importantly, remember to have fun! Riffe Lake is a special fishery. Where else can you consistently bring home limits of land locked salmon? Go catch your limit, let the kids play at the park, and have some ice cream and burgers in Mossyrock before heading home to barbeque your fish!
