Upper Klamath Lake

Upper Klamath Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Oregon, about 20 miles long and mostly less than 15 feet deep, above Klamath Falls. Its rich water grows native redband trout to sizes few lakes match, fish of 5 to 15 pounds that feed on chubs and leeches. The catch is the summer water: the lake warms and blooms with algae, and the redbands crowd into the cold spring water of Pelican Bay, Rocky Point and the creek mouths on the west shore, where most of the fly fishing happens.

Strip leeches and baitfish patterns on a sinking line along the edges of the cold-water plumes, from a boat or a pram. Spring and fall, when the main lake is cool, the fish spread out and the mouths of the Williamson and Wood rivers fish well. In 2026 ODFW made redbands catch and release from June 15 through October 31, flies and lures only, after record-low spawning counts. Outside those dates the limit is one fish of 15 inches or more. Agency Lake, joined to the north end, is catch and release for rainbows all year.