Curlew Lake Fishing
A 861-acre Washington lake in Ferry County.
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First look at Curlew Lake
By the WDFW lake layer, Curlew Lake covers 861 acres of Ferry County. Expect an elevation of about 2,354 feet at the shoreline. Kettle Falls lies near 29 miles from the WDFW lake point. WDFW treats it as mixed-species water managed with a trout emphasis. It falls within WDFW Region 1 by the plant report.
Boaters can choose among 2 launches (2 public) in the WDFW and State Parks layers. The shore fishing layer adds 3 shore fishing sites. The access field reads good.
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers on geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov (surface acres, elevation, management emphasis, shoreline access, species), USGS NHD outlines, Census 2023 places, retrieved October 31, 2026.
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Fish on file for Curlew Lake across the WDFW layers and plant report:
WDFW Fish Washington species layers (presence, not abundance), WDFW records and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Launching on Curlew Lake
- Curlew Lake boat launch (north)Discover Pass, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
- Curlew Lake boat launch (south)Discover Pass, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
WDFW piers and shoreline sites on Curlew Lake
- Curlew Lake shore accessaccess point (no launch)
- Curlew Lake fishing pier, Ferry Countyshore fishing site, Public dock, trails from boat launch offer shore fishing
- Curlew Lake fishing piershore fishing site, Fishing platform
WDFW Water Access Sites and Shore Fishing Sites layers (geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov) and the Washington State Parks boat launch layer, retrieved October 31, 2026. A Discover Pass is needed to park at WDFW access sites and State Parks launches.
Daily limits, Curlew Lake
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Only largemouth bass less than 12" may be retained, except 1 over 17" may be retained. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Smallmouth Bass | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Only 1 smallmouth bass over 14" may be retained. Daily limit 10. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Walleye | Min. size 12" in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Daily limit 8. Only 1 over 22" may be retained. May be caught, retained, and released alive from a livewell until daily limit is in possession. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Channel Catfish | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Burbot (Freshwater Ling) | No min. size. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Crappie, Northern Pikeminnow, Peamouth Chub, Perch, Suckers, Sunfish, | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Grass Carp | Closed unless otherwise listed in Special Rules. | Closed |
| Kokanee | No min. size. Daily limit 10. When fishing with bait, all kokanee that are lawful to possess and are equal to or greater than the minimum size are counted as part of the daily limit whether kept or released. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Tiger Muskellunge (Tiger Muskie) | Min. size 50". Daily limit 1. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Whitefish | No min. size. Daily limit 15. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Steelhead | Release all wild steelhead. Min. size 20". Daily limit 2. Open during salmon or game fish seasons unless as otherwise listed. | Open during salmon or game fish seasons unless as otherwise listed |
| Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Golden Trout, Tiger Trout | In lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: No min. size. Daily limit 5. | Year-round (statewide lake season, p.23) |
| Trout (combined rivers and lakes same day) | The combined daily limit for an angler that fishes in both rivers and lakes on the same day is 5 trout, no more than 2 may be from rivers. | see the pamphlet |
| Lake Trout | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Eastern Brook Trout (EBT) | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Dolly Varden/Bull Trout | Closed unless otherwise listed in Special Rules. | Closed |
The statewide freshwater limits are the default at Curlew Lake, with Special Rules on top.
Anglers 16 and older need a Washington Freshwater license ($39.95 resident, $115.85 nonresident for 2026-27) or a Combination license; salmon, steelhead and sturgeon also take a catch record card.
Limits and seasons as printed in the 2026-2027 Washington Sport Fishing Rules (WDFW pamphlet, in effect July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), PDF page 27 (pamphlet PDF; eRegulations statewide freshwater page), read October 31, 2026.
State records caught in Curlew Lake
| Species | Weight | Angler | Water as printed | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger Muskie (Northern Pike / Muskellunge hybrid) | 37.88 lbs | David Hickman | Curlew Lake, Ferry County | July 26, 2014 |
WDFW sport fish records (freshwater and saltwater record lists, kept by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)) as listed October 31, 2026. All Washington records.
Curlew Lake beside nearby lakes
Beaver Lake (Okanogan County) is the biggest of these neighbours, 27 acres by WDFW.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation | Launches | 2026 plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curlew Lake | 861 | 2,354 ft | 2 | 0 | |
| Little Beaver Lake | 16 miles northwest | 7 | 2,692 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Turner Lake | 16 miles west | 18 | 4,168 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Ferry Lake | 16 miles southwest | 20 | 3,344 ft | 0 | 1 |
| Beaver Lake (Okanogan County) | 16 miles northwest | 27 | 2,701 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Fish Lake (Ferry County) | 17 miles south | 6.4 | 3,223 ft | 0 | 1 |
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers, access layers and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Not far from Curlew Lake
More Washington lakes around Curlew Lake
- Little Beaver Lake16 miles northwest
- Turner Lake16 miles west
- Ferry Lake16 miles southwest
- Beaver Lake (Okanogan County)16 miles northwest
- Fish Lake (Ferry County)17 miles south
Shops to stop at before Curlew Lake
- Republic Sports Shopbait and tackle shop, Republic
Cities and towns within reach of Curlew Lake
- Kettle Falls29 miles
- Tonasket35 miles
- Colville37 miles
County pages covering Curlew Lake
- Ferry Countyseat: Republic
Piscifun tackle sorted for the drive to Curlew Lake
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Photographs of fishing water around Curlew Lake
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Pat Strosahl, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: B.D.'s world, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Jan Helebrant, CC0 1.0
Clearing up a trip to Curlew Lake
Which county line is Curlew Lake near?
Its WDFW point falls inside Ferry County, about 29 miles from Kettle Falls.
How many surface acres does WDFW list for Curlew Lake?
Roughly 861 acres.
Where does a trailered boat go in at Curlew Lake?
2 launches, including Curlew Lake boat launch (north) (2 public in all).
Which species swim in Curlew Lake?
WDFW points to rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, tiger muskie and yellow perch.
Does a minimum or slot size apply to fish kept at Curlew Lake?
Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Golden Trout, Tiger Trout: In lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: No min. size. Daily limit 5.; Year-round (statewide lake season, p.23).
Is a catch record card needed on Curlew Lake?
Anglers 16 and older need a Washington Freshwater license ($39.95 resident, $115.85 nonresident for 2026-27) or a Combination license; salmon, steelhead and sturgeon also take a catch record card.
How many trout has WDFW put in Curlew Lake?
No 2026 trout plant names it so far.
Which Washington tackle counter on our list is handy to Curlew Lake?
Closest on our list: Republic Sports Shop in the same county.
Does WDFW credit Curlew Lake with a record?
Tiger Muskie (Northern Pike / Muskellunge hybrid), 37.88 lbs, by David Hickman (July 26, 2014).
Put Curlew Lake on the list before the next plant
Buy the WDFW license online before leaving town.