Lake Bonneville Fishing
A 19,452-acre Washington reservoir in Skamania and Klickitat counties, on the Oregon line.
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Lake Bonneville at a glance
Spread over 19,452 acres, Lake Bonneville is a reservoir of Skamania and Klickitat counties on the WDFW map. It is shared with Oregon; about 46% of the outline falls inside Washington. The nearest town is Dallesport, some 3 miles off. WDFW plants for its county are listed under WDFW Region 5.
The access layers record no ramp here.
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.
Trailer access to the water at Lake Bonneville
The access layers show no ramp on Lake Bonneville; city, tribal or private launches may exist.
More WDFW and park launches around Lake Bonneville
- Rowland Lake boat launchRowland Lake, 9 miles west
- Mineral Springs boat launch on Klickitat RiverKlickitat River, 12 miles northeast
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.
How full Lake Bonneville is
USACE Northwestern Division water management data, BON.Elev-Forebay.Inst.1Hour.0.CBT-REV, reading for October 31, 2026 PST, retrieved October 31, 2026; series datum not stated. Provisional.
The Lake Bonneville panel shows the newest value on file, dated.
Size and daily limits on Lake Bonneville
| 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 |
On Lake Bonneville the statewide freshwater rows hold unless a Special Rule below says otherwise.
Where the river coincides with the boundary between Washington and Oregon, the license of either state is valid. Anglers must comply with the laws of the state in which they are fishing. An angler licensed only in Oregon may not fish on the Washington shore or in Washington sloughs or tributaries, except camas slough, where the license of either state is valid from a floating device. An angler fishing the Columbia River is restricted to one daily limit even if licensed by both states. Salmon and steelhead anglers may not possess in the field, fish mutilated so that size, species or fin clip cannot be determined, until the angler has reached their automobile or principle means of land transportation and has completed their daily angling. Anglers may fish with either a saltwater, freshwater, or combination license in the waters of the Columbia River between a line from rocky point, on the Washington shore, to tongue point, on the Oregon shore, and the buoy 10 line described below. For sturgeon rules in the Columbia River tributaries, see rules for adjoining mainstem waters.
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.
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By WDFW acreage, Lake Celilo tops the table with 8,750.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation | Launches | 2026 plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Bonneville | 19,452 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Spearfish Lake | 5 miles southeast | 17 | 192 ft | 0 | 6 |
| Horsethief Lake | 5 miles east | 84 | 163 ft | 0 | 8 |
| Rowland Lake | 9 miles west | 71 | 77 ft | 2 | 7 |
| Lake Celilo | 17 miles east | 8,750 | 2 | 0 | |
| Northwestern Lake | 17 miles northwest | 80 | 297 ft | 0 | 0 |
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers, access layers and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Next to Lake Bonneville
Lakes a brief detour from Lake Bonneville
- Spearfish Lake5 miles southeast
- Horsethief Lake5 miles east
- Rowland Lake9 miles west
- Lake Celilo17 miles east
- Northwestern Lake17 miles northwest
Who runs guided trips on Lake Bonneville
- Klickitat River Guides Fish Hunt Lodgingcharter, Klickitat, (509) 369-2366
Washington towns with beds close by Lake Bonneville
- Dallesport3 miles
- White Salmon14 miles
- Goldendale22 miles
The counties around Lake Bonneville
- Skamania Countyseat: Stevenson
- Klickitat Countyseat: Goldendale
A Piscifun spinning setup worth packing for Lake Bonneville
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A photo key to fish at Lake Bonneville
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Argyleist, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Thomas Quine, CC BY 2.0
Quick replies about fishing Lake Bonneville
How do I find Lake Bonneville on a county map?
Search Skamania and Klickitat counties on the map, about 3 miles from Dallesport.
Is Lake Bonneville a large lake for Washington?
Some 19,452 acres by WDFW, with about 46% of the outline in Washington.
Can a trailered boat get onto Lake Bonneville from a listed launch?
The WDFW and State Parks layers list none on it; nearby ramps appear in the access band.
Which fish do WDFW sources tie to Lake Bonneville?
The WDFW lake layer comes with no species roster for it.
How many trout go home from Lake Bonneville under the 2026-27 pamphlet?
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).
What does a WDFW freshwater license cost for a day at Lake Bonneville?
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. Where the river coincides with the boundary between Washington and Oregon, the license of either state is valid. Anglers must comply with the laws of the state in which they are fishing. An angler licensed only in Oregon may not fish on the Washington shore or in Washington sloughs or tributaries, e
When did WDFW last plant trout in Lake Bonneville?
No hatchery rows name it this year.
Where do Lake Bonneville regulars stock up?
Every shop we list is more than 25 miles off.
Has Lake Bonneville been drawn down, by the newest reading?
The level band shows the newest reading with its agency and date (USACE NWD water management (dataquery)).
Make the drive out to Lake Bonneville
License prices, seasons and Special Rules are gathered on one page.