Lake Umatilla Fishing
A 48,738-acre Washington lake in Benton and Klickitat counties, on the Oregon line.
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Lake Umatilla: what to know first
WDFW lists Lake Umatilla at 48,738 surface acres in Benton and Klickitat counties. The water lies at roughly 268 feet of elevation. About 56% of its mapped outline is Washington water, the rest Oregon. Allow about 28 miles of driving to Mabton, the nearest town. Management on record is mixed-species water managed with a warmwater emphasis. For WDFW purposes the county is in WDFW Region 5.
Its shoreline carries no launch in the access layers. Shore access, by WDFW: 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.
Which fish WDFW records in Lake Umatilla
The WDFW layers, records and plant report name these fish at Lake Umatilla.
WDFW Fish Washington species layers (presence, not abundance), WDFW records and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
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Boaters heading for Lake Umatilla will find no ramp in the layers; check the closest ones below.
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.
Water level at Lake Umatilla
USACE Northwestern Division water management data, JDA.Elev-Forebay.Inst.1Hour.0.CBT-REV, reading for October 31, 2026 PST, retrieved October 31, 2026; series datum not stated. Provisional.
Readings for Lake Umatilla are provisional until the agency reviews them.
Taking fish home from Lake Umatilla
| 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 |
For Lake Umatilla, read the statewide rows first and then the water-specific lines.
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.
Where Lake Umatilla ranks among nearby water
Of the five closest Washington lakes with pages, Lake Wallula has the most surface water at 26,274 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation | Launches | 2026 plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Umatilla | 48,738 | 268 ft | 0 | 0 | |
| Granger Pond | 37 miles north | 10 | 698 ft | 1 | 0 |
| Lake Celilo | 43 miles west | 8,750 | 2 | 0 | |
| Lake Wallula | 44 miles east | 26,274 | 343 ft | 5 | 0 |
| I-82 Pond 7 | 44 miles north | 7.3 | 760 ft | 0 | 0 |
| I-82 Pond 6 | 45 miles north | 28 | 773 ft | 0 | 0 |
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers, access layers and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Just past Lake Umatilla
Other lakes in the Lake Umatilla area
- Granger Pond37 miles north
- Lake Celilo43 miles west
- Lake Wallula44 miles east
- I-82 Pond 744 miles north
- I-82 Pond 645 miles north
Grabbing bait and leader on the way to Lake Umatilla
- Dick's Sporting Goods Kennewicksporting goods store, Kennewick
- Sportsman's Warehouse Kennewicksporting goods store, Kennewick
- Columbia Park Marinamarina, Richland
- Three Rivers Tacklebait and tackle shop, West Richland
Guides and charters for Lake Umatilla
- Angler's Edge Guide Servicecharter, Richland, (509) 430-5062
- Klickitat River Guides Fish Hunt Lodgingcharter, Klickitat, (509) 369-2366
- Rivers West Sport Fishingcharter, West Richland, (509) 521-9431
Overnight bases close to Lake Umatilla
- Mabton28 miles
- Prosser30 miles
- Grandview30 miles
Counties that touch Lake Umatilla
- Benton Countyseat: Prosser
- Klickitat Countyseat: Goldendale
Rods and reels from Piscifun ahead of a trip to Lake Umatilla
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Fish worth recognising before a day at Lake Umatilla
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Argyleist, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Heath Alseike, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Lake Umatilla questions with short answers
Which Washington town is closest to Lake Umatilla?
WDFW maps it in Benton and Klickitat counties, about 28 miles from Mabton.
What acreage is on file for Lake Umatilla?
WDFW lists 48,738 acres, with about 56% of the outline in Washington.
Does Lake Umatilla have a public ramp in the WDFW or State Parks layers?
The layers show no launch here.
What can a Washington angler expect to hook in Lake Umatilla?
Expect largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, brown bullhead, yellow perch, black crappie and pumpkinseed at the top of the WDFW list.
Which 2026-27 Washington rules apply on Lake Umatilla?
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).
Which WDFW license do I carry on Lake Umatilla?
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
Is Lake Umatilla on the 2026 plant report?
The 2026 plant report lists no plant for it through late October.
Where can I pick up PowerBait and leader before Lake Umatilla?
Try Dick's Sporting Goods Kennewick in the same county for bait and tackle.
What is the water level at Lake Umatilla today?
USACE NWD water management (dataquery) reports it; the value is in the level band.
Pencil in a weekend on Lake Umatilla
Read the Special Rules, then pick the ramp nearest your spot.