Mason Lake Fishing
A 966-acre Washington lake in Mason County.
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Carr Inlet: WorldIslandInfo.com, CC BY 2.0
Mason Lake: what to know first
WDFW lists Mason Lake at 966 surface acres in Mason County. The water lies at roughly 197 feet of elevation. Allow about 7 miles of driving to Allyn, the nearest town. Management on record is mixed-species water managed with a trout emphasis. For WDFW purposes the county is in WDFW Region 6.
Its shoreline carries no launch in the access layers. WDFW names it in 5 Special Rules. 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.
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The WDFW layers, records and plant report name these fish at Mason Lake.
WDFW Fish Washington species layers (presence, not abundance), WDFW records and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
WDFW and park ramps on Mason Lake
Boaters heading for Mason Lake will find no ramp in the layers; check the closest ones below.
Second-choice ramps close to Mason Lake
- Benson Lake boat launchBenson Lake, 2 miles east
- Trails End Lake boat launchTrails End Lake, 4 miles northeast
- Jarrell Cove, north boat launch on Case InletCase Inlet, 5 miles southeast
- Jarrell Cove, south boat launch on Case InletCase Inlet, 5 miles southeast
- Spencer Lake boat launchSpencer Lake, 5 miles south
- Phillips Lake boat launchPhillips Lake, 5 miles south
Bank and pier spots near Mason Lake
- Twanoh Park Pierfishing pier, Marine Area 12, 3 miles
- Allyn Pierfishing pier, Marine Area 13, 7 miles
- Oakland Baywater access area, 7 miles
- Hoodsport Pierfishing pier, Marine Area 12, 10 miles
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.
Taking fish home from Mason 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 |
For Mason Lake, read the statewide rows first and then the water-specific lines.
Water-specific rules for Mason Lake
| Water as printed | Species | Rule and season |
|---|---|---|
| Mason Lake | Smallmouth bass | No min. size. Daily limit 15. Only 1 over 14" may be retained. (Year-round) |
| Mason Lake | Largemouth bass | No min. size. Daily limit 10. Max. size 12", except 1 over 17" may be retained. (Year-round) |
| Mason Lake | Channel catfish | No min. size. Daily limit 10. (Year-round) |
| Mason Lake | Walleye | No min. size. Daily limit 16. Only 1 over 22" may be retained. (Year-round) |
| Mason Lake | Other game fish | Statewide min. size/daily limit. (Year-round) |
Special Rules as printed in the 2026-2027 Washington Sport Fishing Rules (WDFW pamphlet, in effect July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), pamphlet page 86 (pamphlet PDF), read on eRegulations October 31, 2026.
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 Mason Lake ranks among nearby water
Of the five closest Washington lakes with pages, Spencer Lake has the most surface water at 212 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation | Launches | 2026 plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason Lake | 966 | 197 ft | 0 | 0 | |
| Benson Lake | 2 miles east | 80 | 233 ft | 1 | 1 |
| Trails End Lake | 5 miles northeast | 73 | 304 ft | 1 | 5 |
| Spencer Lake | 5 miles south | 212 | 175 ft | 1 | 9 |
| Lake Limerick | 5 miles southwest | 132 | 220 ft | 1 | 2 |
| Lake Maggie | 6 miles northwest | 22 | 353 ft | 1 | 2 |
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers, access layers and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Just past Mason Lake
Other lakes in the Mason Lake area
- Benson Lake2 miles east
- Trails End Lake5 miles northeast
- Spencer Lake5 miles south
- Lake Limerick5 miles southwest
- Lake Maggie6 miles northwest
Grabbing bait and leader on the way to Mason Lake
- Cabela's Laceysporting goods store, Lacey, 20 miles
- Dick's Sporting Goods Olympiasporting goods store, Olympia, 20 miles
- Dick's Sporting Goods Tacomasporting goods store, Tacoma, 24 miles
- Fair Harbor Marinamarina, Allyn
- Jarrell's Cove Marinamarina, Shelton
- Oakland Bay Marinamarina, Shelton
Guides and charters for Mason Lake
- Puget Charterscharter, Shelton, (360) 490-8482
Overnight bases close to Mason Lake
- Allyn7 miles
- Home9 miles
- Belfair9 miles
Counties that touch Mason Lake
- Mason Countyseat: Shelton
Rods and reels from Piscifun ahead of a trip to Mason Lake
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Fish worth recognising before a day at Mason Lake

Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Heath Alseike, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Mike Cline, Public domain

Photo: Oregon State University, CC BY-SA 2.0
Mason Lake questions with short answers
Which Washington town is closest to Mason Lake?
WDFW maps it in Mason County, about 7 miles from Allyn.
What acreage is on file for Mason Lake?
WDFW lists 966 acres.
Does Mason Lake 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 Mason Lake?
Expect kokanee, largemouth bass, brown bullhead and yellow perch at the top of the WDFW list.
Which 2026-27 Washington rules apply on Mason 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). The pamphlet also prints Special Rules for this lake; see the limits band.
Which WDFW license do I carry on Mason 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.
Is Mason Lake 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 Mason Lake?
Try Cabela's Lacey, about 20 miles away for bait and tackle.
Pencil in a weekend on Mason Lake
Read the Special Rules, then pick the ramp nearest your spot.

