Riffe Lake Fishing
A 11,326-acre Washington lake in Lewis County.
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo: Allan Cronin, CC BY-SA 2.0
Riffe Lake in figures
Riffe Lake holds 11,326 surface acres of water in Lewis County, per WDFW. WDFW records the lake at about 774 feet. The run to Morton, the closest town, is about 6 miles. WDFW manages it as mixed-species water managed with a trout emphasis. The WDFW plant report places its county in WDFW Region 5.
The WDFW and State Parks layers list no launch on it. Bank anglers have 2 shore fishing sites. It carries 4 Special Rules of its own. WDFW rates shoreline access as 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.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Species the WDFW lake layer names at Riffe Lake
For Riffe Lake, our WDFW sources list the species below.
WDFW Fish Washington species layers (presence, not abundance), WDFW records and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Ramps on Riffe Lake
No launch on Riffe Lake appears in the access layers, so nearby ramps are shown.
Fishing Riffe Lake from shore
- Kosmos on Riffe Lakeaccess point (no launch)
- Riffe Lake shore accessshore fishing site, Next to dam, paved trail to a small area that can be fished
Other ramps near Riffe Lake
- Swofford Pond boat launchSwofford Pond, 5 miles west
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.
Level reading for Riffe Lake
USACE Northwestern Division water management data, MOS.Elev-Forebay.Inst.0.0.BEST, reading for October 31, 2026 PST, retrieved October 31, 2026; series datum not stated. Provisional.
Each Riffe Lake figure names its agency and time.
Limits that apply on Riffe 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 |
Riffe Lake follows the statewide freshwater tables except where the pamphlet names it.
Special Rules WDFW lists for Riffe Lake
| Water as printed | Species | Rule and season |
|---|---|---|
| Riffe Lake: from Mossyrock Dam to Lewis County PUD safety signs located approx. 800' below Cowlitz Falls Dam CRC (563) | All species | It is permissible to fish up to the base of Swofford Pond Dam. |
| Riffe Lake: from Mossyrock Dam to Lewis County PUD safety signs located approx. 800' below Cowlitz Falls Dam CRC (563) | All game fish | Statewide min. size/daily limit. (Year-round) |
| Riffe Lake: from Mossyrock Dam to Lewis County PUD safety signs located approx. 800' below Cowlitz Falls Dam CRC (563) | Salmon | Landlocked salmon rules. (Year-round) |
| Riffe Lake: from Cowlitz Falls Dam downstream to the Lewis Co. PUD safety signs located about 800' below the dam | All species | CLOSED WATERS. |
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 87 (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.
Measuring Riffe Lake against its neighbours
The size leader in this set is Mayfield Lake, 2,022 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation | Launches | 2026 plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riffe Lake | 11,326 | 774 ft | 0 | 0 | |
| Davis Lake (Lewis County) | 5 miles northeast | 16 | 943 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Swofford Pond | 5 miles west | 216 | 781 ft | 1 | 5 |
| Lake Scanewa | 10 miles east | 399 | 848 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Island Lake (Skamania County) | 11 miles southeast | 9.5 | 4,824 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Mayfield Lake | 12 miles northwest | 2,022 | 428 ft | 0 | 23 |
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers, access layers and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Around the Riffe Lake area
Lakes for a second day beyond Riffe Lake
- Davis Lake (Lewis County)5 miles northeast
- Swofford Pond5 miles west
- Lake Scanewa10 miles east
- Island Lake (Skamania County)11 miles southeast
- Mayfield Lake12 miles northwest
Where to buy worms, eggs and jigs for Riffe Lake
- Great Falls Outdoors, Inc.bait and tackle shop, Centralia
- Fish Doctor Jigsbait and tackle shop, Chehalis
- Port of Anacortes, 266 Doty Dryad Rdmarina, Chehalis
- Radio Shack & Tri-Mountain Sportsbait and tackle shop, Morton
- Lost Creek Fly Shopfly shop, Onalaska
Guide boats working Riffe Lake
- Jr's Sport Fishing & River Guidecharter, Chehalis, (360) 262-9584
- Clancy’s Guided Sportfishingfishing guide, Chehalis, (360) 880-0409
- West Coast Anglersfishing guide, winlock, (360) 219-3863
Washington towns handy to Riffe Lake
- Morton6 miles
- Eatonville27 miles
- Napavine30 miles
Counties that hold part of Riffe Lake
- Lewis Countyseat: Chehalis
What Piscifun sells for a morning at Riffe Lake
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
How to tell one Riffe Lake fish from another, by photo
Photo: robposse, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS – Pacific Region, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Riffe Lake, asked and answered for Evergreen State anglers
Which Washington county holds Riffe Lake?
Drive toward Lewis County, about 6 miles from Morton.
How big is Riffe Lake by the WDFW figure?
11,326 acres in the WDFW layer.
How many launches do the access layers show on Riffe Lake?
No ramp is recorded for it in the layers we use.
Does Riffe Lake hold trout?
Listed species: brown trout, coastal cutthroat trout, smallmouth bass, brown bullhead, black crappie and bluegill.
Which 2026-27 pamphlet rows govern Riffe 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). WDFW adds rules of its own for it in the limits band.
Which WDFW license does an out-of-state angler buy for Riffe 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.
Has WDFW stocked Riffe Lake this year?
It does not appear on the 2026 plant report yet.
Which tackle shop on our Washington list is nearest Riffe Lake?
Great Falls Outdoors, Inc. is the nearest tackle stop we list in the same county.
Which agency reports the level of Riffe Lake?
Check the level band; the source is USACE NWD water management (dataquery).
Load the truck for Riffe Lake
Every WDFW fee and statewide limit sits one click away.