"Riffe Lake"
Fishing bridge (east end of lake) located lower left corner.
FISHING & CAMPING: LEWIS COUNTY, "RIFFE LAKE"
Roughly 70 miles south of Tacoma and 20 miles east of I-5 on HWY. 12 lies
"RIFFE LAKE". A manmade reservoir with close to 53 miles of shoreline. Where
deer and elk abound and on a crisp spring morning as the sun peeks over
the Cascades to cast the first light of day upon the lake you hear the sweet
sound the of 4 lb. line being stripped from your reel. You see clearly the
sun reflecting off the side of a nice landlocked Coho as it leaps 1,2,3
times into the air then dives back into the deep green waters of Riffe Lake.
Your patient coaxing of a 15" landlocked salmon to shore, brings a smile
to your face.
 
This is Riffe Lake, and not an uncommon memory for those of you lucky enough
to have spent a weekend wetting a line in her waters. With landlocked Coho,
Catfish, Bass, Perch, Rainbow and the occasional German Brown, your bound
to find something to bend your rod. And it doesn't matter if your fishing
from a boat or shore. At the dam on the west end or the fishing bridge on
the east. From a boat try a Wedding Ring and worm on leaded line down three
colors, or spoons. From shore almost anything goes, like worm and egg combo
below a bobber, or Powerbait and an egg sinker off the bottom, even cocktail
shrimp. Then there's always the spinners such as Rooster Tails, Vibrax,
Panther Martin or Mepps. We once landed 8 Coho on 6 different combinations.
Four of those fish made for a fine breakfast less than an hour later over
a campfire with hashbrowns, eggs and good ol' camp coffee to warm the bones
as we relived some of the early morning success stories.
Photos and Article by Steve Parsons
And while your watching the water waiting for the next one to stretch your
line, take a second to look overhead where you might see a Redtailed Hawk,
Osprey, or a Bald Eagle circling. If your on the east end of the lake, watch
for Hanggliders riding the winds frequently above Dog Mt.. Riffe Lake has
a lot to offer and many miles of shore to explore.
NOTE: Taidmapum Park on the east end
of the lake and Mossyrock Park on the west end both offer full service RV
hookups and additional camping facilities. Reservations are pretty much
required from Memorial Day thru Labor Day. Boats can be launched from either
end of the lake and at the Kosmos boat launch 5 miles east of Morton on
Kosmos Rd. For maps, tackle, and additional info regarding Riffe lake try
"Wild Country Sporting Goods" in Mossyrock, just ask for Mike Weigant owner.
Phone numbers:
Taidnapum Park 360-497-7707
Mossyrock Park 360-983-3900
Wild Country Sporting Goods 360-983-8008
*Before fishing any lake, stream or river in Washington State be sure
to check the Fish & Game Regulations
for the area you are fishing.
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