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Drano Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Columbia's famous corner: a drowned rivermouth where spring Chinook stack by the thousand and the hog lines write Northwest legend.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
71 / 71 F
Wind
SE 4 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Drano Lake sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings a mixed sky, wind SE around 4 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 71. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown troutGood

Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

SteelheadSlow

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 77 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp71 F
High / Low71 / 54 F
WindSE 4-6 mph
Pressure1013.3 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain33% cloud, 22%
Sunrise / Sunset06:31 / 19:38
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Rain, 71/54 F, wind 12 mph, rain 22%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Drano Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

When to come: the Drano Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Steelhead
Smallmouth bass
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Drano Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 68 F, wind to 12 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 15 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 73 F, wind to 18 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Washington requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Washington license + salmon/steelhead catch record card + Columbia endorsement. Emergency rules rule: check WDFW weekly.

Access

Drano Lake ramp (Hwy 14), bank access east of the bridge; services in White Salmon/Hood River.

About this water

The Little White Salmon rivermouth on the Columbia, Skamania County, WA. The springer corner of legend.

Fishing Drano Lake: the full guide

The springer stage

Drano Lake is the Little White Salmon's drowned mouth: a Columbia backwater where spring Chinook pause by the thousands en route to the hatchery. March-May, the 'toilet bowl' (the churning corner by the highway bridge) hosts the Northwest's most famous springer fishery: trolled herring and spinners in tight circles, boats bow-to-stern in the hog lines.

How the game works

The fishery is choreography: boats troll the counterclockwise circuit, prawn spinners and cut-plug herring behind flashers at 15-35 ft: and etiquette is law: join the line, match the pace, net for your neighbors. Bank anglers plunk the shoreline east of the bridge: less famous, steadily productive.

Beyond the springers

Summer brings steelhead stacking in the cool water (the lake runs colder than the Columbia: fish pile in during heat waves): bobber-and-jig or trolled spoons: and fall adds coho and the odd fall king. Walleye and smallmouth from the big river wander in year-round: a Columbia fishery in miniature, minus the current.

Rules and the count

Drano runs on emergency regulations: season dates, boat-fishing days (some years alternate with bank-only days), and quota closures tracking the Bonneville counts. Check WDFW's rule updates the week you go: the fishery opens and closes on data. Tribal fisheries share the water by right: respect the nets and the heritage.

Common questions

What is a hog line at Drano?

The bow-to-stern trolling circuit boats run in the famous corner: order and etiquette keep it working. Watch a few circuits before joining: the choreography is half the fishery.

When do springers stack in Drano Lake?

April-May peak, tracking the Bonneville counts: heat waves any summer also pile steelhead into its cool water. Emergency rules change weekly: verify before towing.

Is fishing good at Drano Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Columbia River23 miKlickitat River23 miDeschutes River35 miSandy River35 miLake Merwin42 miLewis River56 mi
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