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Moses Lake Fishing Report

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

Central Washington’s desert lake: Moses Lake holds walleye, bass and crappie in irrigated country.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
69 / 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.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Moses Lake lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. Today brings a mixed sky, wind SE around 4 mph, rising pressure near 1014 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

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Northern pikeGood

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

White bassFair

The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

CrappieSlow

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

Tomorrow: Similar at 75 F. 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 temp69 F
High / Low71 / 49 F
WindSE 4-5 mph
Pressure1013.8 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain27% cloud, 2%
Sunrise / Sunset06:20 / 19:31
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 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 71/49 F, wind 8 mph, rain 2%

Fair or better. A 8 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

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

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

When to come: the Moses 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
Walleye
White bass
Northern pike
Crappie
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 Moses 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. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 71 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 77 F, wind to 22 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 80 F, wind to 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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. Walleye, bass and panfish limits per current WDFW regulations.

Access

Public ramps and city parks around the lake in Moses Lake.

About this water

A 6,800-acre lake in the Columbia Basin at Moses Lake, Grant County, Washington.

Fishing Moses Lake: the full guide

A lake in the Columbia Basin

Moses Lake covers about 6,800 acres in central Washington’s Columbia Basin, a natural lake enlarged and fed by irrigation returns from the Columbia Basin Project. Its fertile, often turbid water grows fish fast: walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch and channel catfish all thrive, with the lake’s three arms offering varied habitat.

Walleye and bass

Walleye hold the points, flats and channel edges, taking jigs and trolled crawler harnesses, with spring and fall the strongest windows. Largemouth relate to the weed beds and docks in the shallower arms, smallmouth to the rock. The lake warms fast in the desert climate, starting the bass season early and extending it late.

Crappie and perch

Black crappie are abundant and reach good size in the fertile water, holding the docks, brush and weed edges: spring is the peak. Yellow perch school over the flats. The lake’s productivity means numbers fishing rather than trophy hunting, though quality fish come from all species in good years.

Grant County logistics

Public ramps and city parks serve the lake, with the city of Moses Lake providing services and Interstate 90 running alongside. Wind sweeps the basin regularly. Water clarity varies with wind, irrigation returns and algae: check recent conditions, as the lake can turn turbid quickly and stay that way for stretches.

Common questions

What is the main species?

Walleye and bass, with abundant black crappie that reach good size in the fertile water.

Is the water clear?

Often not: irrigation returns, wind and algae keep it turbid for stretches. Check recent conditions.

When does the season start?

Early: the desert climate warms the lake fast, starting bass fishing ahead of most Washington waters.

Is fishing good at Moses Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Potholes Reservoir8 miBanks Lake48 miYakima River60 miRufus Woods Lake68 miLake Chelan71 miLake Roosevelt71 mi
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