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Potholes Reservoir Fishing Report

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

The seep-lake sea: sand dunes drowned in irrigation water, walleye in the stumps and a desert fishery with Everglades looks.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
68 / 71 F
Wind
S 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.

Potholes Reservoir sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings clear skies, wind S 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 temp68 F
High / Low71 / 51 F
WindS 4-5 mph
Pressure1013.8 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain22% cloud, 2%
Sunrise / Sunset06:21 / 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, 71/51 F, wind 12 mph, rain 2%

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 Potholes Reservoir: 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 Potholes Reservoir 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 Potholes Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 70 F, wind to 17 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 76 F, wind to 29 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 79 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: district rules with size structure: check WDFW. Drawdown shifts ramps late season.

Access

MarDon Resort, Potholes SP, Glen Williams ramps; dunes access by boat.

About this water

28,000 irrigation acres, Grant County, WA. The Columbia Basin's dune-maze fishery.

Fishing Potholes Reservoir: the full guide

The dune maze

Potholes floods the Columbia Basin's dunes: the north end braids into hundreds of sandy islands and channels (the famous 'dunes': a freshwater Everglades in desert Washington), while the open south basin runs deep and structured. Irrigation drawdown reshapes it yearly: the fishery thrives on the churn.

Walleye doctrine

The basin's walleye program ranks with Washington's best: spring jigs on the face of the dunes, summer bottom-bouncers along Crab Creek's channel and the Lind Coulee arm, fall blade baits on the rocky humps. Stained-enough water keeps daytime honest: limits of 15-19-inch fish anchor the year, with 10-pounders in the mix.

The everything else

Largemouth and smallmouth stack the dune pockets and riprap (a two-bass fishery of underrated quality), crappie school the flooded willows in spring (MarDon's docks glow at night for them), perch fill winter buckets, and the channel cats run the creek arms all summer. Few waters feed this many programs at once.

Basin practicalities

MarDon Resort anchors the south end (ramps, tackle, the honest board): the state park adds access: and the dunes demand navigation humility: sandbars move yearly and props find them. Wind owns afternoons: the dune channels shelter what the basin exposes.

Common questions

What are the dunes at Potholes?

The flooded sand hills of the north end: a maze of islands and channels holding bass, crappie and cruising walleye. Navigate slow: the sand moves every year.

When is walleye fishing best at Potholes?

April-May on the dune faces and September-October on the humps: summer trolling holds steady between. MarDon's board tells the week straight.

Is fishing good at Potholes Reservoir 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

Moses Lake8 miYakima River52 miBanks Lake56 miRufus Woods Lake76 miIcicle Creek76 miLake Chelan78 mi
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