Lake Wallula fishing: Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass

Target species: Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, White Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Channel Catfish
Boat: 6 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Boat ramp — Lake Wallula, 2 lanes.

The lake

Lake Wallula covers 38,807 acres in Washington, across 3 counties: Walla Walla, Benton and Franklin. It is a lake: the deepest point measured is 142 feet (43.2 m). Our records hold 17 species for this water. 18% of the water lies in Oregon.

Depth: down to 142 ft at the deepest measured point

Deepest measured point: 142 ft (43.2 m). We hold 429 depth contours for this water, drawn from 1,945 soundings.

Chiawana Park - Pasco, Washington - Lake Wallula (0737).jpg
Gregory Varnum · CC BY-SA 3.0
  • 0–10 ft: 28.1% of the surveyed bottom
  • 10–20 ft: 15% of the surveyed bottom
  • 20–30 ft: 11.6% of the surveyed bottom
  • 30–40 ft: 12.2% of the surveyed bottom
  • 40–50 ft: 11.3% of the surveyed bottom
  • 50–60 ft: 8.4% of the surveyed bottom
  • 60–70 ft: 7.8% of the surveyed bottom
  • 70–80 ft: 4.9% of the surveyed bottom
  • 80–90 ft: 0.6% of the surveyed bottom
  • 90–100 ft: 0.1% of the surveyed bottom

7 target fish, led by Largemouth Bass

  • Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Smallmouth Bass — Feeding water: 60–75°F.
  • White Crappie — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • Bluegill — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
  • Yellow Perch — Feeding water: 45–75°F.
  • Channel Catfish — Feeding water: 70–85°F.

Also recorded here: Alligator Gar, American Shad, Longnose Sucker, Northern Pikeminnow, Black Crappie, Mountain Whitefish, Green Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Brown Bullhead, Tadpole Madtom.

6 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 5 trailer ramps and 1 boat ramp.

Chiawana Park - Pasco, Washington - Lake Wallula (0648).jpg
Gregory Varnum · CC BY-SA 3.0
  • McNary Dam Oregon Ramp — 2 lanes, restrooms. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. phone 541-922-3211 · website nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation
  • Hat Rock State Park — 1 lane, restrooms. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. phone 800-551-6949 · website oregon.gov/oprd/pages/index.aspx
  • Warehouse Beach Boat Ramp — 1 lane, restrooms. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. phone 541-922-3211 · website nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation
  • Warehouse Beach Paddle Launch — 1 lane, restrooms. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. phone 541-922-3211 · website nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation
  • McNary Yacht Club — Hermiston. 34099 Beach Shore Drive, Hermiston 97838 · website mcnaryyachtclub.com
  • Boat ramp — Lake Wallula — 2 lanes.

Fee and opening hours are blank for all 6 places in this list: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

Water and conditions

Our water temperature readings average 66°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 8. These readings span 2019–2024.

Chiawana Park - Pasco, Washington - Lake Wallula (0651).jpg
Gregory Varnum · CC BY-SA 3.0

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 38,807 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle.

Where this data comes from

  • NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: soundings: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.