If you drive east on Highway 7 out of Baker City and the road starts climbing into ponderosa pine and granite, you're heading somewhere worth your time. Phillips Lake sits at 4,100 feet in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, impounded behind Mason Dam on the Powder River. It's 2,400 acres of cold, clear high-desert reservoir with surprisingly little fishing pressure for the quality of fish it holds.
Mid-July through August is prime season here. Snowmelt has cooled off, the water temperature stratifies, and the fish stack up at predictable depths. If you're willing to put in a little time reading the lake, you can have a phenomenal day without seeing another angler within casting distance.
What You'll Catch
Phillips Lake holds three primary targets for summer anglers:
- Rainbow Trout — ODFW stocks rainbows regularly, and some holdovers push 14–18 inches. Look for them near the dam face early and late in the day.
- Kokanee Salmon — This is the sleeper fishery at Phillips. Kokanee run 10–14 inches through most of July, occasionally larger. They school tight and respond well to trolling.
- Smallmouth Bass — The upper arms of the reservoir warm faster, and that's where bass set up. Rock points and submerged timber near the Powder River inlet hold fish all summer.
Trolling for Kokanee: The Most Efficient Method
Kokanee at Phillips behave like kokanee everywhere — they suspend, they school, and they move with the thermocline. In July, they're typically sitting at 20–35 feet when surface temps are in the low 60s. A quality fish finder is your best friend.
Standard kokanee trolling rigs work well here. Run a dodger 18–24 inches ahead of a Wedding Ring spinner tipped with white corn or a Mack's Smile Blade with a small hoochie. Troll between 1.5 and 2.2 mph. Speed matters more than people think — drop below 1.2 and kokanee lose interest fast.
Pink, orange, and red are the go-to colors at Phillips. Early morning and the last two hours of light are most productive. If you're not marking fish at 25 feet, drop to 35. They don't always cooperate with your assumptions.
Shore Fishing and Wade Access
The Union Creek Campground and Millers Lane area on the south shore offer decent bank access for trout. Power Bait in yellow or orange, Berkley Trout Nuggets, and nightcrawlers all produce. Fish the dam face in the early morning — the deep, cold water holds rainbows that push shallow in low light.
For bank anglers targeting bass, the upper end of the reservoir near the Powder River inlet is your best bet. Work Texas-rigged plastic worms along rocky transitions and any visible wood structure. Smallmouth here aren't huge — expect 10–14 inches with occasional fish to 16 — but they fight hard and they're fun on medium-light spinning tackle.
Boat Ramp and Access
There are two paved boat ramps at Phillips Lake — one at the Union Creek Recreation Area and one at Millers Lane. Both are maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers. A campground at Union Creek has hookups and tent sites; reserve early for summer weekends. Day use is free. The lake is open to motorized boats with no horsepower restrictions, but watch for afternoon wind — it can build fast and get rough on the open main basin.
Regulations You Need to Know
Phillips Lake is part of the Powder River basin and falls under standard Eastern Oregon trout regulations. Check the current ODFW Sport Fishing Regulations for limit and size restrictions — the basin rules can differ from statewide defaults. Kokanee limits are typically generous (10 fish in many years), but verify before you go. A valid Oregon fishing license with Combined Angling Tag is required.
Making the Most of a Summer Day at Phillips
Get on the water by 6:00 AM. Kokanee are active at first light and shut down in the midday heat. If you're camping, run your troll in the morning, break for a few hours, then target bass in the upper arms during the afternoon warmth. Come back for a trout session from shore near the dam as evening cools things down.
Baker City is 17 miles west on Highway 7 and has full services — gas, groceries, bait, and a couple of diners worth stopping at. The Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge State Heritage Area is a short detour on the way in and worth 20 minutes if you have kids along.
Phillips doesn't get written about much, which is half the reason it's worth going. The Blue Mountains fisheries east of the Cascades are consistently overlooked, and Phillips Lake is one of the better-kept secrets in a region full of them. Make the drive. You'll be back.
