Fragrance Lake

Fragrance lake is located approximately 5 miles South of Fairhaven outside of Bellingham. There are three trailheads to Fragrance Lk. The easiest one to find is the trailhead across Larrabee State park on Chuckanut Dr. The other two trails are north of that. To find them, travel south on Chuckanut Dr. from Fairhaven. Several feet before Mile Post 16 look for Hiline Rd. Follow Hiline Rd. up the hill. It will turn into a gravel road also called Cleater Rd. The first trail on Cleater Rd. to Fragrance is at the first of two gates.

The second trail to Fragrance lake is at the second gate farther up Cleater Rd. It's approximately 2 1/2 miles from Chuckanut Dr. This trail descends down the hill to an old access road. It is approximately a 15 mins. decent. At the road you will find the sign to Fragrance Lake which is another .2 of a mile. Each trail offers a different amount of effort with the lower trails being longer. The last trail previously described is easy enough for small children. At the lake you will find several locations to access it. At one access are two wooden benches. A trail loops around the lake and offers different views.

The lake holds a nice population of trout. I've fished the lake from a float tube and have found it to always produce even in the hot summer months. I use a light fly rod. A 5 weight rod would be the larges I'd recommend here. The nice thing about this lake for float tubers is it offers a sandy shelf to launch from. Also the lake is surrounded by hillsides and tall trees which offer a shelter from strong winds.