Worth a road trip
Several lakes and streams in Okanogan country this year are loaded with bragging-sized fish.
Blue Lake in the Sinlahekin holds 3- to 4-pound triploid rainbows. The Methow River has cutthroats that sometime reach the 14- to 20-inch range while the Lahontan cutthroat strain runs 16 to 22 inches long in Grimes Lake.
And Palmer lake has a multi-species bonanza with kokanee running 12-13 inches and a bounty of smallmouth bass.
Because of drought conditions, launch ramps at some lakes will not reach into the low water.
Bob Jateff, Washington Fish and Wildlife Department district fish biologist, said numerous lakes and streams will be lower than normal this year. A few likely will be so low that fish will die as water temperatures increase.
Ell, a popular selective gear lake in Aenaes Valley, was low late last fall. It’s even lower now. Jateff said there may be some mortality when the water heats up. Nearby Round and Long lakes also are extremely low. Alta will be so low that anglers who have large boats will have to launch at the resort, not the park launch.
Blue, a selective gear lake south of Loomis, was rehabbed two years ago and has a big population of rainbows and browns. Many rainbows are long and heavy triploids, Jateff said. Most brown trout will be 12 to 14 inches long; a few will be larger.
Low water shouldn’t be a problem at Chopaka, a fly fishing-only lake northwest of Loomis. Bass, present in the lake the last several years, haven’t multiplied to the point they’re affecting the trout population. Fly fishers should hook rainbows to 17 inches with the average 15 to 16 inches long.
This year fly fishers won’t have to worry about snow blocking roads to the lake. The lake is especially popular with anglers from throughout the Northwest when the Callibaetis mayflies hatch in June.
It’s a different story at Aenaes, a popular fly fishing-only lake near Tonasket. Jateff said the drought has hit the lake hard the last couple of years. The lake was so low last year that some trout died. It will be even lower this year.
Big cutthroat trout were caught last year along the lower Methow River, which opens to catch-and-release fishing in July.
Grimes should produce exceptional fishing when it’s opened June 1, Jateff said. A few fishermen have learned that they can catch Lahontans in August by fishing their flies and lures in 25 feet of water.
Most of Okanogan’s put-and-take lakes will produce good fishing, Jateff said. Among the better producers will be Conconully lake and reservoir, yearlings 10-11 inches, carryovers to 20 inches; Fish, rehabbed last fall, stocked with catchable-size and fingerling rainbows; Spectacle, stocked with 1,500 1- to 2-pound triploid rainbows and 25,000 catchables; Wannacutt, 10-inch rainbow yearlings, some carryovers to 18 inches; Alta, excellent for 8- to 10-inch yearlings, carryovers to 15 inches; Pearrygin and Patterson, good for 8- to 10-inch rainbows, some carryovers; Sidley, good for catchables and fair numbers of 15- to 16-inch carryovers; Jameson, excellent for 10-inch yearlings and 13-inch carryovers; Beth and Beaver, good for 8- to 13-inch brook trout, and Campbell, fair to good for rainbows, but lake level extremely low.
Several lakes in the Okanogan country provide excellent fishing for both smallmouth and largemouth bass each year. Palmer may be Washington’s top smallmouth lake. Osoyoos also yields good-sized smallmouths. Whitestone provides good fishing for bass, crappies and bluegills.