Lakes for a selective clientele

Medical Lake was in the buzz at a recent Spokane Fly Fishers meeting, where members told of frequent visits since the March 1 opener and catches of big rainbows and browns up to 24 inches long.

That’s the beauty of “selective fishery” waters, where bait fishing is prohibited, artificial flies and lures are required and the catch limit is one or two fish a day.

Some of these lakes have special catch-and-release seasons and motorized boats are restricted on most of the waters, giving them a charming peace and quiet.

Medical Lake fly fishers often use Woolly Buggers on sinking lines or they fish chironomid patterns at whatever depth the fish are holding. The lake’s season has been extended, closing Oct. 31.

Nearby North Silver Lake is limited to carry-in float tubes or boat access that discourages heavy use. It’s stocked very lightly with rainbows, but the few fish in the lake grow very large.

“I don’t get a lot of reports,” said Chris Donley, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife district biologist, “but I spotted one fly fisherman I recognized fishing the lake five days in a row, so I know something big was capturing his interest.”

Amber Lake is the next closest of the prized selective fisheries, stocked with rainbows and cutthroats that grow fat and feisty.

Coffeepot Lake, in Lincoln County west of Harrington, is a rare selective fishery that allows gas outboards. Although bait fishing is prohibited, fly fishers in particular do very well for rainbows and event the perch and crappie.

Anglers who want to soak a worm can go to nearby Lower Twin Lake, a general-rules lake, and fish the usually excellent perch fishery.

Selective fisheries worth a road trip from the Spokane Region include:

Dry Falls Lake south of Coulee City is nearly back to good-ol-days form, with some of the fattest rainbows around, and nice browns and tiger trout fished in a drop-dead-gorgeous setting.

The lake, situated in a state park, gets its name from the waterfall that roared here during the Ice Age floods.

Lake Lenore, which is just a few miles south of Dry Falls, has recovered from a 1998 fish kill and is in good form for large Lahontan cutthroat trout. The average fish here is 2-4 pounds, with bruisers in the 8-pound range just coming out of thir spawning cycle.

Incidentally, Lake Lenore was named for Lenora Moore, daughter of Clarence Calvin Moore, who was the marshal in Coulee City and Soap Lake in the 1930s, according to his son, Clarence Moore of the Cheney area.

Dusty Lake in the Quincy Wildlife Area, has been excellent for rainbows running 14 inches for yearlings and 16-22 inches for carryovers. The lake also has some browns and tiger trout.

Nearby Stan Coffin Lake is Washington’s only catch-and-release bass fishery. It has a very high density of largemouth bass.