Fishing

There are so many moving parts in fishing. Fly fishing is no exception to this interwoven connection between man, reel, and fish. On a trip with CrossCurrents Fly Shop,Chris Stainer even commented on my happy feet when hooked up on a fish. My rocking back and forth on the boat didn’t make it any easier for him to row, no doubt. But, what would you expect? I had a blue ribbon trout on the other side of my line! This was clearly an added moving part to the entire fishing experience. Line screaming out of the reel, a trout head fighting, and me doing my best to shift weight in the drift boat. All this made for a memorable trip on the Missouri River outside of Craig, MT. 

Another graceful display to take in during the whole process of fly fishing. This beautiful river are the ongoing developing and vacating columns of tricos along the river bank. These mayflys make up a large portion of the diet for the fish in the section of the Missouri River. Their 24 hour life cycle made for an ever present food source during our late July fishing trip.

There were columns of bugs 10-15 feet high swirling and moving about. Some columns were next to one another, other columns were isolated as if they were exclusive to the most worthy tricos. These swarms of bugs were never annoying - no biting or buzzing around your head. They were part of the ecosystem a simple way that don't notice it unless an expert pointed out their significance.

Battling the Fish

The battle between you and fish is another dance to experience. Once the fish has been hooked, steering it as best you can through the water is a balance of both strength and finesse. Objects like weeds can be a challenge and weigh down the fish. This can give him “brass knuckles” as you fight him into the boat. Manipulating the fish is crucial. During a fight with an18 or 19 inch rainbow, it felt likea 10lb fish with all the weeds.

The same thrill can be had when you’ve hooked into an unwilling partner: the fish who wants nothing to do with your boat or net. The fish who turns and runs and pulls line out for what seems like a football field. These fish, you respectfully allow the opportunity to take as much line as they want. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of this rhythmic contest is when the fish takes flight. Seeing those trout leap out of the water with violent intentions and come splashing down is enough to hook anyone to the art of the fly rod. It is everything you expect and look forward to with a fishing experience like this.

The Technique

Of course, this all assumes you can get yourself on the dance floor. The level of technique required to fly fish isn’t much that a novice couldn’t figure it out. I certainly was able to with some pointers. But it requires a fine enough skill that one can’t have a “set it and forget it” kind of mindset. There is consideration of how much line to strip outthe required distance. Looking at your fly relative to the fish relative to the line and mending it to make for an attractive lure. All this even assumes that you’ve gotten the cast down. Too much power or not enough time to let the line get behind you on your cast and you look more like Indiana Jones with a whip than anything else. Rod tip out of position on the cast? Your fly isn’t going anywhere.

Chris’ dedication fly fishing stood out in two comments; one practical and one funny. An analogy regarding golfers. Say you’ve got an opportunity to golf at Augusta. Would you fly down there without having practiced and hope to do well on the course? Or would you expect to work on your short game and try to cut down on slicing your drive before the trip? The same practice goes into the technique when casting a fly rod. To the funny story - when talking about other techniques or ways to target fish - think bottom bouncing for walleye or using a downrigger for salmon, he said something to the effect of “Well if I wanted to do any of those things, I’d have to buy a spinning rod” with a grin and a chuckle. If you want to hone your fly fishing skills, see beautiful scenery and catch some awesome fish, there is no better place to do so than Craig, MT. And CrossCurrents Fly Shop in Craig, Montana can help make it happen. A word to the wise, leave dancing shoes at home when you go.

While there are so many lakes with amazing fishing opportunities in Washington State that I love, Riffe Lake may just be my favorite. Located just 60 miles south of Tacoma, Riffe Lake is a 13-mile long reservoir that’s famous for its landlocked salmon fishing. Tacoma Power not only raises and lowers the water levels of this lake, but they also stock it with thousands of coho salmon every year. Once they meet their quota of fish, they put the excess fish in Riffe Lake to give sportsmen an opportunity to target them there. It’s usually well worth the drive, Riffe Lake is a consistently good fishery. I cut my teeth learning how to troll on this lake. Landlocked coho taste amazing on the grill and the smoker. The action is typically hot and fast. Let’s go over how to have a successful day at Riffe Lake!

Trolling is by far the most popular way to fish Riffe Lake. You don’t need to run all the way across the lake to catch fish; you can start trolling right after you launch. You can use your kokanee setups- the coho here are about the same size. Coho in Riffe Lake love the color pink! You’ll want to use small pink dodgers and pink lures. Some popular lures include Mack’s Wedding Rings, Brad’s Kokanee Cut Plugs, small spoons, and small hoochie spinners. The coho are usually willing, aggressive biters. If you get some hits but no fish, reel up and check your bait. This trait also makes them a great way to teach kids how to reel in bigger fish. Before taking your kids out to the Sound to target the big boys, let them practice reeling in these feisty Riffe Lake coho!

During this time of year, the heat will have pushed the coho down in the water column. Salmonids do not tolerate warm water temperatures as well as other species. They will also travel deeper during the heat of the day to escape the sun. During sunset, sunrise, and on cloudy days, you won’t have to fish quite as deep.  A good fish finder is essential to find out how deep to run your downriggers. Riffe Lake is extremely deep and large. With 13 miles of 200 feet deep water, there’s a lot of room for fish to spread out.

Keep a close eye on your fish finder, it’s easy to get lulled into a false sense of security when trolling in such deep water. The lake shallows up surprisingly quickly, especially near islands. Some days the fish can be 90 feet deep. The fish school up very tightly, so they will be easy to find on your fish finder. Be ready to adjust the settings on your fish finder, especially if you’re used to fishing shallow lakes. You don’t need to see all 200+ feet of the lake, adjust your settings so you only see the depth you need. 

As of this writing, all boat launches except Mossyrock Park are closed due to low water levels. As previously mentioned, Tacoma Power raises and lowers the water levels throughout the year. You can give them a call or check their website to see which boat launches are open. There’s a nice fish cleaning station at Mossyrock Park, restrooms, ample parking, and a play area for the kids. You can find restaurants, stores, and other amenities at the nearby town of Mossyrock.

Once you’ve launched, you can start your troll and turn left or right. I’ve consistently found fish in both directions. Some days, we’ve limited out all 4 people in an hour, and couldn’t even get all 4 rods back in the water! There are fish all over Riffe Lake. If you’re struggling to find willing biters, try targeting points and islands. These fish like drop-offs, just like their saltwater cousins. 

There’s something for everyone at Riffe Lake. Don’t have a boat? No worries, there are several places near the dams that you can shore fish. Cast out a piece of shrimp underneath a bobber, and wait. Just like when you’re fishing from a boat, you’ll want to adjust the depth you’re fishing at to find the fish. Remember that there is a 5 fish limit. You can catch a variety of species at this lake other than coho, including cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, chinook salmon, and steelhead. Salmonids have a hard time surviving catch and release, especially in this hot weather.

Another word of warning, check the forecast before heading out. Riffe Lake is famous for those afternoon winds that can blow small vessels off the . Most importantly, remember to have fun! Riffe Lake is a special fishery. Where else can you consistently bring home limits of land locked salmon? Go catch your limit, let the kids play at the park, and have some ice cream and burgers in Mossyrock before heading home to barbeque your fish!

Imagine waking up in a place where you could keep five chinook a day, use two rods, barbed hooks, and have a legit chance at multiple twenty-pound plus fish. On top of that, no punch cards, or shortened seasons. Sounds too good to be true? Some pipe dream in a faraway land that time forgot? Well, I’m here to tell you there exists just such a place. It’s been happening for years now and is closer than you may think. 

I’m speaking of a place you’d not likely think of when it comes to chinook salmon. That place is Montana, and the location is Fort Peck Reservoir. 

My son Matt and I recently got to fulfill a Bucket List dream we’d been talking about for years, namely the Fort Peck Chinook Fishery. We were joined by NWF co-host Rob Holman, and Shelby Ross of Ross Outdoor Adventures. Shelby may be a walleye guide, but he was down for a trip to Fort Peck. And I sent Rob a steady stream of recent angler catches, feeding his enthusiasm. They made the ten-hour drive from Spokane, while Matt and I had a relatively easy five-hour drive from Great Falls to this reservoir in the northeast corner of Montana. The trip goes fast because in Montana you can drive fast, 75-80 miles an hour, and there’s little traffic to contend with. Just keep an eye out for stray deer and antelope, and the occasional suicidal pheasant.

We met at the Cottonwood Inn and Suites in Glasgow, which turned out to be a great place to stay as a base camp for fishing Ft Peck. 18 minutes from the boat launch, Cottonwood Inn and Suites has all the amenities an angler could want, including free charging stations to recharge trolling batteries. It also has RV camping for those with RVs.

Ft Peck’s 3.8 mile long dam was completed in 1937, backing up the Missouri River for an amazing 134 miles in length and 220 feet at its deepest spot. With over 1,500 miles of shoreline, it is longer than the California coastline and bigger than Puget Sound. At 18.7 million acre-feet, it’s the 5^th largest man-made lake in the United States. The surrounding countryside is high prairie and borders nearly the entire Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge.

Dozens of species of fish inhabit the lake, and it is a world-class body of water for walleye, bass, pike, and lake trout. The chinook were introduced in 1983, but what really caused a boom for the fisheries of Fort Peck was the 1984 introduction of cisco to the reservoir. This species of bait fish, also known as lake herring, rapidly reproduced, and they provide the reservoir with an ample source of food for the various sport fish in the lake. It also is no small reason the chinook have grown so well, with the state record at an impressive 32.05 lbs with a girth of 27.5 inches and a length of 38.25 inches, caught by Greg Haug of Bismark, ND in 2020.

To top it all off, the State of Montana has a massive hatchery at Fort Peck where they raise and release walleye, pike, and salmon – with a capacity to raise and release over 500,000 chinook, it makes for a very healthy population of fish to target.

Launching at the crack of dawn is always a special time of day. We idled out to the main reservoir with the sun cracking the eastern sky, beautiful shades of orange, yellow, and red painting the sky. A brief five-minute run and we began the process of deploying our gear. My boat has two downriggers, and with no tides or wind to deal with I was comfortable stacking them, setting the deep rods at 60 and 90 feet, and stackers 10 feet above. Not more than five minutes after all rods were out, the port deep rod got bitten 60 feet deep. As the line came taunt the drag began to scream – our first Fort Peck chinook was on! Standing next to the rigger, I grabbed the rod and felt the pull of a solid fish. I had brought my knuckle buster reels to Montana and was glad I did! There is no better fight than a big chinook on a knuckle buster. Add to that break-away flashers and this chinook was giving me everything I could handle and then some. Clearing the port side stacker rod, I worked the fish ever closer as frantic runs became shorter and less frequent. Finally, a chrome bright football slab of a chinook appeared. Easing the fish to the net, Rob scooped the fish up and into the boat. Wow, what a pig! It was obvious that these freshwater chinook are feeding good. Plump, and all fins intact, we admired a fish a thousand miles away from its native element. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks certainly created an amazing fishery out in the middle of the prairie. 

After bleeding the fish, it fit (barely) in my cooler. Lines back down we continued our troll, noting more boats joining us. As the morning progressed the fleet of boats probably numbered a couple dozen. Spread out over an area of maybe ten by ten miles, over-crowding was not a concern for this fishery! 

With high hopes for more fish, we explored the general fishing area. Marks were common at 60-90 feet, and we also noted fish marks on the bottom at 160 feet. Dropping a rigger ball down and bouncing the bottom, it wasn’t too long before I confirmed my assumption – lake trout. Shelby brought the nice 6-pound fish to the boat and in the cooler he went. Since everything we had read and been told indicated the chinook were suspended, we went back to mid-depth with the deep rigger. 

The action died off and we came in around 1pm, cleaning our fish at a first-rate cleaning station at the Fort Peck Marina. I stopped in and visited with the owner and guide at the Marina, Scott Collinsworth. Scott is very active on the Montana Salmon Facebook group and willingly shares information on techniques to catch these fish. He indicated the bite had slowed down from the previous week (no doubt a low-pressure front didn’t help) and catch rates were about a fish per boat. That’s still pretty impressive for big 15-25 pound fish (ours was 16 pounds). Even more impressive was another guide boat that came back with nine big chinook! That’s what daydreams are made of.

We retired to the Cottonwood Inn where Rob hit the casino and I hit the bed for an afternoon nap. Cleaning up the boat and re-rigging gear, the day ended with a nice meal at the The Woods, the Inn’s dinner. A nice variety of dishes were available, as well as craft Montana beers on draft and a full-service bar, all at affordable Montana prices.

Our next morning was a cookie-cutter day, as we again started fishing with the sun breaking the horizon. Again, the port rod exploded and Rob grabbed the rod, battling an even nicer fish. As he brought the fish to the net and I scooped it up, I was amazed at the weight in the net – this fish was very close to hitting 20 pounds, another fat, healthy chinook.

A word on gear – when we moved to Montana I kept my salmon gear, knowing that someday it would come in handy for fishing Fort Peck. We certainly went through a lot of lure combinations, most of which I have no doubt would work great if the bite was on. Most anglers fish with flashers, salmon flies, herring, spoons, and a few other salmon-oriented choices. The two big differences I observed from Puget Sound chinook were more fishing at suspended depths and trolling slightly slower. Most anglers trolled at 1.8 -2.2 mph. We started out faster, 2.5-2.9. So, while we did catch a couple fish at this faster troll, by the end of the trip we had slowed down, matching the fleet. I suspect those that enjoy mooching would find these fish to be very co-operative with this technique (note to self, bring mooching gear next year!). 

Our second day ended much like the first, with Matt catching a small laker and also a beautiful walleye. We also lost a nice chinook that came unbuttoned.

Interestingly, the weekend saw less anglers on the water, opposite of what you’d see in the Puget Sound fisheries. A couple other observations – the boat ramp etiquette was outstanding. The Marina has a two-lane ramp with a dock. Most anglers launching and retrieving would power their boats on/off trailers, making for fast and smooth lines. Second, we only saw a couple tubers on the water. Pretty much every boat we saw were anglers. There’s a distinct advantage to being far away from population centers!

Although our trip ended with “just” two salmon, I considered it to be a huge success. I learned about the area, the launch, where to stay, and techniques to use. I’m already contemplating next year’s trip and the chance at some multi-fish days!

You’ve heard of Shark Week on Discovery CSharks. Who needs em? By Gary Lewishannel. This is not that. We booked two days on the F/V Miss Raven, a 43-foot fishing vessel out of Newport. Our mission was to find blue sharks in the deep blue, chum them to the surface, and stick them with feathers. We called it Shark Weekend. On board were my daughter Tiffany, Sterling West, Paul Galvin, Sam Pyke, Will Saunders and Mathew McFarland and his boys, Chisel and Finney. To catch sharks on the fly, Matthew McFarland prepared three rods, long sticks built to throw 10- to 14-weight lines, with steel leaders and bright feathered creations. Now all we needed were fins in the water.

We stepped aboard the Miss Raven and met skipper Mike Sorensen and his son Sean. Minutes after the safety meeting was over, the 300-horse John Deere diesel fired and we motored out of the harbor beneath the arch of the Yaquina Bay Bridge. When we crossed the bar, waves swallowed the lights of Newport. As dawn broke through the gray clouds, Sean threw the crab pots over and Mike marked them on the GPS. Then someone spotted harbor porpoises off the bow. For a few precious minutes, the porpoises ran ahead of the boat, their bodies briefly above the gray water, then beneath; twisting and spinning. And then as quickly as they had appeared, they peeled away. Twenty-three miles out, Mike cut the engine.

The Miss Raven bobbed in the deep swells that rolled through us. One moment we towered on a wave, the next we were in the trough. Here the ocean floor humped toward the surface. Here the baitfish congregate as well as the sharp-toothed predators that feed on them. Sean punched holes in a big kitchen wastebasket, then filled it with tuna heads and carcasses. Roped to the side of the boat, the basket milked tuna gore and soon we had birds above us - seagulls and albatross. Matthew and Paul rigged fly rods with steel leaders and big streamers. We watched the surface of the water for black fins. That was when we saw the sunfish. Ocean sunfish are a seldom seen species that make their living on jellyfish. They are as tall as they are long and can weigh up to 3,500 pounds. This one sunbathed at the surface and we were able to get a good look. In some languages they are referred to as moon fish, because of their shape. The Polish name means “head alone”; because it doesn’t have a true tail.

A school of 40 or so dolphins found us and ran through our greasy tuna chum line. They circled and came through again and again, breaking through the swells and flashing away below the boat. An albatross paddled nearby and took the fly in its beak. Then he dropped it. That was when I knew we would not catch a shark. The sharks had taken the weekend off. Out on the horizon, I saw a spout and then another.

A great barnacled beast breached, its great, gray body lifted above the surface. Foamy spray crashed out of the swell. In the afternoon, back in sight of the bridge at Newport, Tiffany dipped the hook and pulled in the first buoy. Sean put the rope on the pulley and we held our breath as the pot came into view, brimming with Dungeness crab. Minutes later, we took our stations, sorting males from females, throwing back the little ones. In the dark next morning, we motored south along the coast. Off Cape Perpetua, Mike Sorensen pointed out a watch station that was manned during World War II.

In range of the ghost coastal cannon emplacement, we drifted on a large underwater hilltop. Our jigs and flies bounced through a biomass of rockfish, and in moments, we had our first raw material for fish and chips. In one pass we had filled two-thirds of our limits. On the second drift, we had to call a halt and reel in. Multiple times we caught two rockfish in one cast. Once, we brought three fish aboard in one cast. We came away with a rich haul of crab and rockfish, but that sort of memory is quickly gone in melted butter and tartar sauce. We set out into the Pacific in the dark of the night and watched the sun light up the West Coast; we looked for one thing and found much more. Sharks. Who needs em?

Are you in need of outdoor activity ideas for the days ahead? Here, you'll find seven suggestions that offer you the chance to embrace the outdoors and partake in fresh experiences this spring season.

Wildflower Hikes

The wildflowers are blooming around Eastern Washington and now is a great time to go on a hike and immerse yourself in their presence! A few of my favorite places to go include Columbia Hills State Park in Klickitat County, Hay Canyon and Nahahum Canyon near Cashmere, Ingalls Creek south of Peshastin, the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge south of Cheney, and the area around Palouse Falls State Park.

Waterfalls

Speaking of Palouse Falls, this is the best time of year to visit this state park near Starbuck in Southeast Washington. The spring runoff on the Palouse River sends a voluminous amount of water crashing into the 198-feet deep basalt basin below the falls. Other waterfalls worth checking out right now include Rainbow Falls near Stehekin, Silver Falls west of Entiat, and Periwee (also known as Peewee) Falls in Pend Oreille County, which cascades 233 feet into Boundary Lake.

Bass Fishing

The bass are in the shallows and getting ready to spawn. This is arguably the easiest time of year to sight fish for bass. Casting finesse rigs like senkos, jigs or Texas rigged worms and lizards can readily draw strikes. Look for these bass in thick cover and be prepared to scratch up the boat a bit to get at them.

Trout Fishing

Most of those trout planted prior to the lowland lakes opener are still there, and this is a great time to go fishing for them. If you are looking for places to go, check out the WDFW derby lakes where trout with blue tags have been planted. If you catch one of these trout, they are worth a prize, which could be anything from a gift card to a canoe!

Catfish Fishing

Another option for anglers right now is to go after catfish. You can find them in the lower John Day River between the mouth and the falls as well as the mouth of the Palouse River near Lyons Ferry State Park. Channel catfish are also plentiful in the Snake River.

Desert Hikes

As the weather warms, desert hikes become a lot less enjoyable, but if you go now, you can still take advantage of the great scenery and some of the lakes found in these regions. Some of my favorite desert hikes are the lower route to the Ancient Lakes, Dusty Lake, (1.5 and 3 mike one-way hikes respectively), and near Frenchman or Winchester Wasteway in the Desert Wildlife Area in Grant County. If you go, check yourself for ticks at the conclusion of your excursion.

The Washington lowland lakes opener is in the history books, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still catch fish from them. Here’s a report on some favorites and how angler did: 

Steve Caromile, the Inland Fish Program Manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said, “The lowland lake trout season, Washington’s single biggest fishing season, opened April 22nd with decent weather and catch rates. It is still one of the best bargains in local family recreation. The 22nd was also the first day of our annual trout derby, and we are already seeing catches of tagged trout!”

Caromile continued saying, “With typical springtime weather, angler catch and effort at our lakes was comparable to prior seasons, with catch averaging just about three fish per angler. The air temperatures weren’t bad, but water temperatures are still on the cool side. But with better weather in the forecast, the catch will be heating up as well.”

If you are wondering how Central and Eastern Washington lakes fished on opening day, here are reports from WDFW staff who visited various waters in the region:

Klickitat County

Horsethief Lake was fishing pretty slow on the opener. Individuals averaged two trout each. However, things were very different at Rowland Lake. 29 anglers were checked, and although there were not many people fishing, creel checkers noted they harvested lot of fish. Eight trout were caught per angler, and on average they kept 3.24 fish. The largest trout seen? A 21-incher!

Chelan County

Clear Lake was frozen over and Beehive Reservoir was not accessible to vehicular traffic due to snow at this lake located near the Mission Ridge Ski Area, south of Wenatchee. However, Wapato Lake, near Manson, was open for fishing, and anglers caught and kept around 3.5 trout apiece.

Douglas County

The crowds were out at Jameson Lake on opening morning. Creel checkers counted 234 anglers fishing for trout at 8 AM. Just under 3 trout per angler were caught here, the average fish measuring 11-inches long. The largest fish seen by WDFW staff was a 16-inch rainbow.

Grant County

The crowds were also out for the opener at Blue Lake, with nearly 300 individuals counted, and a lot of these anglers were kids. The average catch was only 1.5 trout each, but the size of the trout was a healthy 14 inches. Park Lake, south of Coulee City, was also crowded, and the catching was about the same as Blue Lake. There was far better fishing at nearby Deep Lake, in Sun Lakes State Park. Anglers there were catching five fish limits of rainbow trout averaging 13 inches.

Okanogan Country

Okanogan County is a popular destination for the lowland lakes opener and for good reason: the fishing can be very good here and the scenery is nice. Creel checkers did not make it out to any of the lakes here for the opener but I called Gene Bussell at Liars Cove Resort, who said anglers did pretty good for both bass and trout. However, the lake is really low right now, and according to Bussell, “it’s not easy to launch boats at the moment.” The good news is the lake is starting to fill and boat access is getting better. Check with Bussell for exactly where to launch so you don’t get stuck in the mud.

Pend Oreille Country

At Diamond Lake, the crowds were low and the fishing was slow, due primarily to cold water temperatures. Of the anglers checked, on average they only harvested a rainbow apiece, though most of them were 13-inches long, and the largest checked was a respectable 19-inch trout.

Stevens County

Waitts Lake had more anglers than any other body of water in Stevens County on opening day. Creel checkers noted the fishing was best in the morning before the winds kicked up. The anglers checked averaged 2.4 trout apiece, but the fish were large, with the rainbows going nearly 14 inches and the brown trout 16. There were not many anglers seen at the other Stevens County lakes. At Starvation Lake, anglers were indeed starving for trout and the fishing was slow. The same scenario played out at Rocky and Mudgett Lake. The few trout checked averaged 12 inches in length.

Last but not least, if you catch a trout with a blue tag on it, don’t throw it back. That’s a WDFW trout derby fish and it’s worth a prize. Go to https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests/trout-derby for details about where these fish have been stocked and how to claim your prize if you catch one.

John Kruse – www.northwesternoutdoors.com and www.americaoutdoorsradio.com

Fishing season is officially in full swing! With so many lakes, rivers, and marine areas to choose from, it can be hard to pick your next adventure. If you’re never fished Riffe Lake before, or if it’s been a while, you should put it at the top of your list. It’s one of my favorite fishing destinations, and I make it a point to fish it as much as I can every year. Not only is the fishing top notch, but the scenery is beautiful and the surrounding towns are well worth visiting. I can’t think of many other lakes that offer such a wide variety of fish, let alone with such a good opportunity.

You can catch brown trout, cutthroat trout, smallmouth bass, chinook salmon, coho salmon, crappie, and brown bullhead. The lake is simply packed with fish, and they’re willing biters. You can take the boat out or shore fish, and finish out the day with a Dam Burger from Pioneer Bar & Grill in Mossyrock before heading home to grill your catch. It’s a bit of a drive, but it’s a great way to spend a day!

Located in Lewis County, Tacoma Power created RIffe Lake by constructing Mossyrock Dam on the Cowlitz River in 1968, flooding the communities of Riffe, Nesika, and Kosmos. It has a maximum depth of 360 feet and is about 23.5 miles long. Not only does the lake boast good populations of land-locked coho salmon, but you can also catch triploid trout! Back in 2020, Tacoma Power bought about 400,000 Rufus Woods strain triploid trout and released them into the lake for anglers to catch. The fish have had plenty of time to grow and they are a ton of fun to catch. If you’re lucky, you may even hook into a steelhead or a chinook salmon on the same day! Tacoma Power releases these fish into the lake as well, once they’ve met their stocking quotas. With such a plethora of fish to catch, you can see why Riffe Lake is a favorite of many northwesterners.

Trolling Techniques

Riffe Lake has plenty of room for boats of all shapes and sizes. It is almost 24 miles long and up to 360 feet deep, which can sound intimidating. Not to worry, there are thousands of fish in the lake, and most days they are willing biters. There have been many days when we can’t even put the planer boards out because the two downrigger poles or lead lines are constantly going off! Early in the season, lead lines, divers, and dropper weights work just fine. The fish are still feeding on the surface and haven’t been driven down to the depths by the hot sun. As the season progresses, however, a good fish finder is a must, particularly for the land-locked coho. Troll until you find a school, mark where you get bites, and don’t be afraid to put a little scent on your lure.

I find that the land-locked coho are particularly attracted to pink lures and dodgers. You can use corn or maggots to bait your hooks. Spinners, plugs, spoons- they all catch fish at this lake. I tend to use whatever I already have rigged up for kokanee fishing at other lakes. As for locations, you really can’t go wrong on Riffe Lake- you can start trolling almost as soon as you launch at Mossyrock Park and will usually start catching fish right away. If the fish are being stubborn, try targeting points and coves. Keep an eye on your fish finder if you’re using downriggers, the lake can shallow up surprisingly quickly.

In recent years, it’s been difficult to keep the triploid trout off your hooks if you want to target the land-locked coho salmon in the reservoir. The salmon and trout tend to bite on the same lures and hang out at the same depths in the early season, so you can expect to catch a mixed bag. In general, the coho hang out deeper than the trout in the later season, making downriggers and a good fish finder almost a necessity for targeting them. The salmon tend to like a faster troll, so don’t be afraid to bump it up to 1.9 or 2.2 MPH. However, the trout taste great on the grill and put up a great fight, so most anglers don’t mind catching them.

As a word of caution to boaters, check the water levels at Tacoma Power’s website or give them a call before heading out. The lake’s level fluctuates throughout the year and launching can be difficult when water levels are low. The launch at Mossyrock Park is usually your best bet year-round. It has a large dock with 2 lanes to launch at, which is nice when the ramp is busy. Don’t sweat the crowds too much though, the lake is massive and there is plenty of room for everyone. The other boat launches, Taidnapam and Kosmos, are unsuitable for low water conditions. Check the wind forecast before hitching up the boat- the afternoon winds at Riffe Lake can kick up and create nasty white caps, catching unprepared boaters off guard.

Still Fishing Techniques

Don’t have a boat? No worries, Riffe Lake has plenty of shore access! You can fish at the dam in Mossyrock or at the fishing bridge at Taidnapam Park. These spots can get crowded on nice weekends though. Most shore anglers cast out shrimp or worms under a bobber with a sliding weight. Experiment with setting your bobber stopper anywhere from 3ft to 15 ft until you figure out where the fish are at. 

If you can’t get a spot at the dam or fishing bridge, fishing at nearby Lake Mayfield or Swofford Pond is a good alternative. Lake Mayfield is stocked with tiger muskies, which are difficult but extremely rewarding to catch. WDFW also stocks decent numbers of rainbow trout there every year. Swofford Pond has good populations of panfish, stocked rainbow trout, and brown bullhead. There is a boat launch at both lakes, and good shore access. Many folks fish Swofford Pond with inflatables and kayaks, as there is an internal combustion motor ban. 

Before you grab those poles and hook up the boat, keep in mind that Riffe Lake has a 5 fish limit. They can be any combination of landlocked salmon and trout, so you cannot legally keep 5 coho and 5 trout. The land locked coho don’t tend to survive catch and release very well, particularly in the summer heat. The lake is large and deep, and those afternoon winds can kick up unexpectedly, so make sure that everyone on your boat has a life jacket. Keep these rules in mind, hook up the boat, and have fun!

Most folks think of the S &P 500 as a stock market index, but on a recent trip to the Columbia River Gorge, I realized it had a fishing meaning as well. Namely, the opportunity to catch 500 shad and pikeminnow over the course of a week! My friend Rusty Johnston and I spent a couple of days fishing on the Columbia River between Rufus and The Dalles. Our first goal was to catch a bunch of shad, not just for fun, but also to use for crab bait this summer. Our second goal was to catch some pikeminnow and turn them in for money through the Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Fishery Program.

This program is administered by the Bonneville Power Administration along with both the Washington and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The northern pikeminnow is a native fish, but fish nine inches and longer feed on outgoing salmon and steelhead smolt, impacting the survival of both species.

In this program, anglers are paid anywhere from $6 to $10 a fish for any pikeminnow turned into a designated station along the Columbia or Snake River. The more fish you catch, the more they are worth and if you catch a tagged fish, it is worth $500. You can find out more about this program, designed not to eliminate, but control the population of pikeminnow, at www.pikeminnow.org.

Rusty and I decided to start our trip fishing for shad below the John Day Dam. You can fish below the dam on both the Washington and Oregon side of the river, but we decided to buy a non-resident license at Gorge Outfitters Supply in Rufus and fish the Oregon side at Giles French Park.

Shad Killers

We were using Shad Killers, a local jig sold at Gorge Outfitters Supply, and the hot color for us was red and white. The Shad Killer is a 1/16-ounce jig with a bit of flashabou on it. We tied the jig onto a two-to-three-foot leader which we tied to a barrel swivel. Above the swivel we had another swivel which held a ½ ounce lead weight. Other lures that work well with this set up are shad darts and Dick Nite spoons.

We cast our offering from the bank, let it sink a few seconds, and the reeled in with a slow to moderate retrieve as the lure drifted downstream. We were soon rewarded by hook ups with a whole bunch of shad. The American Shad averages one to three pounds in size. They are scrappy fighters and up to six million of them make their way over Bonneville Dam between the end of May and mid-July, all heading up the Columbia to spawn. I have enjoyed good days on the water catching shad before, but this day was epic! Rusty and I hooked into some 50 shad in just two hours of fishing. We lost a few (they have a nasty habit of throwing the hook) but reeled in some three-dozen fish, getting more than enough crab bait for the summer.

Speaking of uses for shad, the oily fish is also a favorite bait for sturgeon, and some even cut them up into chunks to use for catfish bait. Still others will eat them. We met one angler at a cleaning station at Maryhill State Park who carefully filleted out the shad he caught. He told me he brines them and puts them in a pressure cooker (which gets rid of the bones) before canning them. He said the fish taste very good. I will have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Finished with shad, we next registered at a check station and fished around The Dalles for pikeminnow. We only caught four keeper pikeminnow (worth $6 each) but since this was our first time participating, we also each got to turn in a coupon worth $10 each after checking in our first fish. Better still, three anglers from Idaho were desperate for sturgeon bait and paid us $20 for a single shad which they promptly put to use, casting their lines out at The Dalles marina, hoping to hook into a monster fish. Altogether, we made $64. That covered a good portion of our gas money getting back home.

One other fun thing about fishing for pikeminnow are the other fish you catch. I ended up catching eight perch, and we both also caught smallmouth bass on the nightcrawlers we were using for pikeminnow bait, fished just off the bottom of the river with a two-ounce sliding weight. Rusty caught the most interesting bycatch of the day though, a 30-to-33-inch sturgeon on a bass rod that was spooled with braided line and just a 10-lb leader. It took him 15 minutes to get that prehistoric looking fish to shore, at which point I snapped a photo of the fish and he released it. It made for the end of a perfect day of fishing!

John Kruse – www.northwesternoutdoors.com and www.americaoutdoorsradio.com

Coho are one of the most sought-after salmon in the Pacific Northwest. For the saltwater angler, the coho bite can be a bit chaotic, with the fish running in large schools and being active biters when the conditions are right. They can also be a bit frustrating if you are not using the right gear or fishing the right presentation. By keying in on techniques that work the topwater and get the coho to bite, you can increase your catch rate and fill the coolers with great eating, hard fighting silver salmon. 

Silver Salmon

Silver salmon like to swim fast and attack their prey. Known for their topwater action, coho tend to be close to the surface. This makes for a great fishery because you are not constantly trying to work the bottom and worrying about losing a downrigger ball like you are when chasing after chinook that are on a sandlance bite. When it comes to catching coho, there are few things you can do to increase your catch rates. 

Lose the bait to catch more fish. It might seem like using a fresh anchovy or a perfectly plug cut herring would lead to more fish but rigging these baits takes time. When you get into the schools of coho, the action can be fast, which means you will catch more fish if you can keep your gear in the water longer. Same with getting it back into the water faster, and anyone who has rigged an anchovy hood knows that you need to set it correctly and that takes valuable time. 

Spoons

Spoons are one of the more popular lures because they are simple and are always working even if you miss a bite. Keep the spoons small such as the Coho Killer or a 3.0 or 3.5 Coyote spoon in sardine or rainbow trout patterns. The rainbow trout spoon looks more like a herring or mackerel and it has a glow back to it for low light such as cloudy days. Another spoon that is popular with coho fishing is the Skinny Gee in Herring Aide color. When running a spoon behind a flasher, it is best to go a bit longer on the leader such as 42” as this allows the spoon to flutter. 

Sometimes spoons don’t draw the fish to strike. Give tube flies a try. This is a technique often used in the Great Lakes by salmon fishermen and by fly anglers chasing after fall coho along the shoreline. The ocean angler can take advantage of these lightweight lures that mimic baitfish. One of the best things about a tube fly is that they can be fished behind a dodger or a flasher or all alone, since they have low drag and are lightweight. Tube flies tend to have an erratic action that coho can’t resist, especially if you put a Mack’s wiggle bill in front of them. Bechhold and Son’s make a unique flasher with offset holes to add extra action. They have teamed up with Rapture Trolling Flies, a Great Lakes company, and offer a combo set matched together and ready to fish. If you already tie your own flies, you can pick up a tube fly adapter and tie your own easily.

Tricking The Salmon

Add flash and movement to your squids. When rigging a squid skirt with an insert or a tube fly, such as the Luhr Jensen Flash Fly (unrigged version, as they are smaller than the pre-rigged Flash Fly) to be fished behind a dodger or flasher, be sure to use a short and stout leader. Try using 30 or even 40-pound test as the stiff leader will give the lure more action. The idea is to get the lure to move in an erratic motion and make the dodger look like a feeding salmon with the lure being a wounded baitfish. It creates the “bite now” instinct of the feeding coho and tricks it into thinking the other salmon, which is the dodger, missed the baitfish and now it’s there for a free meal. 

Using an insert into a hoochie or squid skirt adds attraction and can turn on a bite. The past few years we have been using the Luhr Jensen Flash Fly inserts and putting them into a squid skirt. By doing this you can make several different combinations of colors to attract the fish or add some extra UV flash for those cloudy days. You can also add a Mack’s Lure Wiggle Bill to the front to add extra movement. 

Artificial Bait

Try using an artificial wounded baitfish lure. Lures that mimic a wounded baitfish are the SpinFish by Yakima Bait Company, Brad’s Super Bait Cut Plug, and the new Spin Dawg by Simon, who also makes a Spin Cut Plug that has a hole at the tip of the lure making rigging much easier with no rubber bands or chance of it coming apart. The Simon products are solid and have a scent chamber. Each of these lures is made of hard plastic and has a hollow cavity inside where you can stuff them with scent or minced-up baitfish such as anchovies or herring. For these lures, use a longer leader with a bead chain swivel in the middle since the lure provides the action that creates that need to bite reaction by rotating and spinning. 

When using artificial lures such as spoons, squid skirts, and the hollow cavity lures, scent is crucial. Unlike when you use a real baitfish that has oils being released and the fish know it is an actual herring, the use of artificial lures is only a visual attraction unless you scent it up. The cavity lures like the SpinFish offer a way to fill them with various baits to create a scent trail. One common bait is to mix canned tuna fish with your favorite scents. Because the lure holds the minced-up bait, one of the better scent mediums to use is one of the many water-soluble scents from Pro-Cure. When the scent leaks out of the lure, it mixes with the water and stays at the same depth as the lure, creating a large scent trail for the fish.

Oil Based Scents

Oil-based scents such as Pro-Cure's super sauces, gels, and oils hold a scent well and last a long time, but the scent will not mix well with water. This means when it is washed off the scent trail starts to float. Water-soluble oils wash off lures and squid skirts too quickly which is why you should use oil-based scents for these lures, but it will not gum up or ruin the action of a tube fly, just be sure to apply frequently. Knowing which scent to use is more than just the baitfish it is made from, but also which ones are best to stay on the lures you are fishing. 

Downsize the dodgers and flashers. The idea behind using a dodger or flasher is to create a feeding salmon scenario as well as add action to your lure. Since you are fishing for coho, be sure to match the dodger and flasher to the size of the fish. Most use the standard 11-inch flasher but the 8-inch flasher is a better choice. Instead of the attacking salmon looking like a chinook with the 11-inch, the 8-inch reflects light more to the natural size of a coho. It is also less drag and that means you can fight the fish better. The smaller dodgers and flashers also work well at faster trolling speeds. The Sling Blade dodger from Mack’s lure is a very universal dodger that is designed to work well at fast speeds. Since it is a long teardrop design you can bend it to create a more dramatic dodge or side-to-side action, or you can keep it straight and troll it fast. This design also cuts through the water well and allows you to fight the fish and not the dodger, even when using the larger 9-inch version. The dodger comes with UV-treated colors and is offered in many sizes, which allows you to change it up to the varied sizes of lures you are using. 

Coho

Since coho are often found actively feeding near the surface, you do not always need to use downriggers. Instead, trolling with a mooching weight that cuts through the water easily and a simple lure behind can be a way to either add an extra rod out of the back of the boat or not deal with the downriggers altogether. Again, the more you can keep your lines in the water, the more fish you will catch. When rigging this outfit, use a longer leader around 48 inches with a bead chain swivel in the middle and a lure that imparts action such as the SpinFish, Brad’s Cut Plug, or Simon Spin Dawg. But do not overlook the tube fly or even the squid skirt with the addition of a Wiggle Hoochie Bill. These small plastic bills from Mack’s Lure are simple to use, just slide it down the leader to the head of the squid skirt and push it into the collar. If using a tube fly then adding a bobber stop knot or rubber bobber stop to the front of the bill will keep it tight to the fly. The Wiggle Hoochie Bill act much like the bill on a plug, but instead of creating a diving motion, it moves the lure in side to side in and erratic motion. They also come in an assortment of colors and are UV treated to add even more visual attraction. 

Coho are known for their acrobatic fights, often coming right up to the surface and jumping, but a dodger or flasher can take away from the fight and even become a problem when the fish jumps. The attractor breaks the surface of the water pulling in an opposite direction and taking the hooks with it. When using downriggers, you can rig in a way that the dodger or flasher stays with the downrigger ball and you get to fight the fish without any extra drag on the line. To do this, either use one of the lures with action or the added Wiggle Hoochie Bill and then a downrigger clip that is above the ball. Use a short section of cord or very stout mono line such as 50-pound test from the flasher or dodger attached to the downrigger ball, and then set the downrigger clip twice the length of the cord above the ball.

Furthermore, If you run the dodger or flasher behind the downrigger ball 36-inches, then set the downrigger clip 72-inches, or 6 feet, above the downrigger ball. Then run your lure back just a few feet from the clip. This will keep your lure from tangling with the flasher or dodger, and yet when the salmon sees the attractor, it will look like the baitfish got away and they will grab the lure. This works really well with plug cut herring or an anchovy with a bait hood, as well as lures that don’t need the imparted action of a dodger or flasher. One other great trick when using this way of fishing is to use the Scent Flash triangle flasher from Mack’s Lure, as these flashers are designed to hold scents inside of them. As the triangle flasher spins, it creates a very large scent cone out of it as it disperses the scent. When using these, you don’t need to use a leader or cord, but instead you can attach it directly to the downrigger ball, which means you can also keep your lure a lot closer to it as well. 

Run timing and knowing which fish you are targeting will lead to more fish. Ocean coho are found all along the coastlines from Oregon to Alaska, and the feeding fish will often work along the shoreline, feeding on herring, candlefish, anchovies, and various other prey in the kelp beds and protected waters around islands. Look to the rocky breaks often found just offshore and find the coho. Even when out in the open ocean, where the fish will form large schools to travel from their feeding grounds to the rivers each fall, the fish will still be “shallow”. Not the depth of the water but where they are in the water column, meaning closer to the top. 

When it becomes prime time for ocean coho but weather and fishing seasons keep you away from the open seas, resident coho fishing can produce a fishery for the avid angler. Puget Sound and the various inlets around Vancouver Island offer coho that do not head out too far away feeding grounds but instead live “inside”. Starting in May and all through the summer, resident coho fishing is good. Using the same techniques as fall fish, the angler can perfect their coho set-ups. Look for points along the shoreline as silvers tend to use them as tide breaks that will harbor baitfish. Where you find resident coho you will also find ocean-bound fish once they return. This is where you want to be when the runs start to show up in August and continue to flood through October. 

In the previous year, Rob and I had the chance to connect with Toby Wyatt, the Northwest Guide from Reel Time Fishing, along with his wife Cindy, while we were in Cabo San Lucas. We eagerly seized the opportunity to escape the chilly season and head down to Mexico to explore the exciting developments of Reel Time Fishing in Cabo.

Toby, an experienced PNW guide renowned for fishing from Buoy 10 to the Clearwater River, has devoted several years to developing his Mexico venture. He has fine-tuned the guest experience down to a science, curating everything from local captains and upscale resorts to luxurious transportation and diverse vacation possibilities beyond fishing. Upon our arrival, his team was readily available to steer us in the right direction and acquaint us with the intricacies of Cabo. Having Toby's steadfast support provided us with a reassuring sense of security and tranquility as we ventured abroad.

Planning Ahead

In early December, we strategically planned our journey to Cabo, a prime period for sport fishing, especially with favorable Marlin-catching opportunities (which both Rob and I were enthusiastic about). Our airfare was secured, and our dates with Reel Time were locked in, thanks to arrangements made half a year prior with a cohort of industry friends from Spokane. We also ensured our passports were up to date. Accompanying us on this adventure were the renowned Chef and Restaurateur Adam Hegsted, Chef Aaron Fish and his wife Miranda, Creative Director Jason Olsen and his wife Heather, as well as Rob and myself. Embarking on this expedition as a group added an enjoyable dimension, and thanks to Toby's recommendations, we were able to shape the ideal trip we had envisioned.

As a united group, we touched down in Cabo and navigated customs, proceeding to the transportation meticulously coordinated by Reel Time Fishing. Awaiting us was a sleek black Escalade, and our designated driver, "Eddie," who could only be likened to our personal guide – Toby's trusted on-site emissary. Our airport pickup was characterized by sophistication, and we were subsequently transported to our lavish all-inclusive abode, the Hotel Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas. Throughout our journey, Eddie remained at the wheel, chauffeuring us to the docks, an exciting ATV escapade, and any destination of our choosing, ensuring a seamless and convenient experience.

Our Stay

The resort proved to be an absolute marvel. Our desires were not only met but effortlessly anticipated. Our all-inclusive package encompassed both beverages and cuisine, with a plethora of restaurants, entertainment options, and pools that catered to every whim. Our refrigerator remained abundantly stocked, and a continuous flow of tequila was readily available, satisfying our every indulgence. 

The primary motivation behind our trip revolved around the fishing prospects, and we were not disappointed – they were exceptional! Rob and I both achieved the thrilling feat of reeling in our first Marlin, an experience that will forever stand out in our memories. Across two days of deep-sea angling, we hauled in Ahi Tuna and Mahi Mahi as well. The intense battles Rob and I waged against our Marlin catches surged with an adrenaline rush unparalleled in the waters of the Northwest. The sensation was beyond expectation; truly an extraordinary encounter worthy of being on anyone's bucket list. Our cooler brimmed with the bounties of Mahi Mahi and Tuna, all set to journey home with us. Following the local custom, we released the Marlin back to the sea. The crew adeptly managed the cleaning process and even connected us with a processor to ensure our catch was expertly prepared for transport on our flight back.

Crave TV

We embarked on a Crave TV episode alongside Chef Adam Hegsted and Chef Aaron Fish, capturing the awe-inspiring sight of Northwest culinary experts skillfully crafting fish dishes infused with the vibrant flavors of Cabo's ingredients. Our poolside relaxation day proved refreshing, and we delved into the local shopping scene, exploring charming boutiques. A leisurely boat taxi ride across the bay allowed us to embrace the coastal charm. Venturing into the countryside, we engaged in an exhilarating desert off-road adventure, navigating the terrain with four-wheelers.

"It's an incredible way to punctuate the time spent on the water. There's something invigorating about cruising through the Mexican desert that truly makes you feel alive." - Jason Olsen

I had the opportunity to sit down with Jason Olsen and discuss his firsthand experience in Cabo with Reel Time Fishing.

Jason:

How was your fishing experience with Toby's team?

"Second to none! Nothing compares to that whole trip. It’s a lot of buildup. And it doesn’t disappoint. As far as going out on the boat with Pepe, knowing he was linked to Toby, I felt comfortable and safe knowing I was in good hands. Toby has seasoned dudes, and he has a standard for bringing people on. I would definitely go again at the drop of a dime. I was impressed with Pepe. He knew exactly what to do and where to go. He had an innate instinct on where to go to catch the fish and had electronics to get us on the fish. Also, having someone to show us around and be our wheels on the ground, saved us money and we did it in style."

What kinds of fish did you reel in?

"Yellow Tin Tuna, mostly. We went out from about 5 am and by 11 am we caught 10 Tuna."

What was the battle like?

"A lot harder than freshwater fish. High energy. At one point I had to strap myself into the chair."

Can you tell me about the flags?

"So the whole experience coming back to the dock was pretty great. After we caught the fish, Pepe had me hang up these flags I wasn’t sure what for. The minute we pulled into the marina, It was a bit of a parade. A bragging parade. Everyone could see what kind of fish we caught and how many from the amount of flags that were flying on our boat. It was pretty great to showboat our way into the Marina."

How was the dining experience?

"The resort accommodations and restaurants were amazing! The experience of going out in the morning and coming back and having my fish prepared by a local chef, was like no other. My liver hurt when I came home."

Jason's Wise Words:

"Take the seasickness patch, don’t be a hero! Go with a guide that is credible. Toby’s network takes the worry out of travel. Listen to Toby and you will do just fine. Use his knowledge and connections. The culture and being able to start my fishing endeavors at such a high caliber was an amazing opportunity."

Toby:

"One thing we do is we babysit our guests. We transport them from the airport to the resort to fishing and back. “We are like a coach in your corner.”

"We have a full service-all Baja Peninsula tour company that specializes in sport fishing. We help keep you safe and save you money. We have 4 captains in Cabo and packages with many of the Cabo Resorts. We can accommodate Groups of up to 40 people and have access to a 45 ft boat and 90 ft yacht. "

Whoo-hoo! The long-coveted Baker Lake sockeye season is in progress! The 2023 Baker Lake sockeye season is proving to be an interesting one. Through the North of Falcon process, the planned opener was scheduled to be Saturday July 15^th. Because record numbers of sockeye have signed up for a ride in the fish taxi, the WDFW decided to open the fishery 1 week earlier. The opener was July 8^th and the action has been on fire. It was reported that boat limits were the norm and many ice chests were full just a few hours or so after splashing the boat. In fact, on opening day one of the fishing specialists at Holiday Sports in Burlington, Philip Chuprinov, his wife Alexus and gang got their 12 fish boat limits in in less time than it took to drive to the lake and back.

OK, the fishing is good, but what is a “fish taxi” and why the early opener? Sockeye in Baker Lake are native to the system. After the Upper Baker Dam was constructed in 1959, sockeye were cut off from access to the natural Baker Lake. With limited success, various methods were used to trap and transport returning adult sockeye to the newly formed Baker Lake, while smolts were left to out migrate via controlled spillway releases. By 1985 the population crashed, and the trap count was only 99 fish. As a component of PSE’s permit to generate power, PSE developed a mitigation plan for sockeye recovery.

Long story short; both Baker Lake and now Lake Shannon have a surface to lake bed “gulper” net that funnels out-migrating sockeye smolts into a collection facility where they are processed, counted, and then transported for release at a trap facility on the Baker River in Concrete. The returning adult fish are trapped analyzed and then loaded into live transport trucks, AKA “fish taxis”, and transported up the hill. Some sockeye are placed in artificial spawning bed runs while others are held as hatchery broodstock. The rest are released into Baker Lake.

Historically, the Baker Lake sockeye run slowly ramps up, then spikes during the second week in July. This year, after a very short ramp up of 200-400 fish a day, on June 27^th the fish counts absolutely exploded. For the next 10 days, the daily trap count was running from 1,200-3,000 fish. With agreement of the North of Falcon team, the WDFW made the decision to maximize the fishing opportunity and open the fishery 1 week early.

The 2023 Baker Lake sockeye season is July 8^th – August 31^st but may close early to assure that 1,500 fish are able to spawn naturally in the lake. There is a 3 fish daily limit for adult sockeye. With the two-pole endorsement, two poles are allowed and all anglers onboard a boat may deploy gear until each angler onboard has caught their daily limit. Because Baker Lake is actively monitored for regulation compliance, make sure to record your catch before you redeploy the gear. The Baker Lake catch code is 825. Are you jonesing for a grilled sockeye fillet or a bowl of fresh sockeye poke yet? If so, read on, if not there’s always a Safeway seafood counter nearby (it’s probably cheaper).

There are 5 launch ramps on Baker Lake. They are as follows.

PSE Baker Lake (Kulshan) Launch

The boat ramp has a moderate grade. Concrete blocks have been placed along the side of the ramp for protection from erosion. No designated disabled parking. The parking lot slopes slightly. Nearby, Kulshan Campground offers campsites, a RV dump station, and both restrooms and porta potties. Overnight parking is discouraged within the boat ramp parking area but is available just down the hill from the ramp. Kulshan is typically my go to launch ramp.

Horseshoe Cove

The boat ramp has a gentle grade. Launching and load occur on both sides of the gravel and sand bar. The surface is uneven from wave erosion and vehicle use. No designated disabled parking. Horseshoe Cove Campground also offers campsites, drinking water, picnic area, group camp area, and vault toilets. Overnight parking is available. 4-wheel drive is advisable.

Panorama Point

The boat ramp has a gentle to moderate grade, lots of parking and a vault toilet. The Panorama Point Campground is separate from the launch. Depending on lake level, the asphalt ramp approach stops short of the shoreline. Additionally, a drop off has been created by wave action and the gravel is becoming rutted from parking lot run-off. With the uncertain ramp conditions, 4-wheel drive is advisable.

Swift Creek

The Swift Creek launch is paved or concrete and is usable at all lake levels. There is a tall bulkhead wall on one side with a short log boom on the other side of the ramp. There is also a small marina adjacent to the ramp. The marina has limited non-reservable short term tie up but no services or fuel. Swift Creek Campground offers campsites, drinking water, picnic shelters, a group camp area, and vault toilets. Overnight parking is available. I advise that you have a capable mate at this ramp. If solo, there are no provision to tie up your boat right at the ramp. Solo, you’ll have to deal with your boat after launching and you’ll be holding up traffic. Unless you’re offering free coffee and doughnuts, generally not a good thing at 2:30 in the morning when there is a long line of headlights glaring at you... Having somebody run the boat while you go park is a solid community-based plan.

Shannon Creek Campground

The boat ramp has a gentle to moderate grade. Ruts are developing around the ramp due to the runoff from the parking lot drainage. Waves have been creating some erosion along the shoreline. No designated disabled parking. Shannon Creek Campground also offers campsites, drinking water, picnic sites and a vault toilet. This varies year to year, but they may be limiting launch access to campers registered at Shannon Creek Campground. 4-wheel drive is advisable, and this is the best launch for hand launch boats and inflatables. With just a short run you’re in Grand Central Sock-station.

Maybe a few words regarding the logistics and fishing Baker Lake. Once you turn onto Baker Lake Road there will be no services, fuel, food, or camping supplies available. Make sure your pre-trip planning includes extra fuel, ice, propane or whatever you’ll need for your trip. Early morning, evening and anytime you’re in the shade there will be mosquitos. Not a few pesky mosquitos but a large squadron of blood thirsty flying vampires, I think they even have radar, night vision, and little stick figures drawn on their blood engorged bodies. As a bonus, I even stepped on a yellow jacket nest last year, be aware. Above all, this is a true combat fishery. Patience and ramp courtesy will assure everyone enjoys the experience.

After some deep thought I think that the biggest thing I can say about late season Baker Lake sockeye fishing is patience. The fishing can be very hot or very cold. Whereas the day before, limits may have been the rule, it is not always, and fishing may be dead. Slow fishing or otherwise, there are a few things you can do to improve your odds and put a few late season fish in the box.

As mentioned, patience (theme) will be the name of the game, and trust your electronics. Especially during your pursuit of late season sockeye, you will see the fish on the meter before they chase down your offering. When chasing late season sockeye, the more flash the better. Some people run 2 attractors and/or run a dummy off their downrigger ball. Other people bend their flashers to give them more wiggle and flash. Make sure you keep your gear clean; I don’t think that the late season sockeye like the scent of yesterday’s bait or scent oils. That said, make sure to use fresh bait. The 2013 sockeye bait you found in the back of the bait/beer fridge is not going to cut it.

Location is important in your pursuit of late season Baker Lake sockeye, although there are stock areas of the lake that consistently fish well. Areas like the Kulshan Loop, Maple Grove, Silver Creek, Noisy Creek and the Race Track along Baker Lake Road all reliably produce fish. The problem is each of those areas will also have a healthy aluminum hatch. With all the gear dangling in front of their noses, the fish may just ignore it. In my experience it pays to go look for fish. Many times, I find schools of willing biters in shallow water. Often, after a slow morning I have just flatlined gear in shallower areas of the lake and picked off limits in one or two passes.

FISH ON THE METER! Now what? Typically, a “0” size 50/50, chrome or pearl dodger is the backbone of the setup. While you can catch fish on tandem red, black or blue hooks the fishiest gear includes small spinner blades, Smiley Blades or Wiggle Hoochie inserts. Thinking outside of the box also has advantages. Sometimes the fish just don’t want the standard gear. We have had success using the kokanee size Brad’s Cut Plug lures, Coho Killers with an extra bend in them, kokanee/sockeye flies, and Brad’s Wee Warts. Start with the basics, a “0” dodger and a bare 3/0 red hook, and then be prepared to make changes until you are consistently catching fish.

Downriggers are the way to go with this fishery, but dropper rigs rack up many of the fish caught at Baker Lake. When running downriggers, beware, the lake is uncharted and there are many stumps, old structures and who knows what else to snag you downrigger ball on. If using downriggers, be alert and be prepared to part company with your downrigger ball (does your pre-trip planning include an extra downrigger ball?). Safety first, especially if fishing out of a shallow freeboard skiff, kayak, or inflatable. A 10-pound hunk of lead is not worth losing your boat or giving your boat mate unexpected swim lessons. Try to maintain your trolling speed at .8-1.2 MPH, and we have found that 5-10’ setbacks from your downrigger clip are all that are required.

Another thought and in my mind a gem of an opportunity. Late in the season these fish form tight schools and cruise around on the flats where the Baker River flows into Baker Lake. There are several underwater springs in the area and the fish seem to be staging for the spawn. With caution you can slowly motor (or row) into the area, find a pocket of fish and drop a dead weight anchor. There will be a ton of logs and woody debris so don’t use any kind of pronged or claw anchor. An old pile of chain or bucket of cement is perfect. Caution: do not come into this area of the lake on plane or even any faster than at idle. Depending on lake level there are numerous stumps and trees just waiting to meet your prop. Why go to all this effort? Glad that you asked…

With a little luck and an adventurous spirit, you can set yourself up to sight fish sockeye with a fly rod. Let me tell you it is an absolute hoot, and once you have it dialed in, you’ll be a serf to the great sockeye gods. You’ll go to sleep dreaming about watching your line snap tight as the water seems to boil around it and wake up in a sweat still dreaming about your airborne quarry.

I’ve said this before; Baker Lake sockeye are the best eating fish in the state. To preserve their quality, bleed and ice your catch immediately. If you’re camping, gut the fish and pack the body cavity with ice, layer the fish in ice with a handful of rock salt evenly scattered around on top of the ice. It is best to use an ice chest that is dedicated to your prize catch. Leave the ice chest drain plugs out. This will prevent your catch from sitting in an ice chest ½ full of cold, very slimy sockeye sludge.

So, those are the late season basics; I wish you luck and an enjoyable trip to Baker Lake. Please be respectful of the opportunity to fish Baker System sockeye. This fishery is closely monitored and there will be multiple game wardens, WDFW, and Sheriff Department personnel conducting on the water checks. If there is widespread abuse, they will close the fishery. Be courteous, know the regulations, limits, and gently release any Dolly Varden trout caught.