Eastern Washington Fishing Report 05.09.19
Oh, the ups and down of fly fishing. A lot of the fly anglers that travel into the area, stop here at the shop on their way to their favorite water. I am greeted by smiles and stories of past trips. Stories of unbelievable catches and trout begging, “catch me catch me.” Then comes the next couple of days of either the look of joy or that look that says, “what happened.” One thing I always say, “good or bad you got to go fishing.” Always measure the degree of your trip not by the fish you catch but, by the peace you gain in your heart by being out doing what you enjoy.
Green Lakes (WA)
If you can get past all the recent 10 to 12-inch rainbows that were stocked a few weeks ago, you might find some nice 17 to 18-inch carryovers. Then again, I had a couple of guys that came in yesterday and told me they had a blast catching the smaller fish. As one guy said, “I lost count after I had released 30 fish.” I know there are larger fish in there and you will just have to weed through the little ones to find them. #10-#12 pumpkin head leeches and olive or black #10 Hale Bopp leeches are the main ticket at the Green Lakes. Also #14 black or red chironomids. #14 chromies are starting to show up so make sure you have a few of them in your box. You will need to get to the lakes from the south end off of Salmon Creek Road instead of the north from the Conconully Highway. There is water over the north part of the Green Lake Road.
Chopaka Lake (WA)
Living up to its reputation, Chopaka is fishing well. Most of the anglers on the water are playing the chironomid game. Let's face it, chironomids are a major part of any trout's diet in lakes, so why not use them. Most of the rainbows are in the 14 to 16-inch size range with a few bigger ones being reported. Now, if you're not one to use chironomids, small leech patterns are getting some attention from the area trout -most are being worked in the five to 15-feet waters. I know I'm going to that fiery place down below for telling what the next fly is that is working at Chopaka. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I’m talking about the booby fly. I had a group of guys come in and said they had a blast using them and caught a lot of rainbows. Forgive me, father, for I have sinned. Good news is that not all of the camping sites are taken so for right now you should be able to find a place to set up camp. So, the flies that have been working are; #16 to #12 black or grey chironomids including the same size in chromies, #10 black/red Chan’s ruby eyed leech, #12 Canadian black simi seal leech, #12-#10 black or olive simi seal leech. The weather outlook is for nice weather for the weekend. Oh, by the way as of yet, there have been no sightings of the Chopaka bigfoot yet this season.
Omak Lake (WA)
One of the staff members from the Colville Tribal Hatchery stopped in the other day. He wanted to let me know that they have set the traps out in Mission Bay to start their broodstock collection of the Lahontan cutthroats. He was telling me that the trout finally started showing up in the shallow water. Talking to some of the anglers that have come into the shop the last couple of days, fishing has slowed down a bit. Then again, the wind has been a big factor lately. A lot of the anglers were getting blown off the water by 30mph gusts. The weather forecasts show we should be okay for this coming weekend. #10 olive balanced leeches, #14-#12 black chironomids, #12 bloodworms, and small to medium sized streamers are still working quite well when the weather and fish are cooperating.
Blue Lake (Sinlahekin) (WA)
The water level is a little down but from all reports, the lake is fishing good. One of the key things I have learned about Blue is: don’t get stuck on one fly. Be willing to change it as often as you need to, to keep the trout interested. As to where to fish on the lake, be willing to keep moving around to find the fish. This where your electronics will help a lot. This Blue Lake is one of my favorite area lakes, and if you are willing to put a little time in on the water, you can have some great times. Using chironomids will get you into the rainbows, no problem. If you are like most chironomid anglers, I’m sure you will have a selection that covers every size and color out there. What is working right now out there are #18-#12 black, grey and red chironomids and #16-#12 chromies. Leeches are my favorite type of fly to use on Blue. What is also working right now out there is olive pumpkin head leeches, #10 black or olive Rickard’s seal buggers, and #10 brown/olive or black/red swimming leeches. I won't say anything about how booby flies are working, but umm they are.
Finally, a couple of things to pass on to yo. If you plan on coming over, our snowfall this last winter was light and we did not get much for spring rains yet. So, it is getting dry out there. Please be cautious with your campfires. Most importantly, have a great time and “smile!”
See past reports from the Omak region, or click here to view all northwest regional reports.