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East Cascades Wilderness Fishing
by John Kruse, August 10, 2007
There is a lot good fishing to be had on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains from now through September. Whether you are after trout in clear running streams or scenic alpine lakes, Central Washington has a lot to offer. Three areas of the Cascades offer anglers the opportunity to fish lightly pressured areas. Here’s a quick run down:
CHINOOK PASS STREAMS:
The Naches, Little Naches, American and Bumping Rivers all offer fair to good fishing for rainbow trout off of State Highway 410. Although they are close to Yakima they don’t get the fishing pressure the more popular Yakima River experiences. Doug Williams is the owner of the Whistlin’ Jack Lodge (www.whistlinjacklodge.com) and is bullish about fishing on the Naches. He reports that cutthroat and rainbow trout averaging 12 to 14 inches are caught here in the summer and that there is also a very good fishery and underutilized opportunity to catch whitefish in the winter. The Little Naches, American and Bumping rivers have cutthroat trout that run smaller but fishing for them is fun if you are a small stream aficionado. Williams recommends getting away from the road and campgrounds for the best fishing. Be sure to check the fishing regulations before hitting these waters, since there are partial closures and other rules in effect to help maintain a quality angling experience.
ENTIAT MOUNTAIN LAKES:
Located in North Central Washington, several lightly fished alpine lakes offer the chance to catch trout in a beautiful wilderness setting. Multi-use trails allow everyone from hikers to bicyclists to horseback riders to motorcyclists the option to visit alpine lakes and small streams between the Entiat River and Lake Wenatchee. The lakes are known as Lost Lake, Mad Lake, and the Two Little Lakes (Lake Ann and Lake Louise). I’ve lucky enough to visit all four of them on horseback courtesy of Icicle Outfitters (www.icicleoutfitters.com) and have been impressed. Wrangler Wendell Long reports fishing can be good on Lost Lake and Louise Lake (marked as the bigger of The Two Little Lakes on some maps) for good sized alpine trout, though it may take you awhile to catch them. Meanwhile scenic Mad Lake and emerald green Lake Ann offer more consistent fishing for pan size cutthroat trout in good numbers. His reports have proven accurate. I hooked into cutthroat trout that reached up to 15 inches on my most recent trip and also saw brook trout averaging 8 to 10 inches in Lost Lake.
Two other lakes in the Entiat Mountains can be reached from the end of the Entiat River Road. A multi-use trail leads four flat miles to Myrtle Lake, a 19-acre body of water that holds smaller brookies. Hike (or ride a horse) another two miles past this point and you’ll reach the two Larch Lakes, both of which reportedly hold cutthroat trout.
LAKE CHELAN NATIONAL RECREATION AREA:
A boat or plane ride to the end of Lake Chelan will get you to Stehekin, a tiny remote community that is full of outdoors adventure and angling is one of them. Cliff Courtney is the owner of the Stehekin Valley Ranch and Stehekin Outfitters (www.stehekin.biz). He reports that the Stehekin River drops into shape for good rainbow trout fishing from August through September. The size of this river, along with the fact that it can be accessed at multiple places from the main road that runs past the ranch from the Landing to Tumwater Campground, make it a good place to fish using spinners or flies (selective regulations apply with a two fish limit – 15 inch minimum size). Despite the river’s proximity to the road, the remote nature of the area and the short fishing season means the river is not heavily pressured. The upper reaches of Lake Chelan are also worth fishing for rainbow, lake and cutthroat trout as well as kokanee salmon. If you do catch a cutthroat in the Stehekin or Lake Chelan above Purple Point it must be released.
One place you can catch and keep cutthroat trout is at Coon Lake. It’s a 1.3 mile hike with a 600 foot elevation gain from the High Bridge Campground off the Stehekin Road or a 2 ½ hour round trip trail ride from the corrals at Stehekin Valley Ranch. The 9-acre lake lies at the base of Mt. McGregor along the Pacific Crest Trail but can be tough to fish in places because of lily pads that grow close to shore in the summer. Packing in a float tube could be a good bet for this lake if you are serious about fishing it.
For more information about fishing and exploring these areas, check out the Wenatchee National Forest web site (http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/) or the Wenatchee-Okanogan National Forest – Pacific Northwest Fisheries Program web page (http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/fishing/forests/gofishing/wenoka_index.html).
Photo – Owen S. of Lamont, WA holds up a cutthroat caught in an Entiat Mountain lake.
By John Kruse – For Washingtonlakes.com and Local Fisherman News