Northwest Fishing Reports

I know it is still over a month till opening day but what are everybodys favorit opening day hot spots.

Many will say the stocker lakes that a few hundred others flock to, others head to their secret spots or year round lakes to avoid the crowds...

I've always liked Carlisle Lake (it's actually a mill pond) in Lewis County. A ton of fish are dropped into that little lake before opening day and they're very goable. You can C n' R all day. The stockers will strike your spoon five-feet from shore; for trout they really tend to hug the tree-line. I think it may be because many are raised in pens on the lake, so like a lot of stockers they're taught that shadows are good (like when they see a human shadow that means food pellets are soon to follow). So once released they flock to the shadowy shoreline. It's a fun opening day fishery because of the aforementioned chance of getting a strike anywhere on your retrive, and they're always a few brooders in the lake too.

Fish-or-man! Welcome back! I was starting to think the fish-or-man in your Avatar captured you and had you for dinner. Glad to see you on the forum againo:)

There are a couple of smaller openers too. The march 1st opener and the april 1st opener. They arnt nearly as big of an opener than the last saturday of april but there are still fish to be had. I just got back from the march 1st oper out in the quincy area and it was pretty good fish for stocker trout. On april 1st some of the seep lakes below potholes reservoir will open up and I have plans to go out there on april 4th. For the traditional opener I am leaning towards blue lake in grant county. The lake got rehabed last year was was planted with over 100,000 trout plus a huge amount of triploids. I heard that this year its supposed to get a pretty nice plant as well, and nerby park lake also got 100,000+ trout last year. And Blue lake is only about an hour from Rufus Woods, and I wouldnt mind another crack at that.

I live over here on the Kitsap Pennisula.So I tend to go towards Mason county for opening day last year it was Benson Lake this year I don't know yet.I might go to my year around lake I normaly fish.But we will see.Last year the crowds were a little much for me.So I'm leaning towards Island Lake right up the road from me.Open year around so the crowds wont be as bad I hope.But as normal I could be wrong.Thank God there is a lake in walking distance from my house with gas prices suspected to be almost 4 bucks a gallon come this summer Ill just fill the float tube up and make the 2 mile walk.So if you see a guy walking a float carrying a fly pole it's me.Don't be affraid to pick me up.Actully I could use the exercise since Ive packed on a few pounds this winter.So the walk won't hurt me, well the first couple of times might kill me.

shawn wrote:Thank God there is a lake in walking distance from my house with gas prices suspected to be almost 4 bucks a gallon come this summer Ill just fill the float tube up and make the 2 mile walk.So if you see a guy walking a float carrying a fly pole it's me.

Gas prices will definitely put a dent in my budget for fishing plans...Looks like I'll be fishing nearby lakes a lot more this year then taking trips to further destinations...

will be hitting potholes for the end of april opener. have room for a bunch if anyone's interested (rented a cottage-sleeps 8-10). they have thier trout release at mardon, but, i like to head up linn coulee as soon as they release at mardon for the "larger" rainbows (4-7 lb.s). then going to hike into a couple of walk-ins at the seep lakes. going to fish fri-sat-sun. if you have truck and are interested pm me. i want to drag my 12 ft. alum. over the mountain. car/truck/van/boat pooling saves on gas, which, could be a deal breaker this year.

It's really not all that far away. Beaver Lake in Issaquah got planted last year on March 21st, Alice, April 2nd, Boren in mid-March, so we're only 2-3 weeks away from some stocker trout fishing...should be fun, while it lasts. I will be hitting Margaret for some hold overs on May 2nd-10th and usually do well. Then in early April I can't pass up the Lake Alice fishery...some lakes will be planted in the very near future.

Sam Kafelafish wrote: Gas prices will definitely put a dent in my budget for fishing plans...Looks like I'll be fishing nearby lakes a lot more this year then taking trips to further destinations...

Gas at $4.00 a gallon this summer will definitely make many stay closer to home. Fishing the little lakes in the foothills will cost a good amount if you're coming from Seattle...

kutthroatkilla wrote:

Sam Kafelafish wrote: Gas prices will definitely put a dent in my budget for fishing plans...Looks like I'll be fishing nearby lakes a lot more this year then taking trips to further destinations...

Gas at $4.00 a gallon this summer will definately make many stay closer to home. Fishing the little lakes in the foothills will cost a good amount if you're coming from Seattle...

yeah I really let the gas prices get to my fishing last year. It wasnt too bad because of the pink run, but this year I will have to pony up on the gas. It already cost $85 to fill the tank as it is, so whats an extra $20? But I only got to camp/fish twice a month last summer.

kutthroatkilla wrote:Beaver Lake in Issaquah got planted last year on March 21st, Alice, April 2nd, Boren in mid-March, so we're only 2-3 weeks away from some stocker trout fishing...should be fun, while it lasts.

I've never seen such small and skinny and dark skinned trout planted in a lake as the ones I saw last year at Beaver right after the big stocking....

Boren has some cuttbows still milling around and I enjoy fishing that lake. I might have to run out there once this spring. Been a good 3 years since I fished it and I fished it quite a bit back then...

Sam Kafelafish wrote: Boren has some cuttbows still milling around and I enjoy fishing that lake. I might have to run out there once this spring. Been a good 3 years since I fished it and I fished it quite a bit back then...

I've never been (to Boren)...heard it's a hoot. Can't wait to go this summer. Can't wait to go to Langlois either. Hoepfully I'll see the seasoned gpc out there for some tips and pointers.

kutthroatkilla wrote:

Sam Kafelafish wrote: Boren has some cuttbows still milling around and I enjoy fishing that lake. I might have to run out there once this spring. Been a good 3 years since I fished it and I fished it quite a bit back then...

I've never been (to Boren)...heard it's a hoot. Can't wait to go this summer. Can't wait to go to Langlois either. Hoepfully I'll see the seasoned gpc out there for some tips and pointers.

It can be a fun fishery. Lots of different little spots to target fish and those cuttbows are sweet fish. Holdovers (if any, it's a small lake thus gets really warm in the summer)...

Used to do a lot of trolling on that lake. They don't stock it with more then 1000 or 2000 fish, but there are some cuttbows and you just needa know how to target them...

Sam Kafelafish wrote:

kutthroatkilla wrote:

Sam Kafelafish wrote: Boren has some cuttbows still milling around and I enjoy fishing that lake. I might have to run out there once this spring. Been a good 3 years since I fished it and I fished it quite a bit back then...

I've never been (to Boren)...heard it's a hoot. Can't wait to go this summer. Can't wait to go to Langlois either. Hoepfully I'll see the seasoned gpc out there for some tips and pointers.

It can be a fun fishery. Lots of different little spots to target fish and those cuttbows are sweet fish. Holdovers (if any, it's a small lake thus gets really warm in the summer)...

Used to do a lot of trolling on that lake. They don't stock it with more then 1000 or 2000 fish, but there are some cuttbows and you just needa know how to target them...

Sam, is your flatfish with the black dots available for purchase? I looked at Joe's yesterday and they didn't have them and have been having a hard time locating them. I still love needlefish and triple teasers for trout along with worms (ya just can't beat a nighcrawler), but I am interested in picking up some of those red flatfishes with the black dots.

Does Boren have a launching area for a float tube/little raft? I know it's only around 15 acres, but other than its public fishing piers, does it have a WDFW launch area/place to put a little boat in?

kutthroatkilla wrote:

Sam Kafelafish wrote:

kutthroatkilla wrote: I've never been (to Boren)...heard it's a hoot. Can't wait to go this summer. Can't wait to go to Langlois either. Hoepfully I'll see the seasoned gpc out there for some tips and pointers.

It can be a fun fishery. Lots of different little spots to target fish and those cuttbows are sweet fish. Holdovers (if any, it's a small lake thus gets really warm in the summer)...

Used to do a lot of trolling on that lake. They don't stock it with more then 1000 or 2000 fish, but there are some cuttbows and you just needa know how to target them...

Sam, is your flatfish with the black dots available for purchase? I looked at Joe's yesterday and they didn't have them and have been having a hard time locating them. I still love needlefish and triple teasers for trout along with worms (ya just can't beat a nighcrawler), but I am interested in picking up some of those red flatfishes with the black dots.

Does Boren have a launching area for a float tube/little raft? I know it's only around 15 acres, but other than its public fishing piers, does it have a WDFW launch area/place to put a little boat in?

I can get some flatfish pretty easily. I know they are available in most Joes, maybe they are out of stock. Stick a worm on the back of a flatfish and that worm just wiggles like crazy off the back end of that flatfish while trolling...

Boren does have a launch area for a float tube/raft. You have to carry it in from the parking lot, it's not a bad walk, just takes a few mins...

Lacamas Lake with a 6" Castaic Platinum swimbait. Rainbow trout colored.