Fall Cutthroat fishing is in full swing on Lake Wa right now. The lake is starting to turn over, becoming a lot colder on the surface. It dropped about 4 degrees in just over a week.

Most fish are suspended, hanging around that 50 ft Mark. I trolled in front of Kirkland (the usual spot) in about 60 ft of water with the wire consistently set around 52. I fished from 1:30pm to 4pm with 12 caught and released between when I started to about 2:45. The bite slowed down so I decided to throw on a wedding ring and tipped that with a night crawler which seemed to draw out the bigger fish. Shortly after switching out my needle fish to the wedding ring I landed 5 chunky cutties with the largest being 21 inches and the smallest 16 inches.

I was in complete solitude the entire afternoon with the exception of a few planes landing here and there. The water was absolutely calm the entire time. This is truly my favorite time of year to fish on the big lake.

As noticed in the pics, most of these fish are jam packed with bait fish in their bellies. Quite a variety if you ask me. The last fish I caught spit up a small perch that was still alive. I think it’s safe to say these fish are packing on some weight before the winter hits. They are extremely aggressive with the takedowns and seem to have lots of energy when hooked.

I hope more people get out and experience this great fishery while the weather is still nice. There are some monster trout to be had right now. God bless, and tight lines to you all!

- DJ

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