I took advantage of the good weather, the moon phase and one of the most productive fisheries in the state last week. The days are getting cooler, and I was glad I got two days of terrific fishing.

I took my good friend Rollie Schmitten to Omak Lake a couple of years ago and he was eager to go again. He was very impressed with the size and quality of the trout we caught on this big Colville Reservation lake. I was finally able to get him up there last week. On Thursday we got our first fish at 10:30 and at 2:55 we had caught and released 55 Lahontan cutthroat. I had driven the Smoker Craft to the east end of the lake, and I launched the bow mount electric motor and started trolling when we found 100 feet of water. I had learned the previous week that the cutthroat liked a fast presentation, so I kept our speed at 1.7 to 1.8 mph.

We trolled a variety of plugs and lures. I have a favorite darting plug and I also found large Apex very effective. Out the back, with only a small 3/8-ounce weight, two lures were really popular with the cutts. One was a Coho Killer and the other was a Coyote spoon. These “surface” rods were as busy as the downrigger rods, that I was fishing very deep to try to get bigger fish. I have caught and released cutthroat up to 28 inches on Omak Lake but didn’t get any really big ones on this trip. The cutts did average a solid 18inches.

The next day we didn’t use any lures with treble hooks. Even though we pinched the barbs on all our lures, we spent too much time getting the hooks out of the net. Because we fished the day before we knew where to find the fish and the depth they were at and by noon we had released 37. The wind came up, so we headed for the launch. On Thursday we saw three other boats on the lake, the most I had seen in years.

I want to remind anglers that Omak Lake is on the Colville Reservation and there are tribal permits, fees and licenses required. All of these are available on the Colville Fish and Wildlife website. Also, the launch at Omak Lake is very rough. I can launch my 20 foot Smoker Craft but needed to put the truck in 4 wheel low to get it up the hill. This week’s photo is of Rollie with one of the cutthroat we caught on Omak Lake.

It used to be that kokanee fishing on Lake Chelan was done only in May and June. Big schools of kokanee would appear in the lower basin, and it was a fishing party off Lakeside Park. After June everyone figured that the kokanee had moved back up to Stehekin and you couldn’t catch them. Back then people were trolling with heavy rods and with lead core line and heavy trolling blades with rubber snubbers. These days it’s a whole different deal. Good kokanee fishing can be had on Lake Chelan year-round, and I have had good success catching kokanee in the winter and have found fish from “The Fences” above the Yacht Club clear down to the Blue Roofs. Also, most anglers use very soft action rods and downriggers. Big schools of kokanee are often found at over 100 feet deep, and trolling with tackle like Kokabow blades and spinners is very effective.

I am getting reports that the fishing is very good for kokanee on Lake Chelan right now, and that the fish are running 12 to 13 inches. What’s exciting about this is that the big numbers of kokanee that do go to the Stehekin River are gone, and the fish people are catching right now are fish that are going to be around through next year’s season. Imagine the size they will be in the spring and summer! We have lots of days through the fall and winter that are clear and sunny, and the water is calm. So, dig out the warm jackets and boots and get out there and get them.

Here's some good news for fans of fishing for coho salmon in our region. The adult coho salmon daily limit is going to be increased in the Hanford Reach area. Starting on November 1st, anglers may keep 2 adult coho on the Columbia River from the I-82 Bridge to the old Hanford townsite powerline crossing. This daily limit increase is in place until December 31st. This boost in the daily limit is possible as the returns to the Ringold Hatchery are good enough to allow for it. Fishery managers will be monitoring the catches and may adjust the season rules. Please visit the WDFW website and review the news release for all the details.

There are a couple of quality lakes in Grant County that anglers may want to try this fall. One is Lake Lenore. This lake is loaded with Lahontan cutthroat and is open through November 30th. Anglers cast spoons and spinners from the shore with success and the lake is popular with fly fishers. It is a selective fishery water, so no bait, barbless hooks and internal combustion motors are not allowed. The daily limit is one fish over 18 inches.

The other is Dry Falls Lake. Very popular with fly fishers it is open through November 30th. It is also a selective fishery lake, with no internal combustion motors allowed. The lake is inhabited with rainbow, browns and tiger trout. The daily limit is one fish over 18 inches.

I am hoping to put some walleye in the freezer this fall. I have heard some reports of very good catches of walleye from Potholes Reservoir. I may be dodging raindrops fishing this time of year, but it is worth it. The fall can be an excellent time to get good numbers of walleye from Potholes. Some other species that go on the bite in Potholes in the fall are largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill and crappie.

Back to Fishing Magician Articles