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Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service

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Cascade Lake Report
San Juan County, WA

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Details

06/18/2015
Trolling
Kokanee
Worms
Red
Windy
Dodger
Morning
06/20/2015
3
2266

This report consolidates more than one day of fishing . Went on the lake around 930 am So we could get Kokanee and have two for lunch. The one from the night before I had put on ice to keep it fresh. I used the same set up as the night before. 50/50 dodger and pink wedding ring. This time I did add a little bait. two red salmon eggs. We rowed once again towards the cliffs but wind was something awful. Little one fell asleep again. Was to one side of the cliffs near the white buoy. when I noticed my little poll was missing the handle for reeling it in. I looked in vain for it and we kind of stopped moving.. although the wind was still a blowing. I took it out and wondered how I was going to get it in when bam. the pull tip wiggled and I saw a beautiful silver fish jump. So I did what anyone would do when missing a handle for reeling in a poll. I slowly and painfully moved the reel by hand. It worked but for a long time I was not even sure the fish was still on. It gave it plenty of time for it to tire out. It still have some fight left when I brought it up and turned out to be a beautiful 14 inch Kokanee. We got the fish in and I set up my other poll but the wind was so bad by then that it became our main goal just to make it back to shore. we ended up coming in to one side of the fishing dock. It was way to windy to make it to the other side. I went and got the car while the hubby stayed in the boat with the sleeping little one. Passing the dock I watched a cutthroat of at least 17 to 20 inches pulled in. They had bid polls though so could cast way far. We cooked up both Kokanee .. the one from the night before and the fresh one for lunch. Amazing tasting fish! It made me hungry for more. In the afternoon we went up to Mountain lake. I was hoping for some big fish a local told us are in there. we found the whole but only a few bites and one small cutthroat who threw the hook right away. he swam off happy to live for another say and grow big. That evening I really wanted to try again so I could limit on Kokanee. I had no luck. It started pouring rain and I barely made it back to the shore due to wind. I am so really for an electric motor. To get some frustration out and feel better about life I went to the fishing dock in the pouring rain and caught 3 rainbows while getting soaked. I talked to a nice fellow fishing who was new to the area and explained some of the rules.
So next morning and day we had to leave. I got out on the water about 730 am. I got to the cliffs but had no luck. I am thinking the fish were deeper. watched a father and son fish and bring some in from a lower part of the cliffs. using some kind of spoon. I decided to head back. I put a small fake worm(that some nice fishermen had given me the night before) on the pink wedding ring with dodger setup. The wind picked up and I started fighting it. right past the boat rental place. I took a break to bring in my drifting.. sinking line. I was surprised to find a fish on. A Kokanee of about 12 inches. I finally made it back to the launch area and we got ready to pack we quickly cooked up the fish and ate a hurried lunch. Over all I love this lake though and the fish taste great. I cannot wait to come back when I have a small electric motor.


Comments

cobrar543
6/22/2015 8:48:00 AM
Thank you for your great reports on a lake I have never heard of. Makes me want to go and do some camping there as well.!
Heatherlyfish
6/22/2015 4:02:00 PM
You are welcome. Cobrar543. We like a lot and enough to keep coming back to camp. It does fill up when they allow reservations.. which is May 15 th on until Fall sometime I think. Just make sure if you are making a reservation to camp to also make a reservation for the ferry(round trip). It is not needed always but wise to.. just to be safe. Weekends are the worse and on camping trip out there our friends did no make it home until 2am due to having to wait for last ferry of the night and it being delayed. The fishing there though is worth it all. If fishing off the dock make sure to have a 4 to 5 f leader. There are invasive plants growing in there that get really tall. cast out as far as you can. If you have an 8 ft poll or can really cast like super far at the right corner of the dock casting a far distance it seems there are big fish. Aside from the one I saw taken in my report. I saw a man and is wife one time with 4 huge ones of similar size rainbows and cutthroat. Not tripliod but in that size range. worms and power eggs, salmon eggs all seem to work. Especially if you are fishing with kids and you want them to have an amazing time.
jyb1212
7/22/2015 9:40:00 AM
where you able to rent a boat there or did you bring your own. been reading up online and looks like they rent row boats, but doesnt say what time they open up to rent. Any info is appreciated.
Heatherlyfish
7/22/2015 10:54:00 AM
I brought my own boat.. an inflatable one. I do not have an electric motor but it takes one. 4 person. The wind can pick up something fierce. but I like my own craft because I prefer fishing early morning and evening till sundown. I do not have the exact time the boat place opens but probably earliest would be like 8 am. for opening during most of the day.. they also have canoes. You can rent the boats from them for the whole day. If I remember open to 4 or 5.. sorry I know not super helpful. But yes if you do not want to bring your own craft you can rent one.. it is a matter of freedom of time and choice. You can walk around the whole lake although not all is accessible by shore. If you have more questions feel free to ask. I can respond more later on today
jyb1212
7/23/2015 3:56:00 PM
Thanks! lll be there this weekend, will figure it out when i am up there, worse case fish from the banks till the place opens.
Heatherlyfish
7/23/2015 4:22:00 PM
Awesome. I sure do love that place. I mean the fishing is great. near the midway camp and just across the road I caught some nice bass with a rooster tail right near sunset. If you hit sunrise there are plenty of bass as well. also a fishing dock but if you want to try for kokanee before the place opens.. like sunrise 5 am. walk around the lake on the trail .. the trail is near the fishing dock etc. you just follow it around the lake. Till you reach the cliffs you will go up first then just start to come down. there is one point where there is a low spot in the cliffs.. just a tad past the shed thingy. you will not bare rock and a tree ... small spot you can walk down and have decent access right into Kokanee land. I saw father and son catch em there. They were casting some kind of silvery thing.. probably some type of spoon..casting as far to the right as they could and letting it sink then bringing it up slowly. you could probably do that with some bait or scent added or something. The Kokes are generally 30 ft. depends though folks say they bigger ones are deeper. the 2 year ones. Corn also works well there, grubs, worms salmon eggs. When you are out in the boat some type of attractor is important(dogder, one of those split looking things etc). that a little weight above it and a short leader to a wedding ring. with bait or scent attached. the guide at midway camp can help you know the area to fish or other people there. If you look at the map of the lake at the boat launch you can see where it is deep and that is where they are although sometimes they come in the middle of the lake between the two bouys. rainbows are easy to catch from the dock but I would avoid targeting em so you can go for the gold. other flashy imitation fish could also work. Tight lines! Hope you catch some great fish.
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Available Guide

Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service

Phone: (509) 687-0709