Northwest Fishing Reports

Sitting in the studing quarters this morning and thumbing thru the reg book i noticed this:

KOKANEE Year-round No min. size. Daily limit 16.



Now the inner Kokanee addict in me started screaming like a school girl when i seen this. Generaly lakes with the higher limits have a mess of fish in them, smaller usaully but some lakes dont go by the more fish/smaller fish rule/. Take wickiup in OR for example, 25 fish limit and it pumps out 18" fish on the regular. And since this is a closer drive then Chelan or Rosivelt, which are two lakes i have fallen in kokanee love with these past two years, I was thinking about giving a shot in the next few weeks.

Which brings me to this, has anyone fished these lately? The reports look so so, but it seems alot of people are long lining with pop gear. Which im convinced isnt near as effective as downriggers and dodgers, and all the sweet stuff we keep in our safes for catching kokes.

So any input would be greatly welcome If not im probably still doing a recon mission in the up coming weeks.

I go over to that area quite a bit, no not always to fish, ok, most of the time not fishing and I almost always see people fishing for Kokes. Any day of the week you can see them circling around in the middle of the lake. More so on Kachess but, and I'm guessing here, so maybe because there's more permanent habitation around the lake. I know the State has been catching Socks from the Yak and has been dumping them in Cle Elum to bolster the spawning population and may rekindle the Sock run that used top go up the Cle Elum. Just about every time I've been fishing for Maks on Cle Elum I see people trolling for Mak food out in the middle.

PS They used to stock Keechelus quite heavily too.

My sons and I fished Kechelus years ago. That was prior to learning how to kokanee fish. It's on my radar to try it again sometime. It is noisy from the freeway sounds btw.

hmmmm, might have to make it a 2 day and fish both lakes.

Make it 3 and hit 'em all.

Does cle elum have a good koke population too?

There's people out there fishing for them every time I've been for Maks or browns. The State has been catching Socks in the Yak and putting them in the lake to spawn. The biologist told me it was to add genetic diversity to the Kokes and maybe some will start to make the trip through the spill and out to sea.

I hit Kachess a handful times last summer including camping there, which is fun! but i am such a amateur with the kokes i stuck out every time.. i did catch a few real good size trout on the North end of the lake though. its beautiful up there!

Maybe ill do a kachess/cle elum trip! I do like big trout. And I really like catching browns. And who can go wrong with 16 silver footballs

Steelheadin360 wrote:Maybe ill do a kachess/cle elum trip! I do like big trout. And I really like catching browns. And who can go wrong with 16 silver footballs

Road trip. I am so there!!!!! Let me know when your going ill meet you there

bassplayer17 wrote:

Steelheadin360 wrote:Maybe ill do a kachess/cle elum trip! I do like big trout. And I really like catching browns. And who can go wrong with 16 silver footballs

Road trip. I am so there!!!!! Let me know when your going ill meet you there

Lets go!

its a super easy day trip lake and i think worth it just for scenery and lack of humans.. Its only 60 minutes from Seattle to the Kachess exit if played right... I'm up in that area once or twice a week, sometimes more depending on snow conditions all winter long..



My son and I, on the north end of the lake.. like ON IT..

Bbbbrrrraaaaappppp!