Methow Valley Fish Report
Rain and cool weather has kept the lakes fishing great. There has been hot action at Big Twin Lake with some nice sized cutthroat trout. Also Black Pine Lake has cutthroat that are biting well. Damsel nymphs have been working good. They work well by also imitating the callibaetis nymph. Use a light sink tip and a slow retrieve to entice the strike. Chronomid fishing is also a good bet as midge hatch come off. Use a 5wt rod with floating line and let the flies sink slowly. Slowly retrieve the flies back while keeping an eye on the fly line. If the fly line begins to straighten out, strip set and hopefully a fish ate your bugs. Experiment with colors and sizes to dial in what the fish want. All the lakes fish best from a boat, but Davis and Big/Little Twin Lakes have some shore access for casting.
The rivers are open but the flows are still high. Within the next few weeks we should see better conditions for fishing. Both Twisp and Chewuch Rivers should be fishable sooner than the Methow, so exploring these two smaller systems would be a good idea. Get out your deep nymphing rigs out to dredge the bottom for fish. Also a heavy sink tip with a streamer can attract the big ones from the fast water. The rivers are still to high to wade across so be careful and watch your step. The photo below is a happy angler from High Rock Ranch.
If you have any questions about my report, reply to this post down below. I will answer your questions as soon as possible. Tight Lines – Greg
Chewuch River – OPEN May 25th 1,920 cfs
Methow River – OPEN May 25th 3,580 cfs at Winthrop
Twisp River – OPEN May 25th 637 cfs
Alta Lake – OPEN Apr. 27. Statewide size/daily limit on all game fish. Closes Sept. 30. Surface – 187 acres.
Big Twin Lake – OPEN Apr. 27. Good cutthroat and rainbow fishing. Catch-and-release recommended. Daily trout limit 1, no min size. Other game fish statewide size/daily limit. Internal combustion motors prohibited. Good boat launch. Closes Oct. 31. Surface – 77 acres.
Black Pine Lake – OPEN. Good cutthroat fishing.
Buck Lake – OPEN.
Campbell Lake – OPEN All game fish. Apr. 1st – Aug. 31 Catch-and-release. Selective gear rules. Internal combustion motors prohibited. Sept. 1 – Mar. 31 statewide size/daily limit. Steep boat launch, ok for small craft. Surface – 11 acres.
Cougar Lake – OPEN All game fish. Apr. 1st – Aug. 31 Catch-and-release. Selective gear rules. Internal combustion motors prohibited. Sept. 1 – Mar. 31 statewide size/daily limit. Tight boat launch, not suited for larger craft. Surface – 9 acres.
Davis Lake – OPEN All game fish. Apr. 1st – Aug. 31 Catch-and-release. Selective gear rules. Internal combustion motors prohibited. Sept. 1 – Mar. 31 statewide size/daily limit. Good boat launch. Surface – 39 acres.
Leader Lake – OPEN. Mixed bag of bass, trout and bluegill. Surface – 159 acres.
Little Twin – OPEN Apr. 27. Catch-and-release recommended. Daily trout limit 1, no min size. Other game fish statewide size/daily limit. Internal combustion motors prohibited. Good boat launch. Closes Oct. 31. Surface – 24 acres.
Patterson Lake – OPEN. Statewide size/daily limit on trout. Mixed bag of bass, trout and perch. Surface – 143 acres.
Pearrygin Lake – OPEN Apr. 27. Heavily stocked with nice sized fish. All game fish statewide size/daily limit. Good boat launch. Closes Sept. 30. Surface – 192 acres.
To find out how to get to any of the mentioned rivers and lakes, use our fish map to point you in the right direction. The map is free online at www.flyfishersproshop.com or pick up a printed copy at the Flyfishers Pro Shop (located in the lobby of the Mt. Gardner Inn) or at The Carlton General Store. Sign up for this blog and receive the fish report every week click here.
Stop by the fly shop for more information and any equipment needs.
Tight Lines,
Greg Knab
Flyfishers Pro Shop 509-996-2832
www.flyfishersproshop.com
Before you go out fishing check the regulations and have a license and catch card. Call Flyfishers Pro Shop at 509-996-2832 for more information on current conditions.
