Eastern Washington Fishing Report 03.21.19
Omak Lake (WA)
Day by day it keeps getting better. Even though the Lahontan cutthroats are not cruising in the larger pods, they are still there. On a good, day right now, a couple of hours of fishing can land you about six to 12 fish. Most are still in the 16 to 20 inches size range, but a few larger ones are starting to show up.
Springtime as finally showed up with sunny and warmer days. The downside to these nice sunny days is it can slow fishing down a bit. One of the good things about Omak Lake is that most of the time you get some type of a breeze that can ruffle up the surface. It’s just enough to hide the silhouette of the fish from any predatory eyes from above.
Fishing close to the bottom in 10 to 15 feet of water is going to be your best chance at finding a number of these hungry fish. The closer to next month we get, the more aggressive these fish become as they start gearing up for the springtime spawn. Before you ask, no, there is not any place where they can spawn. Some will attempt to shore spawn with little to no success. The Colville Tribes Fish and Wildlife Department does a vigorous stocking program for the lake. So on to where, what and when.
Two Main Shore Locations
Nicholson Beach and Cowpie Beach are your main two shore locations to fish from. Casting out to and beyond the drop off is what you want to do. If you have a powerboat, you can launch at Nicholson Beach and look for waters that are holding fish in areas of the lake that no shore angler can access. This is where your electronics will become important. Keep an eye on the screen to find where and at what depth the fish are holding in.
When I fish from shore, I take two rods with me. One is rigged up with an indicator, so I can hang a balanced leech or chironomid under. Also, a balanced minnow is a top choice to start off with. I would start off your set depth at five feet than keep increasing it until you find the depth the fish are holding at. If you come into the shop and ask me what's working under an indicator, I'm going to show you which of my top producers work for me, such as the TFP balanced squirrel leech in black or purple and Rowley’s balanced black CBO leech.
Next, something new this year, that is starting to prove itself, is the Rowley’s balanced bait fish. For chironomids, I use a black and red, or the Frostbite both in a size 12. So, the other rod that I bring with me is lined up with either a type 3 sink tip, or I have a full intermediate line on. Streamers and buggers of a few different styles are what you will need. You’ll want to use purple, white, or black crystal buggers in #10 or #8. Also, streamers such as the epoxy minnow, deadly shiner, and sculpzilla are some of my go-to streamers for the lake. All I can say is, it’s only going to get better day by day.
Ice Off
Spring has finally arrived. Daytime temperatures have been in the high 50’s and low 60’s. Nighttime temperatures are still holding a little under that 33-degree mark. Ice off is coming, and it’s just going to take a couple of more weeks. There is a lot of ice to melt on most of our area lakes but melt it will. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed and make sure all of our flies are tied and gear is ready when the lakes have open water.
See past reports from the Omak region, or click here to view all northwest regional reports.