Guide to Washington Stillwaters
Washington state is a dreamscape for dedicated stillwater anglers—it hosts more than 8,000 lakes and many of those, including dozens in the Omak area, are managed by progressive regulations. Due to that, these lakes provide excellent trout fishing and many cases, the opportunity to take large fish.
The following Top-10 list—as chosen by the staff at the North 40 Fly Shop, Omak—should read like a lifetime hit-list. Fishing any of these waters could lead to the best day of your life, and we hope these brief descriptions inspire you to visit one or more of these placid, fishy places when the ice breaks up.
But . . . first a disclaimer: There are great fishing waters sprinkled around the region, including many in western Washington. Our Top-10 list should only be considered a starting point. In addition, we’ve highlighted 10 lakes that are pretty well set in the stillwater angler’s mindset. In other words, we’re not giving away secrets here. You can read more about these waters in books and online. But best, feel free to visit us at North 40 Fly Shop, Omak and we’ll get you headed in the right direction, with the right gear and flies.
1. Chopaka
As the dearly departed voice of college football, Keith Jackson, might say, Lake Chopaka is “the granddaddy of them all.” Jackson would know; he went to Washington State University and surely would have said, “Oh, Nelly” when fishing for those Chopaka ‘bows. Chopaka’s thick and acrobatic rainbows, which are eager to shred flies, are legendary. And the great hatches to match here are no secret either. That’s why this lake can be crowded with anglers and finding a campsite near the shore is sometimes impossible.
Although there is a campground along the west bank of the lake, that includes a small boat launch, late arriving folks may want to scout other campgrounds in the area or even hotels in the nearby towns of Loomis and Oroville. Both of these towns make a comfortable home base for exploring Chopaka and a number of other regional fly-fishing attractions.
The best time to fish Chopaka is as soon as you can get there. Meaning, sometimes you can’t get there due to snowbanks on the access road leading to the lake. Last year was a heavy snow year and many anglers were turned away. But, a small crew of diehards made it their mission to snowshoe in and found open water and excellent fishing. Of course, it wasn’t long until the trail was broken in and the rest of the crew arrived. Like any other year, Chopaka fished like a champ last year, earning its place as the number one stillwater in Washington.
Chopaka typically fishes well all season long, even during the middle of summer when the occasional two-foot long rainbow is snared from the cold-water depths, on trolled leeches or buggers down to 80 feet. But the lion’s share of skirmishes happen in the shallows with Chopaka’s 15-inchers. This is when Callibaetis mayflies and blue damselflies emerge and the fish really key on them.
During these free-for-alls some anglers report 10, 20, even 30-fish days. Meanwhile, boxes full of mayfly imposters will roll off picnic bench production lines as innovative fly tiers put forth their latest versions of the #16 Chopaka May, which is a longstanding go-to fly on this lake. After summer peaks, there is a brief interlude. Then things pick up again when the first light frost hits this approximately 3,000-foot high basin. This is the time to break out the terrestrials and huck them along the shoreline. In September, a #8-10 grasshopper along the shoreline works great and gets the same kind of strikes that a #12 dry blue damsel garners in June and July.
Of course, Chopaka is managed by fly-fishing only regulations and motors aren’t allowed, including electric motors. There is a one-fish limit of any size and fishing begins the fourth Saturday in April. It carries on strong through October.
2. Blue
Blue Lake, or Sinlahekin Blue as it is sometimes called, offers a variety of hatches, a variety of large fish, and its idyllic setting is the bejeweled, Sinlahekin Valley.
Nestled near the top end of a chain of lakes extending the length of the valley, Blue is a stillwater stalwart for fly-fishers seeking a great nature experience. Camping lakeside is available up and down the three pools that comprise this fishery. No homes exist along its shores and wildlife abounds in the surrounding Sinlahekin Wildlife Area
Blue Lake sits at a relatively low elevation (1,600 feet) and hosts anglers from opening day on through the season. Often Blue is the fallback destination for woeful Chopaka-bound anglers who were unable to navigate the long, narrow road to that lake. Some years, Blue can be slow to start if a plethora of cold water is still pouring in from area creeks, which raises the water level and effects visibility. When this is the case, the southern two (shallowest) pools may be probed first. Usually by May, Blue is underway and it only gets better in summer and fall.
There are some really nice fish to be found at Blue. Brown trout make an appearance in fairly significant numbers, along with the predominant rainbows. This past spring we were incredulous at one angler’s photo of a 24-inch brown, caught while “speed trolling” his electric motored pram. According to him, the faster he drove his boat, the more trout he caught. Odd but we bought his story.
Tiger trout are reportedly becoming a larger part of the puzzle at Blue. A hybrid of brown and brook trout, the tiger trout makes for challenging fishing due to its size and selective appetite. Going forward, it will be interesting to see how the tigers mesh with the rainbows and browns.
One fish of any size may be kept at Blue, as long as it is caught using selective gear and non-leaded lures and flies—no bait allowed. The season extends from the last weekend in April all the way through October when many anglers specifically target brown trout.
Blue’s rainbows and browns fall for leeches and buggers all season. Chironomids are used early and late in the year, and mayfly imitations can be useful in June. Water boatmen (backswimmers) are also a key food source and should be sunken in shallow-to moderate depth water, then jerked back to the surface in erratic strips.
Our favorite hatch at Blue, however, is the flying ant hatch that drives trout mad (and anglers, too, if they don’t have flies to match those ants). One can expect these bugs to come off by July, so if you’re at the lake from May on, be ready with a few Hi-Vis Ants or a variety of Galloup’s Ant-Acids #12-#16. If you see fish slurping something off the surface, chuck that ant out there with a bit of floatant and hang on.
3. Aeneas
Arenas kind of looks like a mud hole, but it surprises with some very healthy rainbow and brown trout.
That’s probably why the Okanogan County Fly Fishing Club has scheduled its first outing of the year at Aeneas for as long as anyone can remember. And since the club was chartered in the 1940s, that’s a long time. This has always been a pretty safe bet because the lake sits at a relatively low 1,300 feet elevation and covers 60 acres. Also, its water warms sooner than many other regional stillwaters and that gets its hatches off to an early start.
Not only is early season fly-fishing worthwhile here, but Aeneas fishes well deep into summer, perhaps because its maximum 60 foot depth harbors trout so well. Some may even say that summer (as long as it’s not too hot) is the best time to be on the lake. By July the crowds diminish and the sometimes relentless spring winds do too.
Most Aeneas rainbows have grown to over a foot to a foot-and-a half by the time anglers target them. The browns and (now) tiger trout are a tad bigger, stretching to 16 inches on average.
Fly-fishing brethren enjoy their own dedicated fishery at Aeneas. Also, non-motorized regulations keep it quiet and you can often hear reels singing. Although the state permits a take-home limit of one trout any size, most folks catch-and-release until the cows come home.
When fishing Aeneas, your toolbox need not be overfilled. Leeches and chironomids are widely used throughout the season. Many anglers stick with these two flies when the weather gets hot. However, some adjust their depths, even switching to sinking lines that allow one to almost jig directly below a pram, boat or float-tube.
Mayflies and especially damselflies make an appearance at Aeneas, too, Having a selection of nymphs, just in case, is a wise backup plan. A Hare’s Ear and a Pheasant Tail in sizes #12-16, weighted and unweighted, plus a few #12 damsel nymphs, cover the bases. A scud brings smiles when all else fails.
4. Omak
Omak Lake is an iconic fishery, unique in most any way an angler might imagine—truly a regional classic. More sight-fishing than you can do at other Lahontan cutthroat waters, such as Pyramid, Lake Lenore, or Grimes Lake, put together. Omak will make your eyes bulge. Like the unusual balanced rock at its south end, Omak towers over all of Washington’s Lahontan cutthroat lakes, tipping the scales with the state-record cutthroat of 17-plus pounds.
Omak sits about eight miles southeast of Omak. It’s 3,300 acres and 300 feet deep in places. Native American legends of sea monsters in this majestic stillwater could almost be believed. Its uninhabited shorelines are a joy to roam and the wildlife viewing is excellent.
Omak can be fly-fished literally any month of the year. However, there are some peaks in the fishing , starting in mid-March with a spike in April and May. At that time Omak’s Lahontan cutthroat come right up to the beaches. Depending on the winds and the sunlight, the fish can be seen easily by any beachgoer. Of course, this also means that they can see you. So, during these episodes, if you intend to hook one of these beauties, make sure that you see them before they see you. That means you have to use stealth when approaching them and you have to watch your shadow—if it crosses a fish they’ll take off for deep water.
Early on in their beach trekking routine, they don’t spook easily but by mid-April they are edgy. We’ve found that making one’s profile smaller, as in ducking down when fish are approaching, can make your presentation more successful. And wading at this juncture is patently unwise. If using sinking lines or flies, you can anticipate fish approaching and place your fly ahead of the fish. You can impart action when the fish nears, meaning when the moment is right, you can twitch and strip, and the chase is on.
Average fish in this lake are considered trophies in just about any other. If you haven’t broken the 20-inch mark while landing a dozen fish, well, it’s just not your day. As already mentioned, these trout can weigh 10 pounds or more, so be careful not to downsize your tippet too drastically. Omak cutts are large and sharp-toothed predators that can break you off with ease. Think 2X and 3X instead of the standard 4X or 5X.
Omak is managed by a catch-and-release season that runs April through June. The rest of the year selective gear is required and bait is forbidden. A reservation license is required to fish Omak. When purchasing your Colville Tribal Permit, be sure to retain the rules pamphlet, as it contains a map detailing beaches, bays and accesses that are open to non-tribal members.
When fishing Omak make sure to fill your boxes with a few rows of minnows. Keith Roe, an avid fly tier and North 40 Omak Fly Shop manager, ties dozens of “LC Minnows” every spring and fall to satisfy local anglers trying to match baitfish. A minnow pattern approximately two-inches long, with large eyes, that acts like a lost or injured chub is often irresistible.
When minnows aren’t doing the trick, a number of other flies will. In fact, Omak’s Lahontans have been known to eat just about anything from a chironomid to a Carp Breakfast. San Juan Worms, damsel nymphs and buggers (oh the buggers) are all functional on these fish. In fact, buggers are often all you need when the cutts are really biting. Recently, anglers have dangled a Balanced Leech under an indicator just beyond the color change. Coupled with a slow, twitching retrieve, this method can make the deal when, otherwise, the fish have seemingly contracted lock-jaw.
5. McGinnis
Second in size only to Montana’s Blackfoot Reservation, the Colville Confederation of Tribes hosts a bevy of fly-fishing lakes across its multi-million acre reservation. Atop one high plateau within the reservation, just east of Nespelem, is a collection of fine stillwaters: Buffalo, Rebecca and McGinnis lakes. The first two feature some of the best bass and rainbow fishing in the state; the last is the most valuable for fly-fishers.
Not only is McGinnis primed for fishing on the fly, but the lake features brook trout exclusively—the only lake boasting this species that makes our list. McGinnis’ brookies are wonderful fish. They’re strong, take flies willingly, and in the fall, during the spawn, they are as colorful as any fish in the state. These brookies also enjoy a healthy ecosystem and grow to sizable proportions, with an average fish measuring about 14 inches, and the toads to 18-inches plus.
At 2,400 feet in elevation, and 118 acres in size, McGinnis starts a little slow early in its season, which begins mid-April and lasts through October. But by May, McGinnis is in full swing and its brook trout hit attractor dries, such as Royal Coachmans and orange Humpies. Later in the season, fish go deeper. That’s when booby-eyed leeches, suspended off the bottom, take feeding fish.
As fall settles onto the reservation, male brook trout become even more colorful as they move into shallow water, heeding the urge to spawn. This is a great time to fish a scud or a water boatman. These and other nymphs, slowly retrieved along the shoals at the north end of the lake, take colorful fall fish.
6. Rat
Rat lake is located just outside Brewster, and has leapfrogged a number of lakes in recent years, which is why it’s in our Top 10 list. Rat, perhaps short for Rattlesnake, has a number of slithering creatures around its banks (watch your step), but the numbers of worthy fish make the lake a bonafide destination despite the risk. Rat covers 62 acres and welcomes anglers with an improved boat launch at its south end.
Resting in a beautiful valley, Rat is a great day-tripping lake due to its proximity to Highway 97 and its cooperative fish. Best times to hit the lake are spring and fall, considering that the lake is fairly low at 1,670 feet of elevation. Rat is part of a short list that provides year-round opportunity. So, depending on the ice, or lack thereof, anglers can chase fish with flies at this lake most of the year.
Speaking of the fish: Rat’s rainbows do not disappoint. The lake grows thick-shouldered, feisty trout that do not come to hand easily. In addition, the state plants fingerling brown trout, and if anglers are to be believed, many browns have grown to impressive size in Rat.
Catch-and-release regulations are in place from April 1 through November 30. At other times of the year a five-fish limit prevails, which keeps the fish population in check and feed abundant for the remaining fish.
Once spring has sprung, predatory fish charge Balanced Leeches and Seal Buggers, in a variety of colors. Rat isn’t known as a chironomid fishery although we would still recommend trying a Bomber just to check for interest. Nor, is the lake known as a match-the-hatch fishery—instead of dry flies, damselfly nymphs are preferred throughout the warmer months. When, September and October arrive, leeches, buggers and water boatmen, stripped off of intermediate and fast sinking lines, are the best rigs.
7. Long
If you’re looking for seclusion in a wild and gorgeous fly-fishing locale, look no further than Long Lake, which is located near the frontier town of Republic. Long is known for a serene Forest Service campground and for its dry-fly scarfing westslope cutthroat trout.
Though we’re told Long has become popular with families and reunions during the summer, you’re likely to have all 13 acres to yourself during fall—when its fish are at their hungriest for top-water flies. At 3,220 feet of elevation and 56 feet deep, it takes a while for Long to warm up at the beginning of the season, meaning spring. Therefore, it might not be the place to be on the spring opener, which falls on the fourth Saturday in April each year.
Make no mistake that the westslope cutthroat in Long are a sight to behold. With golden-olive coloration, red sashed gills, and heavy spotting near the tail, these fish delight. Due to Long’s ample depth and food sources, the fish grow well here, with many running into the 15-inch range. There are tales of very long-lived and well fed cutts that have broken tippets and surprised unwary anglers, so be ready with heavier leaders when fishing deep.
Long is non-motorized, so bring your fins and oars to explore both ends of the lake. It is also one of the few fly-fishing-only lakes in the state, with a twist—flies must be non-leaded. Lead is prohibited to protect loons that feed in these waters. This shouldn’t be a problem during the best months when most anglers are floating unweighted dry flies over its eager cutthroat anyway. And, if you're a fan of pan-fried mountain trout, Long is a great place to practice your culinary skills with a generous limit of five fish per day.
A variety of dries work at long, including the old standbys, such as an Elk Hair Caddis and a Royal Wulff. Parachute Adams’, Humpies, and other general attractors take fish, too. Once you’ve torn up a few dry flies on voracious cutts and you’d like to probe the lake’s depths, head out from the shallow shoals at the ends of the lake and work the drop-offs. Here there may be large trout taking nymphs off sinking and sink-tip lines. A good probing fly to try here might be a Seal Bugger or a Flashback Nymph. Just keep them non-leaded, incorporating brass or perhaps glass beads to get them down. Or try using unweighted wet flies like a standard Hare’s Ear and rely on your sinking line to get those flies down to the big guys.
8. Big Twin
A refilling aquifer and meticulous management have put Big Twin Lake on the mend and back on the angler’s radar.
Big Twin and its little sister Little Twin sit together in a bowl in the Methow Valley, just outside the cowboy town of Winthrop. This makes the lake a popular destination for folks on vacation in this wonderful recreation area.
Access to Big Twin is simple—a state-run boat ramp at the south end, and a private resort with boat facilities at the north, provide two solid launching options. Rainbow trout are the attraction at Big Twin and anglers have long considered it a standby for weighty trout pushing into the lower 20-inch range. Most are 12-to 18 inches and are eager to please by the general statewide opener, which is when Big Twin opens.
In our experience, Big Twin has hung around a little further into the summer than other lakes that rest below 2,500 feet elevation. This makes it a candidate for excellent damselfly fishing, with wets and dries. As many anglers attest, there is almost nothing better than watching a trout inhale a blue or olive dry damselfly. Not only does this happen at Big Twin, but its eager trout smash dragonfly nymphs too.
Happily, the lake usually fishes well into the fall, when mayfly hatches reappear in smaller and smaller sizes. The trout are no less eager and are seen rising all evening while mayfly spinners fall to the surface.
Anglers running selective gear (single, barbless hooks) can retain one trout of any size from Big Twin during its season, which ends on Halloween. Some favorite early season Big Twin patterns to help make that frying pan crackle are Rowley’s Clearwater Pupae #12-16 in black or olive, as well as Chan’s Chironomid Bomber #12-14 in various black/contrasting rib color combinations.
Later in the season, to cover the plentiful damselfly hatches, we’ll run the Parachute Foam Damsel #10-12 as well as the CDC Adult Damsel for topwater action. When getting down with sinking lines, the Killer Kiwi and the Slimfast damsels get it done. We’re also running the Rowley’s Dragon #6-8 in olive for large fish.This floating, booby-eyed pattern fishes off a full-sinking line with a longish leader and can scare up the real toad trout when retrieved slowly in Big Twin’s medium depths.
9. Dry Falls Lake
What could be better than landing a 20-inch German brown at the base of an ancient 400-foot tall desert waterfall? Answer: following it up with a 20-inch tiger trout. Or even an average size rainbow of 14 inches, the standard for this Grant County lake.
Located near Coulee City, in Sun Lakes State Park, Dry Falls is a testament to the magnitude of the ice age flooding that scalloped out huge swaths of Eastern Washington and ultimately gave anglers so many awesome stillwaters. At one time more water flowed over Dry Falls than currently flows in all of earth’s rivers combined. Today the lake stands at 88 acres and sits 1,510 feet above sea level.
The shape of Dry Falls can best be described as an ink splotch—with islands and protruding peninsulas scattered throughout. Most anglers haul pontoon boats and small prams to the launch areas situated along the south shoreline. However, if you prefer to fish from shore you can sight fish to cruising trout, but be careful—any step could be contested by a rattlesnake. As the lake level can become low late in the season during some years, we recommend that you hit Dry Falls in the spring, before the desert sun becomes too much to bear.
One of Dry Falls’ biggest attractions is an early opening date—almost a month before the general opener. As spring and early summer progress, Dry Falls becomes a haven for fly fishers enjoying the one-fish retention and selective gear rules. Then, the heatwaves hit and most angling is put on hold until fall. In addition to an early opener, Dry Falls also stays open a month longer than most other lakes in the state, not closing until November 1. This allows anglers a solid shot at some big, well fed trout as the water cools. By that time, the weeds have receded and anglers can fish the entire lake.
Early in the season, meaning all of April, chironomids are a good call, as other aquatic insects haven’t arrived yet, and the trout key on that diminutive bug. Eventually, damselfly imitations, especially nymphs, become your bread-and-butter flies at Dry Falls. Remember, though, these trout aren’t dumb and you may need to go small to entice a strike, perhaps with midge pupae down to a size 18. Though picky, large fish can sometimes be suckers for a really huge meal so, also bring along your articulated fly selection. Fast stripping big articulated streamers on sinking lines can be a blast at Dry Falls, especially at dusk. So can popping a mouse imitation on the surface along the shoreline near structure. Tie it on a decent tippet, say 3X minimum, and hang on.
10. Green Lakes
Green and Little Green lakes, which are located just off the Conconully Highway in Okanogan County, are a year-round rodeo ground for rainbow wrangling. Although a few misguided “bucket biologists” attempted to start up a bass fishery a couple years back, fish managers have now regained the upper hand, and trout fishing is again excellent.
Green (45 acres) and Little Green (10 acres) are nestled one after another in a fjord-like canyon, at relatively low elevation (1,560 feet). These scenic lakes are open year-round and are among the fist lakes to explore during ice off in eastern Washington.
Though these Green lakes are open for bait fishing during the ice-fishing season, they shift to catch-and-release, selective regulations (single, barbless hooks, no bait) on March 1. If there is any open water, anglers in the know can be found wading along the shoreline, during one of the numerous early season midge hatches.
“Early” is the key word when concerning these lakes. As the summer progresses, the water becomes a tad warm for good trout fishing. And, these lakes are taken over by ski boats and the accompanying crew. But early on, hard-fighting carryovers in the 15-16-inch range, as well as the 10-11-inch class, really attack flies. Later, during mayfly and flying ant hatches, the water is pock-marked with rising fish, and even sight-fishing to cruisers becomes a possibility.
In fact, in our humble opinion, the Greens are probably the best place in the state to take beginning fly casters and have a reasonable expectation of hitching onto a rainbow.
Some of the flies to fling at the Greens include the Parachute Adams, Purple Haze and the Hi-Vis Flying Ant in black. Best nymphs include chironomids, such as Rowley’s Sno-Cones in various colors. Also, Rickard’s Stillwater Nymph in olive, or his Callibaetis nymph, work well off of-full sinking lines, slowly stripped near the bottom over shelves and along drop-offs at the north end of the lake. Matching the hatch at the Greens doesn’t seem so important as at other waters so don’t rule out attractor patterns, such as the Carey Special or the Bloody Mary. Both have worked well at these lakes.
Well, it’s already time to hitch up the pram and get on the road. We hope you find this Guide to Washington’s Stillwaters helpful and inspiring. And please don’t hesitate to send us your feedback on these lakes after your next trip. Good luck and best of fishing to you, from all of us at the North 40 Fly Shop, Omak.