Lake trout and walleye

J

justme2024

Steelhead
Curious if anyone has any experience fishing Odell Lake for lake trout or Dexter Reservoir/Middle Fork Willamette for walleye? Or just for those species generally. They are both fish I'd like to try catching on the fly but feel super out of my depth in terms of knowing how to fly fish for them. My general thought was to go find inlets and strip streamers during winter/early spring and see if I connect with anything, but if anyone has better advice about targeting these species I would love to learn.
 
I have never fished for lake trout at Odell, but you are on the right track. You need to be there when they are in the shallows, you will still want a sinking line.
My experience is big mostly white streamers, but pink, blue and chartreuse also do well. Tie up a Kokanee and good luck.
 
I tried years ago in November at Crescent Lake. No grabs for me, but my buddy landed one over 15 lbs. Fishing super deep with a big streamer. Fall/early winter right by the Odell Lake Lodge is a possibility.

Caught some small lakers at Cultus in the spring so that's another possibility.
 
Snopro said:
Odell closes Oct 31st and before the Spawn. Crescent is open year round.
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An important detail, thank you. Always curious about this closure...why would they care? I reckon' they are trying to protect the spawners or maybe it has something to do with the bull trout...dunno.

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I would try Odell just after ice out for lake trout. They should be in the semi shallows to mid deepwater hunting for food and lots of food during early morning and evening hours. Kokanee and whitefish patterns (especially whitefish patterns in the 8"-16" range) thinking musky flies on a heavy sink line about 2 foot off the bottom. For walleye think Lowell Res. upper end (where the river enters the lake upper end is- ODFW will deny any of this) soft water next to the main channel on the bottom when the juvenile fish migrate down into the lake.
 
20 years ago I had the opportunity to fish some laker waters in western Wyoming at ice out. I targeted inlets and had success with moderately sized white streamers and a fast sinking line. I was fishing from a water master raft and working the dropoff. My little streamers in size 4 caught fish up to 22” or so. They pull pretty hard on a 6 weight.
 
It is my opinion based on a couple of thousand lake trout on Lake Superior, Yellowstone lake, Palisades Reservoir in Idaho. and inland MN lakes that lake trout are not deep water fish by nature. They have a preferred temperature range of about 45-54 degrees F and a combination of these temperatures and a food source is where they will be. The vast majority of lake trout I have caught were within 10 feet of the surface- either over deep water or in shallows near where warmer river water enters in the spring when lake waters are too cold for their comfort. If the water is too cold or too warm then they tend to go deep. They are also quite light sensitive and fishing is best early and late like many fish. Most times a fly or lure 3 or 4 inches long is adequate for modest sized lakers of under 10 pounds. They may be shallow when they spawn but also spawn in very deep water if that is where the good gravel is.
 
surf12foot said:
I would try Odell just after ice out for lake trout.
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How often does Odell even freeze? Hitting the 4/22 opener is a good idea. The Macs haven't been targeted for almost 6 months.

Justme, if you want walleye hit the Columbia in June. Probably a more target rich environment than Dexter. Outside edge of weed beds in about 10' of water. Sculpin or smolt pattern.
 
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