Intel for Chopaka

[Dave Boyle]

Sorry if this annoys anyone but tired of zipperlips on very well known lakes and so I’ve an ask. I’m off for an annual group spring trip to Chopaka in just over a week. Would love to get a note on here or via a pm re how the fish are for this yr, water level, and so on.

Last yr was mad with really huge chironomid hatches most days or even nights…, big rolling balls of adults like tumbleweed kinda nulling the mayflies that quickly flew off in the sun, dry winds BUT very good sized fish; if you could fool them.

This year we’re joking at early high temps meaning damsels where once there were mayflies.

Info appreciated. Re PMs, what goes around, comes around back just to you.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[M_D]

Have fun!

I’ll be a wee bit east of there for an annual gathering that’s been going for decades. Can’t wait.

I haven’t been up to Chopaka in years….

is the road still a hoot?

 

[Dave Boyle]

Hmmm…was not expecting zipper lips writ large. I guess the road in is washed out, the weather and fishing is crap with many big grizzlies prowling in the campsite slots…if you can get one and many raging log truckers steaming down the grade.

I am obviously naive or possibly stupid to think that some PNWF members in the know think this is super secret stuff. I’m going regardless and have been many time's and with buds who’ve been going for 30+ yrs, we know what we’re doing.

Simply put, some recent intel could be helpful but I’m sure I’ll get a camp spot, fish, get blown off the loch on a day or two, meet some great folks, and have a super time while I’m there as always. I’ll post a report.

Dave

 

[Matt B]

Hmmm…was not expecting zipper lips writ large. I guess the road in is washed out, the weather and fishing is crap with many big grizzlies prowling in the campsite slots…if you can get one and many raging log truckers steaming down the grade.

I am obviously naive or possibly stupid to think that some PNWF members in the know think this is super secret stuff. I’m going regardless and have been many time's and with buds who’ve been going for 30+ yrs, we know what we’re doing.

Simply put, some recent intel could be helpful but I’m sure I’ll get a camp spot, fish, get blown off the loch on a day or two, meet some great folks, and have a super time while I’m there as always. I’ll post a report.

Dave

Maybe nobody here has been? We aren’t that big of a group here.

 

[Stonedfish]

I’d help you Dave if I had recent intel but unfortunately I haven’t there in close to 40 years.
SF

 

[Dave Boyle]

It’s always packed at the opening time but I thank you both for your responses. I was just thinking the constant ‘name no lake’ mantra is a bit misconstrued for a lake that is so, so well known for spring fishing and mayflies or damsels or chironomods or sedges or hoppers or rattlesnakes or more as one moves to summer…

But there are quite a few Eastern WA folks I’ve met there who fish it and maybe they are not on here, TBH I’ve never asked while shooting the breeze with them on the loch or at camp.

Dave

 

[Greg Armstrong]

Drive an old VW bus up the road the night before with the wife and two little kids. Find a semi level spot to camp for the night. Row out to the far shore the next morning and watch for cruising trout, toss a traditionally tied size 14 Adams dry and watch it swim up lazily and gulp it in. That’s my latest intel from around 35 years ago. It was easy fishing.
Thanks for prodding the memory... looking forward to your report!

 

[Mossback]

Well between the samsquanch sitings, marauding packs of tick infested wolves, and the satanic sacrifices in the evenings it's been an interesting start to the season. Canadians have overrun the place, the stench of maple syrup is present most mornings, the bacon looks funny and 'eh' is heard more often then 'yeah'.
Atlantic Salmon fishing has been poor however.

 

[dbaken]

I think the motivation for not naming well know lakes isn't really about being zipper lip. Some of it is having fun with names. When Steve says arid cataract lake or I say tall bird meadow lake in Central Oregon, I'm sure 95 percent of people on here know what lake we are talking about. It's fun to make up alternate names. But probably the really reason is to stick it to Google. Just one less thing to come up when someone search the lake name. Suck it Zuckerberg!

I've never gotten the impression people on here fish Chopoka a lot. Seem like a once a year trip for those who do, after the lower level lakes warm up. Seems likely none of the regular posters have been there yet this year as it is still early May

 

[Dave Boyle]

Thanks, you make a very fair point re it being early in the season and yeah, I’m one of them who go once a yr for the early chironomid and mayfly if they come off. It is slow right now but fish are healthy.

Dave

 

[Salmo_g]

I like to go the week of Mother's Day, and planned to this week. But my schedule got complicated, so now I'm planning to fish a bit closer to home. I may go in June, which is traditionally good for damselflies and chironomids. I haven't organized that trip completely yet.

 

[Dave Boyle]

I like to go the week of Mother's Day, and planned to this week. But my schedule got complicated, so now I'm planning to fish a bit closer to home. I may go in June, which is traditionally good for damselflies and chironomids. I haven't organized that trip completely yet.

There may be travelling sedges by then too in the evening. Serious fun fishing.

Dave

 

[troutpocket]

I’ve never been to Chopaka. But why would I when LENICETM is right out my backyard.

LENICETM is a WDFW PRESTIGE BRAND

 

[Salmo_g]

I’ve never been to Chopaka. But why would I when LENICETM is right out my backyard.

LENICETM is a WDFW PRESTIGE BRAND

Well, the first reason that comes to mind is that Chopaka doesn't usually get the VANTAGE WIND. Sure, I've had windy days at Chopaka where I didn't go out on the water for a while, but I've had more Lenice trips in May ruined by VANTAGE WIND than not. Second, Lenice is a walk in lake meaning carrying a float tube and less gear, or having some kind of dolly to cart in a fully rigged pram. But yeah, I'd fish Chopaka more often if it wasn't an 8-hour drive from home. (3 1/2 to Lenice I think.)

 

[Dloy]

No current intelligence here. We used to go the week after Mothers Day but haven’t been back in a long time. Vaguely recollect that it was chilly and the fishing mediocre, that particular day.
What I do remember well is the cold leisurely beer or two at the stop sign, bottom of the grade. You see I’d been literally standing on the brake pedal for the last third, the car barely slowing to a stop at the bottom. Yep, a really good beer, brakes going tick tick tick tick.

 

[Dave Boyle]

No current intelligence here. We used to go the week after Mothers Day but haven’t been back in a long time. Vaguely recollect that it was chilly and the fishing mediocre, that particular day.
What I do remember well is the cold leisurely beer or two at the stop sign, bottom of the grade. You see I’d been literally standing on the brake pedal for the last third, the car barely slowing to a stop at the bottom. Yep, a really good beer, brakes going tick tick tick tick.

I go down in 1st now to avoid that but been there, there is nothing like the smell of hot brakes in the morning…

Dave

 

[Dloy]

This was a Jeep Cherokee with an automatic. I did go easy on the brakes on the top half. Today I’d maybe stop for a few minutes once or twice on the way down. Never had brake trouble in that car before or after this event.

 

[Guy Gregory]

Well, just generally, the Okanogan and North Cascades finished a bit light on snowpack, so you should expect lake levels to be a bit lower than normal. Out this-a-way, our lake levels are pretty good relative to the last few years thanks to an excellent recharge winter.

 

[tombraider]

Never been but was told it had a bigger than normal winter kill ? Same with some others, I don't know but headed east for a spell to see.

 

[Dave Boyle]

Last yr was as bad one apparently but have not heard from 2025, TBH it was a very mild winter and a lot of the climatic things in Fall of 2023 didn’t happen the same way. A lot of BC lakes incl Roche got hit bad last yr.

Dave