Beautiful Scenery, But Few Fish - 2022/08/11

[Starman77]

Hiked into a small sub-alpine lake that I'm sure you'll recognize if you've been there. The water was crystal clear. At the far end of this log where it looks like it is 10 to 12 feet deep, it is actually 25 feet deep. This little lake is surprisingly deep (the deepest part I found was 105 feet deep). The water temperature was warmer than I expected in the 65 to 67 degree range.

The little tadpoles were crowding the shoreline:



Wildflowers were blooming, like this Meadowsweet (Spiraea):



Or this Tall Larkspur (delphinium):



Unfortunately, the fish were scarce. In 5 hours of fishing I only saw one fish rise and only spotted one fish on my fish finder. Landed one 13 inch rainbow and lost another two fish about the same size that jumped and flipped the hook. At least I didn't get skunked, but the catching was disappointing. Only two other fishermen there, shore guys fishing gear, but they didn't catch anything.

Still, the scenery alone was worth the hike. Even had some peek-a-boo views of the mountain while on the trail:



Rex

 

[Cowlitz Bottomfeeder]

View attachment 27252

Hiked into a small sub-alpine lake that I'm sure you'll recognize if you've been there. The water was crystal clear. At the far end of this log where it looks like it is 10 to 12 feet deep, it is actually 25 feet deep. This little lake is surprisingly deep (the deepest part I found was 105 feet deep). The water temperature was warmer than I expected in the 65 to 67 degree range.

The little tadpoles were crowding the shoreline:

View attachment 27253

Wildflowers were blooming, like this Meadowsweet (Spiraea):

View attachment 27254

Or this Tall Larkspur (delphinium):

View attachment 27255

Unfortunately, the fish were scarce. In 5 hours of fishing I only saw one fish rise and only spotted one fish on my fish finder. Landed one 13 inch rainbow and lost another two fish about the same size that jumped and flipped the hook. At least I didn't get skunked, but the catching was disappointing. Only two other fishermen there, shore guys fishing gear, but they didn't catch anything.

Still, the scenery alone was worth the hike. Even had some peek-a-boo views of the mountain while on the trail:

View attachment 27258

Rex

It’s all about fertility and food production. If the water is crystal clear, there’s no algae or microorganisms to fuel the food chain and grow insects and smaller fish which feed the big fish. That’s why eastern Washington waters are generally more productive than western Washington waters and that’s why the fish developed a strategy of going to the ocean to find food. One tool to help locate productive waters is to research the geology of the state and see where there are formations containing calcium. Look for limestone caves and sinkholes. Find the food, find the fish.

 

[Peach]

Do trout feed on tadpoles? I have never seen a tadpole fly pattern, nor have I ever heard fly fisherman ever discuss them a food source. I have seen similiar types of large pods of tadpoles like the one you took a picture of in some of my high mountain lakes I like to fish. I know they are close to shore but it would seem like trout can target them in the shallows as a food source as well.

Peach

 

[Starman77]

Do trout feed on tadpoles? I have never seen a tadpole fly pattern, nor have I ever heard fly fisherman ever discuss them a food source. I have seen similiar types of large pods of tadpoles like the one you took a picture of in some of my high mountain lakes I like to fish. I know they are close to shore but it would seem like trout can target them in the shallows as a food source as well.

Peach

I've seen some of those small tadpoles swimming out over deeper water in some of the BC high elevation lakes, but have never seen a trout go for them. I've also never seen a tadpole in a trout's stomach. Maybe the tadpoles don't taste good or maybe they have toxins in their skin? However, some fly fishermen claim that the trout do eat the tadpoles, so who knows?

 

[Bambooflyguy]

Just one time I witnessed rainbows attacking tadpoles in the shallows.....it looked like sea runs or rezzies slashing at sand lance emerging from the gravel! Quite the show!

 

[Peach]

Just seems to me like tadpoles would be a plentiful food source during the "hatch" that they could gorge themselves on if they take the risk of getting that shallow or close to shore - which is large risk for trout.

 

[Peyton00]

I fished that lake for about 25 yrs.
I miss her, she is a beauty.