Wallowa Lake question.

Wetswinger

Wetswinger

Beneath the surface of the mud, there’s more mud.
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I don’t consider this a hot spot question seeing as it’s so famous. I’ll be staying up on the So. shore next to the state park on the first week in October, with the wife, and would like to try my luck fishing. I won’t have much time to put in a great effort or a boat, but wondered if shore fishing is worth a try. Any info on that or some nearby streams would be greatly appreciated. You can PM me if you would prefer. Thanks, Dan..
 
We had a great presentation from the Grant and Lottie ... the owners of the Minam Store about fishing in the Wallowa/Grande Ronde drainages. I bet if you gave them a call they'd hook you up with the latest intel.
 
I've only been there once, and that was to briefly investigate fish passage options at the outlet. The lake's claim to fame is its landlocked (for many decades now) sockeye/kokanee population. The lake is so rich in scuds that the kokanee achieve the same size as their ocean migrating cousins. I didn't see what looked like good shore fishing opportunity to me, but I only looked at a small part of the shoreline. I agree with Guy and would look into the nearby stream fishing opportunities. All the fishing reports from the area that I've ever seen indicate that small trout are common, with the occasional larger bull trout.
 
Some years ago I stayed at a lakefront lodge on the south end in late October. The Wallowa river enters the lake there. I waded the flats around the river mouth and C&R'd some fish. I don't remember what I used, other than it was attached to a floating line.
 
I too fished the lake at the inlet once. Maybe 8-10 years ago. I drifted a prince nymph in the waning current from the stream and caught quite a few. I was in a boat but I think it would be doable wading from shore. The water was only a few feet deep where I was anchored.
 
It was decades ago when I fished the inlet and the shoreline east of the store. I did quite well with elk hair caddis. But like I said, this was decades ago. I do know they still plant it. I'd give it a try.
 
I always did great around the inlet with small leach patterns on either a floater or intermediate. Boat helps.
 
Healthy population of Macks if that floats your boat. Should be entering realitvely shallow water soon to spawn.
 
I too fished near the inlet near the state park. I did hike my Fat Cat down from the highway down to the lake but fished right around the inlet. Caught a bunch of stocked rainbows around 10-11 inches. It does get very deep quick, so focus on the shoals and the channel from the inlet.
 
Did you see the Wallowa Lake Monster? As a very deep lake it of course also has a monster. .... at least it did. I don't think anyone has claimed to have seen it in a number of decades but it was supposed to be there.
 
I'm been in that area every summer for music camps. Inlet of the lake is a good area. Wallowa river in the canyon can be great. Imnaha river is fairly close and can be good. Also try Kinney Lake which is a little irrigation pond open to public on a locally ranch
 
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