TROUT LAKES OF THE NORTHERN PEND OREILLE VALLEY

By Mike Wright

Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho are blessed with a wide variety of smaller lakes that can provide some excellent fishing during the summer. A number of these stillwaters can be easily accessed by road and do not require a great deal of hiking to reach them. Ordinarily these lakes would have heated up by July and August and the best spots would now be in the higher elevations and might involve a fair amount of hiking to reach them. However, this spring was far from normal, with record-setting snow, rain and colder temperatures slowing how fast lakes warmed as well as weed growth, thus improving the fishing conditions in most of these lower elevation lakes. This is particularly true of those near Ione and Metaline Falls, on the Pend Oreille River. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has a rather generous stocking program in these waters and most of the lakes are rather fertile and have some very favorable growth rates.

ONE EXCELLENT EXAMPLE of this would be

Big Meadow Lake, just 7 miles west of Ione on Meadow Creek Road. Big Meadow receives an annual spring stocking of approximately 12,000 rainbow fingerlings, which grow rapidly to reach an average length of 10 to 16 inches.

As the name implies, the lake is located on a rather large meadow on Smackout Pass. It opens for fishing the fourth Saturday of April and closes October 31, which is the case with most lower lakes in the area. There is a Forest Service campground, boat launch, fishing pier and outhouse available at no cost on the west side of the lake.

Big Meadow is rather shallow and, like most meadow lakes, can be very weedy. However, due to the unusually cool and rainy spring, weed growth has been inhibited, making it much easier to troll – as long as you don’t go overboard on the sink rate of your fly line or attached weight. There are some deeper holes toward the middle of the lake that make it easier for bait and lure fishermen to try their luck. Depths toward the middle can average from 15 to 23 feet, while the rest of the lake generally runs from 3 to 9 feet. For the fly fisherman, the use of floating line would probably be the most successful strategy.

Damselflies and callibaetis mayflies began to appear in June and extend through July and the first part of August. Marabou Damsels, Sheep Creeks, Pheasant Tails and Hare’s Ears are flies of choice during this period. For the bait fisherman, worms, PowerBait and marshmallows are most commonly used. Hammered spoons, Rooster Tails, Mepps and Panther Martins are probably the most frequently used lures.

Do note that there is a special regulation in effect at Big Meadow to protect breeding loons. Lead weights and lead jigs measuring smaller than 1.5 inches along their longest side are unlawful to use here, a restriction that went into effect in May 2011 after passage by the Fish and Wildlife Commission. Big Meadow is one of 12 lakes with this rule, most in the state’s northern tier.

ANOTHER EXCELLENT STILLWATER to fish

is Crescent Lake, 9 miles north of Metaline Falls and just a mile south of the Canadian border off Highway 31. The lake is stocked in spring with triploid rainbow fry and 4- to 5-inch westslope cutthroat fingerlings at a ratio of 1:2 or 1:3, depending on year. This 21-acre lake has both a boat launch and a tiny campground (three campsites), as well as easy access off the highway. The average fish at Crescent does not match that of Big Meadow, but trout numbers are good. And where the latter is shallow, the former is deep – 80 feet in the middle. Another lake just a couple miles north of Metaline is Ledbetter Lake, which has been a good spot for rainbows. Unfortunately, the owner of the land surrounding the lake has

blocked access, due to the partying that had been taking place by some of the local teenagers. The lake was stocked with triploid rainbows this spring, so hopefully this situation will soon be remedied.

Across the Pend Oreille River and approximately 2 miles downstream from Ione lies Yocum Lake. In the past it was a major pain in the posterior to reach the lake, but some time ago the Stimson Lumber Company put in a road that leads to its south end. However, in order to protect the road during wetter times of the year, the company doesn’t open it until June 1. Alternatively, there is a Forest Service road that touches Yocum’s north end.

Like many other lakes in the area, Yocum receives an annual stocking of cutthroat fry, which are stocked in the fall. This provides excellent fishing, especially in the latter part of the season. These trout eagerly take Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, Hare’s Ears, Parachute Adams and Purple Hazes, as well as both damsel dries and nymphs. However, these hatchery fish have very soft mouths, so many will pull loose, causing a great deal of frustration on the part of the angler.

For bait and lure fishermen, again, worms, dough bait, hammered spoons, Mepps and Panther Martins will all work well.

FURTHER UPSTREAM FROM Yocum, on

the west side of the Pend Oreille River, is Parker Lake. This lake along Cusick Creek is stocked annually with approximately 8,000 triploid rainbows, which grow slowly, but you can expect to catch 11- to 13inch carryovers. Parker opens the fourth Saturday in April, and the same fly patterns, bait and lures that are used in the other lakes will also catch fish here. Note that shore access is pretty limited and it’s pretty boggy.

And lastly, another excellent lake to fish, especially early in the season, is Cooks. This lake is unique in the fact that it is annually stocked with jumbo rainbows, often referred to as “broodstock.” This is rather unique since these fish are typically stocked in much bigger lakes. The chance of catching 4- or 5-pound rainbows does not go unnoticed by anglers in the area, and for the first two or three weeks of the season Cooks is very popular. However, it is not a long-term love affair. As the jumbos disappear, so too do the fishermen.

In addition, the water level drops rapidly to the point where Cooks might be better referred to as a pond. Odd as it might sound, the lake is open to fishing year-round. Considering low water levels in the latter part of the season, fishing during the winter might be a little suspect.

Cooks Lake is a little off the beaten track, but can be reached by taking Forest Service Road 5015 off of Bead Lake Road. The road, at times, can be somewhat less than wonderful, so it pays to be careful.

THE FISHING IN the upper Pend Oreille Valley can be very good, but is often overlooked in favor of waters closer to Newport or the chain of lakes off State Highway 20 between Tiger and Colville. Most of these lakes offer the same amenities (campsites, bathrooms and boat launches), but usually with fewer people. Considering the improving weather conditions, the scenic beauty of the area and the abundance of fish available, July might be an excellent time to visit the upper Pend Oreille Valley. This has been just a small sample of the lakes in the area, so you might want to check WDFW’s Spokane Valley office or the agency webpage for lowland lakes (wdfw .wa.gov/fishing/locations/lowlandlakes) and/or the Colville National Forest (fs.usda.gov/recmain/colville/ recreation) for other destinations. NS

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