F8 (Fate) Lake, WA

This lake actually has no name and I've been advised to keep its whereabouts under wraps. I thought of a figure eight when I was at this lake and thought of F8 and then if you use slang you get Fate (F-eight). The lake is formed by the holding of an irrigation channel. There was a series of four lakes or so, two of which we had access to without getting out of the water.

Anyways I was asked by Dalton on Monday if I wanted to join Paul (Mom's boyfriend) and Kevin (Dalton's brother) out at the lake over the weekend. Of course I said yes and after my dog locked our keys in the parking lot of QFC and a 3.5 hour drive later we ended up at a lake between Othello and Mesa, Washington. I was told before the trip that there were large mouth bass, crappie, and walleye in this lake. I know how to fish for bass and crappie but had no idea how to fish for walleye and figured we would be catching many anyways. Boy was I wrong, there were maybe 20 walleye caught, 1 bass, and 1 crappie. None by me. I lost a walleye early in the morning Saturday but that was the beginning and end of my luck for the weekend. I can make excuses, mostly blaming the fact our boat trolled way too fast on the slowest speed, but I really didn't care and know what I would do different next time. There were great cliffs to jump off, the water felt good, the sun was out, and the beer was cold.

Paul and Kevin (in the other boat trolling much slower) used mostly soft jigs and worms and had good success in the early morning and late evening. The crappie and a walleye was caught on a small black jig. If you ask me I will tell you where I went individually but not publicly over the web.

Next time, I would use a boat with an actual trolling motor, or get in my float tube and use my flippers for a good speed. I plan to go back and fly fish this lake much harder, being as all of Saturday I trolled a jig or cast a spinner. Sunday I did use a glass minnow with no success. The walleye were hanging on the bottom in 12' of water and the crappie came in late in the evening. There looked like good bass structure but I didn't see the only bass caught as it was before I got there.

Summary
Location: F8 (Fate) Lake, Connell, WA
Time: 6am-9pm Sat, 9am-11am Sunday
Rod: Ultra light spinner, 5 wt/sinking line.
Tackle: Spinners, soft baits, spoons, and glass minnow
Fish: 0(me) 20ish
Species: Walleye, Large Mouth Bass, Crappie
Biggest Fish: 23" (Walleye)
Smallest Fish: 12" (Crappie)
Rating: 8/10

 That in let was the hot-spot

 Looking north in the hot sun

The south side of the lake was 75' deep

Lake Rasmussen, WA

Went out in the morning to a friends plot on the Snoqualmie River to train my dog for bird hunting and by the afternoon I found myself fishing a Mud Lake. Well that is what Dalton calls it. This lake is very small, more of a pond, that has a maximum depth of 5 feet. I brought my spinner out with a weight and a worm, with some sill casting, landed two bass and lost two others. The boat totaled 8 small mouth bass. It was pretty fun with 4 guys and 2 dogs in a six man inflatable raft.

Summary
Location: Lake Rasmussen, Duvall, WA
Time: 2pm-5pm
Rod: Ultralight Spinner
Tackle: Worms and crankbait
Fish: 8
Species: Large Mouth Bass
Biggest Fish: 12"
Smallest Fish: 7"
Rating: 6.5/10

 That was the trophy of the day!

North Lake, WA

As I discussed in an earlier post there are plenty of lakes next to my house that I need to go fish and this was one of them. This lake receives a bunch of planters but after fishing this lake these fish fight nothing like a planted fish.
Typical experience for me, I showed up to the lake with Dalton, we put the raft in the water and headed out. There is a dock and some good bank access to fish from but life is always better in a boat. This was also an opportunity to get my dog trained to sit in the boat an behave. She did really well. Talking with a guy coming off the water he told us to go fish by the neck of the lake. Its shaped similar to a bowling pin. Sure enough the second we got into the neck and I actually started paddling instead of lazily drifting my rod got nailed. I have rarely had a planted fish strip line. I first I thought I was snagged. As I began to real my line in, Dalton's pole was hit hard too. We landed them both and did that one more time before calling it a day. We fished seriously for maybe an hour and caught four fish that fought well.I was fishing only flies and Dalton had a worm dropper. Both were equally successful, although I got hit first both times we doubled up.

Other notes about the lake - the North end is shallow, we could see weeds most the time. The head of the pin has lilies but we had no problems getting snagged through there. The hottest spot seamed through the neck and 100yds out either side. 

Summary
Location: North Lake, Federal Way, WA
Time: 2pm-6pm
Rod: 5 wt w/ floating line
Tackle: Wolly buggers (black, brown, and green) and the occasional worm dropper
Fish: 4 Species: Rainbow
Biggest Fish: 14"
Smallest Fish: 13"
Rating: 8.5/10

 Luna being good!

 On a black woolly bugger

Kidney Lake, WA

When I had my own car my junior year of High School I started to explore fishing opportunities in Southwest, Washington. There was an article written in the Columbian for places to try opening weekend. On that list was many lakes I knew about but also Kidney Lake. Over the next two years I would fish Kidney Lake heavily. I would get out of class at 2pm drive 45min down the 14 from Vancouver and have my pontoon on the water before 3:30. Fishing this lake on average three times a week until the rivers opened in June I know where the fish sit and how/what they bite. Did I mention my birthday is the same weekend as opening weekend for lakes in Washington. Once at school in Seattle my friend and I made it a tradition to drive down every year for a weekend on the lake.
Kidney is not some glorious lake. It is small (11acres), power lines stretch across, its littered with beer cans and worm cans, but it fishes well in late spring and holds triploid trout. In case you don't know what a triploid is, they are genetically altered to eat instead of breed, stocked over a pound they grow to 20# if left for a full year in good conditions. Not to mention brood stock are planted at 5 & 10 lbs. These fish are what draw me to this lake.
There is a inflow on the North side of the lake and outflow on the Southwest corner. Through the channel the lake is 60+ feet deep. The other side of the lake is shallower and even warmer. You either want to fish the stream channel or the middle of the other half of the lake. The triploid start in the channel and move to warmer water by mid-May.
Once again this year, three of my friends and I headed out to the lake Saturday of opening day (it was crowded) and we set on the water, them in a raft and me in a float tube. Trolling a worm behind a woolly bugger works well but just as well works a woolly bugger with a carey special. You can use either floating or sinking line, depends on how hot the day is, and let you line drift behind you as you mingle around the lake. I caught one of my nicest fishing eating a sandwich, sitting still, and line sitting 10' below me. We had a good day catching 40-50 fish between the four of us.
If you don't care about fishing next to a floating busch light can, then this is a good lake to fish.

Note: If you want to fish from shore a bobber with a worm works on overcast days about 30" down and egg weight, swivel, and floating powerbait on hotter days off the bottom.

Summary
Location: Kidney Lake, North Bonneville, WA
Time: 10am-3pm
Rod: 5 wt w/ floating line & sinking line
Tackle: Woolly buggers (brown or black), casey special and the occasional worm dropper
Fish: 40+
Species: Rainbow
Biggest Fish: 16"
Smallest Fish: 11"
Rating: 8/10

 Sean, Dalton, Johnny (left-right)

Fivemile Lake

     I moved to Federal Way for my new job with Kiewit and there are a handful of lakes near my house. My buddy Dalton and I took Saturday (the day before) to drive around and see what each of the lakes were like and which ones we should fish first. In the morning I went out in my float tube and within 30min I hooked up while. While reeling in the fish Dalton called and he wanted to join me. So I got out, picked up a raft, and Dalton and I were back on the water that afternoon. Fishing planted fish they like to eat bait early after they have been stocked, at least they tend to. So we rigger up out fly rods with a wolly bugger, 10" of tippet, barrel swivel, 10" more tippet and a hook with worm. Having never been on the lake and occupied by beer we floated around finding were the fish hung out the most. Dalton lost a few and I managed to land one after floating around for an hour. What we did figure out is the fish were indeed hanging out in the middle third of the lake on the western side. We focused are drift on that side of the lake and in the next two hours we picked up six more fish and lost several others. Enticed by the heat we called it a day and bbq'd at Steele Lake to give it a look. In all over the weekend we looked at Fivemile, Steele, Geneva, and Dolloff Lake, along with Lake Kallarney. Fivemile, Steele, and Geneva are planted by F&W and promise to be good fisheries this spring.
     I should mention that this lake does have a good fishing dock that Dalton caught a fish off of Saturday and has never been crowded while I have been at the lake in four visits.

Summary
Location: Fivemile Lake, Federal Way, WA off of Military Road
Time: 9am-5pm
Rod: 5 wt w/ floating line
Tackle: Wolly buggers and the occasional worm dropper
Fish: 9
Species: Rainbow
Biggest Fish: 14"
Smallest Fish: 11"
Rating: 8/10

Looking north from the middle of the lake

 One of the fish we caught

Dalton's fish off the dock

Yakima River

Decided to try the Yakima River again and get out of the Seattle weather again. This time I took my good friend Johnny from Virginia hoping to get him on some trout. Unfortunately we did not prevail, but we did have a good trip with the puppies. Showed up about a week early for the skwala hatch. Heard they were popping the following week. Tried the mouth of Teanaway hole again and also a hole up by the Henry Ponds.

Summary
Location: Yakima Riverr, near Cle Elum, exit 84 off I-90, 85 min east of Seattle
Time: 1-5pm
Rod: 5 wt w/ floating line and sinking line
Tackle: Stone nymph with various midge droppers
Fish: 0
Species: N/A
Biggest Fish: N/A
Smallest Fish: N/A
Rating: 5/10

Johnny trying at the mouth of the Teanaway

 

Feeding snow to my puppy Luna

Yakima River

Went fishing with my buddy Dalton, but I forgot my waders. The weather was fantastic and it was still a good escape from the Seattle weather. Tried to wade fish this trip and I know of a few holes that have produced near and around Cle Elem, Wa. There was still snow on the banks and the water was cold. No hatches happening so mostly nymphed all day giving Dalton a few lessons. I did stir up one bite but didn't manage to land any fish. Stopped in the local fly shop and was told of a new hole or two down the road from the usual ones I try. Was told to park by Taylor Rd and walk down to whatever looked good to me. There seemed to be some good holes and look forward to trying them again later when it warms up.

Summary
Location: Yakima Riverr, near Cle Elum, exit 84 off I-90, 85 min east of Seattle
Time: 1-5pm
Rod: 5 wt w/ floating line and sinking line
Tackle: Stone nymph with various midge droppers
Fish: 0
Species: N/A
Biggest Fish: N/A
Smallest Fish: N/A
Rating: 5/10

 

Mouth of the Teanaway into Yakima