HEAD DOWN THE TROUT TRAIL

It’s a bit of a hike into Dusty Lake in the western Columbia Basin, but worth it for the rainbow, brown and tiger trout that get fat on abundant hatches.

By Mike Wright

Avid and knowledgeable trout fishermen know the Columbia Basin provides some of the finest trophy fishing in the state of Washington. Many of these destination fisheries are well known to the anglers who flock to the region each spring. With many lakes here opening March 1 and waters elsewhere in the Evergreen State still frozen over, the fishing pressure in the basin can be rather intense. However, there is one lake that is often overlooked by traveling anglers.

Dusty Lake, located in the Quincy Wildlife Area a short distance from the town of Quincy, does not receive the angling pressure of other better known waterbodies in the basin. One reason for this may be the fact that a 2-mile hike is required to reach the 41-acre lake. Although it is not a particularly difficult hike, it does present a considerable problem for those who prefer to do their fishing from a boat. It is still possible to fish Dusty from shore, but it is not nearly as productive as it will be with the use of some type of flotation device. With this in mind, it might be advisable to pack in a float tube or other lightweight watercraft. There is a shorter trail into the lake, which consists of a ½-mile hike, but unfortunately, this route is very steep, requiring a great deal of effort on the return trip. If you are a glutton for punishment, it is a great route. However, if you are a bit of a couch potato (like me), the longer route might be the better choice.

Born of catastrophic ice age floods and tucked into a quiet canyon above the Columbia River south of Wenatchee, Dusty Lake is a stocked walk-in fishery that offers a chance to ponder the region’s geologic history while tempting three species of trout. (MICHAEL SCHMUCK)

THE COLUMBIA BASIN is well noted

for its intense summer heat, which has a very detrimental effect on the productivity of many of the lakes and streams in the area. However, Dusty resides in a rather narrow canyon with towering basalt cliffs encircling much of the lake. Because of the high cliffs, the lake is shaded and remains cooler further into the season, which is quite different than the situation at many of the other trophy waters in the region. Dusty remains highly productive well into late July and beyond, when most of the basin’s fisheries have been abandoned.

For many years the closing date

Dusty is home to rainbow, brown and tiger trout, which are planted as fingerlings and grow to 11 to 14 inches their first year and reach lengths of 20-plus inches. (USFWS)

for fishing on the lake was July 31, but in 2004 that was changed to November 30. A one-fish limit (18inch minimum size) and selective gear regulations are also in place, and just for the record, internal combustion motors are a no-no (the walk in and back out makes that rule somewhat self-enforcing).

These rules have made a noticeable difference in the average size of the fish in the lake. Dusty is very fertile, and consequently the resident rainbows, browns and tiger trout can grow rapidly, with the average adult rainbow measuring 17 inches, while the browns and tigers usually run between 15 and 20 inches. There have been reports of some 5-pound behemoths cruising the depths of Dusty. State fisheries biologist Mike Schmuck has said that he is not aware of any fish quite that size being available, but since trout anglers rarely, if ever, exaggerate, the reports may very well be true.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife stocks 3,100 rainbow fingerlings in the lake, as well as 1,200 browns and 2,000 tigers. These plants are generally made between March and May of each year. With the rapid growth rate, these fish can reach 11 to 14 inches by the following spring.

AS TEMPERATURES INCREASE through

spring, the waters of Dusty Lake produce prolific insect hatches, which do not go unnoticed by the trout. The first to emerge are midges, which begin to appear as soon as the ice goes off and continue through the November closing date.

Although there is some surface action, most fly fishing is done with a chironomid suspended just off the bottom and behind a strike indicator and floating line. Probably the most productive colors are black and red, but green, gray and brown can also be very effective, as can a Zebra Midge (a black chironomid featuring white ribbing).

Chironomids slowly work their way to the surface to hatch, so consequently your retrieve needs to be mind-numbingly slow in order to match the hatch. When the fish begin feeding on adult midges, Griffith’s Gnats, Renegades and Royal Wulffs can produce.

The next major insect to appear en masse is the callibaetis mayfly, which is a much faster moving nymph. Imitations are best fished with intermediate or sink-tip line, and using a much faster retrieve. The callibaetis hatch usually begins to appear in May and continues through June and into July.

In May, the damselflies usually begin to appear, overlapping the callibaetis hatch. One very effective strategy would be to tie on a damsel pattern as the lead fly with a callibaetis nymph as the dropper attached a couple feet behind the damsel. A marabou damsel in sizes 6 to 12, a Six Pack in sizes 4 to 8, or a Sheep Creek in sizes 6 to 10 are effective for the lead

fly, while a Pheasant Tail or a Hare’s Ear in sizes 12 to 14 are very effective for the dropper.

Caddis also begin to appear in the May and early June timeframe, depending on temperatures. Elk Hair or Goddard Caddis dries are very effective, with a Prince Nymph or Diving Caddis in sizes 12 to 16 used to imitate the nymphs. Scuds and leeches in sizes 8 to 16 will also produce fish from opening day through November.

Another effective strategy for fishing Dusty would be to pack in a sleeping bag and fish the lake during the night. Since browns and tiger trout are often nocturnal feeders, fishing for them during the evening can be highly productive. Woolly Buggers, Zonkers and Sculpins are probably the most effective patterns to use during the evenings. The best method would be to concentrate on the shallow dropoffs near the edges of the weedbeds. During the main part of the day, the browns inhabit the deeper water toward the middle and rarely come into the shallows until the evening hours.

Although most of the fish in Dusty can be easily handled with a 4-weight or perhaps even a 3-weight rod, it would probably be better to use a 5-weight with 3x or possibly even 2x tippet and leader. The fish in these waters are very healthy and will put up a great battle.

If you’re a lure fisherman, a reminder that treble hooks are not allowed under selective gear regs. Many anglers will clip off two of the hooks, but since this will often interfere with the way the lure tracks in the water, a better method would be to install a small O-ring on the end of the lure and attach a single barbless hook in place of the treble. Mepps, Panther Martins and Rooster Tails, along with various spoons, are the most popular lures used on the lake.

If you’re a dedicated bait angler or want to fish from a boat, you’re not out of luck. Burke and Quincy Lakes are in close proximity to Dusty and do not require any hiking. Burke was rehabilitated in 2019 and should be fishing very well this year, while Quincy receives very liberal annual stockings and can always be counted upon to produce excellent catches. Regardless of where you decide to fish, you should have a very rewarding experience here.

DUSTY’S CATCH RATE may not compare

favorably to other lakes in the area, such as Dry Falls, Lenice or Lenore. However, the size of the fish does. It definitely would be worth the time and effort it takes to hike down to the lake. Dusty is also an excellent fishery for those individuals who prefer to avoid the crowds that often are present on the aforementioned lakes and other more heralded waters across the Columbia Basin. NS

Release The Trout Hounds!

April brings big stockings to Washington lakes for opening day and more.

By Mark Yuasa

Ilove April! And why, might you ask, do I have an affinity for this month?

All you need to do is look at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s regulation pamphlet or website (wdfw.wa.gov) where you’ll find hundreds of lakes listed across 39 counties that are bursting at the seams with trout.

While many waters provide yearround fishing opportunities, others are being stocked for the highly anticipated statewide lowland lakes trout opener on April 23-24, when thousands of anglers cast their luck to catch around 16.2 million fish.

“I’m expecting to see a lot more people out for opening day, and a much stronger turnout than last year,” says Steve Caromile, a head WDFW fish manager. “With the bad winter weather and spring starting to look good, I’m sure it’ll draw a lot of interest and create a buzz of excitement.”

WDFW has one of the largest hatchery systems in the world, and hatchery personnel will be busy in the coming weeks planting an estimated 2.1 million catchable-size trout. Several years ago, WDFW came up with a cost-effective way to produce larger catchables in hatcheries, which has received rave reviews in surveys taken from previous openers.

Washington’s opening day of lowland lakes fishing season, always on the fourth Saturday of April, is guaranteed to put a fish or two on your stringer, maybe even as big as this one pulled up

Top that off with 147,357 “jumbo” trout measuring more than 14 inches and averaging 1 to 1.5 pounds destined for many statewide lakes. Most of the jumbos will be planted in March and April and others will be saved for fall planting.

It doesn’t stop there, as another 12.4-plus million fingerling and fry trout and kokanee planted two years ago will be the recruits in the 2022 fisheries. Most Eastern Washington opening day lakes are managed to create decent fry survival.

Taking it up another notch is almost 1.5 million trout categorized as “put, grow and take” – reared in hatcheries and 2.6 to 10 fish per pound in size – that were stocked in 2021, and should be in the 8- to 12inch range now.

IN PUGET SOUND’S Region 4 – King, Snohomish, Skagit, San Juan, Whatcom and Island Counties – alone, the projected plant is 432,350 catchable-size fish this spring.

“Our trout plants are about the same as 2021,” says Justin Spinelli, a WDFW biologist. “We intend to plant some year-round lakes ahead of the lowland lake trout opener to offer some early-season opportunities, and plants will continue into May.”

A breakdown shows approximately 24,400 catchable-size trout will be planted in four Island County lakes; 169,650 in 37 King County lakes; 7,600 in three San Juan Island County lakes; 50,800 in eight Skagit County lakes; 125,400 in 30 Snohomish County lakes; and 54,500 in 12 Whatcom County lakes.

WDFW sends out creel surveyors on opening day to gather fishing success and angler turnout, and the 2021 catch data showed fair to good success, depending on the lake.

Top Westside waters in terms of trout kept were: Geneva, 4.8; Steel, 3.1; and North, 4.1, in King County; Heart, 3.7; and Sixteen, 3.2, in Skagit; Howard, 4.9; and Serene, 4.3, in Snohomish; Cain, 3.5; and Toad, 3.4, in Whatcom; Failor, 3.2, in Grays Harbor; Black, 3.5, in Pacific; Clear, 3.2; and Summit, 7.0 (daily limit is five fish per rod), in Thurston; Clear, 4.0; Crescent, 3.8; and Rapjohn, 3.0, in Pierce; Panther, 3.2, in Kitsap; and Don (Clara), 4.1; Howell, 4.2; Tiger, 3.9; Wooten, 3.1; and Devereaux, 3.2, in Mason.

The top Eastside lakes in 2021 were: Rocky, 4.4 fish per rod, in Stevens County; Fishtrap, 3.8, in Lincoln; Pearrygin, 3.7, in Okanogan; Vic Meyers, 3.1, in Grant; Jameson, 3.4, in Douglas; and Rowland, 3.2, in Klickitat.

Success varies from year to year, but notable Westside lakes receiving decent plants include Cottage, Desire, Geneva, Green, Langlois, Margaret, Meridian, Morton, North, Pine, Spring, Steel and Wilderness in King County; Benson, Devereaux, Haven, Limerick, Phillips, Spencer, Tiger and Wooten in Mason; Leland in Jefferson; Mission, Panther and Wildcat in Kitsap; Carlisle and Mineral in Lewis; American, Clear, Kapowsin, Ohop, Rapjohn and Spanaway in Pierce; Clear, Erie, Grandy, Heart, McMurray and Sixteen in Skagit; Ballinger, Blackmans, Bosworth, Flowing, Goodwin, Ki, Martha (Alderwood), Roesiger, Silver and Storm in Snohomish; Cain, Padden and Toad in Whatcom; Black, Clear, Deep, Hicks, St. Clair, Lawrence, Long, McIntosh, Offutt, Pattison and Summit in Thurston; Aberdeen, Duck, Failor and Sylvia in Grays Harbor; and Black, Snag and Western in Pacific.

The top release lakes east of the Cascades include Jameson in Douglas; Ellen in Ferry; Blue and Park in Grant; Diamond in Pend Oreille; Starvation and Waitts in Stevens; Badger and Fishtrap, Williams and West Medical in

One of the fun parts of spring fishing season is all the derbies put on by local groups. Brooklyn and Harper put together this limit at an Eatonville mill pond during a local Lions Club event last year. “Doesn’t get better than this!” said Brooklyn’s

grandfather Randy Hart Jr. (COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

Never let anybody tell you you’re too old to go out for trout! Tim Klink’s big smile says it all about the joys of catching rainbows in spring, this one at Clear Lake near Spokane last spring. (COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

Spokane; Wapato in Chelan; and Pearrygin and Conconully Lake and Reservoir in Okanogan.

IF YOU HAVE a case of “cabin fever,” you can actually head out right now to lakes open year-round that were stocked in March and/or will be in April and May.

In King County, try Alice, Angle, Beaver, Bitter, Boren, Deep, Dolloff, Echo, Fenwick, Fish, Fivemile, Green, Haller, Holm, Killarney, Meridian, Morton, Rattlesnake, Sawyer, Shadow, Spring, Star, Trout and Twelve. In Island, try Cranberry and Lone. In San Juan, try Egg and Hummel. In Skagit, try Clear, Grandy, Pass and Volger. In Snohomish, try Ballinger, Blackmans, Cassidy, Chain, Flowing, Gissburg, Goodwin, Panther, Roesiger, Shoecraft, Silver and Tye. And in Clark, try Battle Ground, Klineline and Lacamas.

On top of the springtime plants, thousands of trout will be set aside for

both late autumn and “Black Friday.”

A complete statewide schedule is at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports.

DON’T OVERTHINK YOUR fishing gear

when it comes to trout.

A basic rod and reel combo will set you back about $40 to $80, and a higher-end setup costs $100 to $200. Look for a pole length in the 6- to 7-foot range, and make sure that it’s relatively light and limber. A mediumsized spinning reel that can hold more than 100 yards of 6- to 8-pound-test fishing line is your best choice.

On your mainline attach one or two No. 9 egg sinkers with a rubber bumper tied to a small barrel swivel. The length of leader is important, and store-bought pretied 12-inch leaders are way too short. Leaders should be 3- to 8-pound test and 18 to 30 inches long. For hooks, think small and use an egg or worm hook in a size 8 or 10.

As for bait, many prefer the “old school” variety of worms, maggots, salmon eggs or scented marshmallows. The next generation are soft dough baits like Berkley PowerBait, which comes in all sorts of colors and varieties of egg, maggot and worm shapes.

If you plan to use a fly pattern, go with a black or black and olive Woolly Bugger in a size 8 or 10 attached to a 5- or 6-foot leader and trolled weightless close to the surface.

Boat anglers can troll a gang flasher with a worm, maggot or salmon egg laced with a tiny piece of scented dough bait, or a small spoon like a Dick Nite, Yakima Bait Triple Teazer or Luhr Jensen Super Duper.

Bank anglers often cast out a bobber with their presentation sitting just below the surface in 3 to 6 feet of water. Others send their bait deeper where it hangs a few feet off the bottom.

Most recently stocked trout tend to school near the surface, and many congregate right where the hatchery truck dropped them into the lake and usually within yards of the shoreline, boat ramps and docks. Freshly planted trout stay just under the surface in 3 to 5 feet of water before they acclimate to their new surroundings and then eventually spread out and move to deeper areas of the lake.

A fishing license is required (youth anglers under age 15 fish for free), as well as a WDFW access pass for agency water access sites or a Discover Pass for lakes on State Parks or Department of Natural Resources lands. For license info, go to wdfw.wa.gov. WDFW has an excellent fishing resource website where you can get additional tips at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/washington. NS

18 N Twin Lakes Rd. Inchelium, WA 99138

Editor’s note: Mark Yuasa is a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Communications Consultant and is a longtime local fishing and outdoor writer.

COLUMN

Buzz’s Refreshers: PowerBait For Trout

Bred, fed and released by the thousands into hundreds of lakes throughout the Pacific Northwest, BUZZ trout are ready for RAMSEY catching this spring. Although rainbows are the type you will likely encounter, some lakes have been stocked with cutthroat and browns too.

In addition, hatcheries have liberated fish of larger than average size into many lakes; called trophy trout, they might measure 15 to 20 inches or more. Add to this a sprinkling of broodstockers that could weigh in at 3 to 10 pounds and it’s easy to see just how much rod and reel fun there is to be had. The entire effort has been performed by state agencies so you can visit a local lake and enjoy instant trout success, providing you know how. IF YOUR FISHING adventure is to be from shore, one method that works is to plunk (also known as still-fishing or deadsticking) PowerBait. More popular than worms, PowerBait is a prepared bait that comes in jars and has the consistency of cookie dough. For this you will need a 5- to 7-foot light-action spinning rod, a spinning reel filled with 6-pound-test monofilament, some oval egg sinkers (ranging in size from ¼ to 1/2 ounce), several size 7 or 10 swivels, 4mm plastic beads, 4-pound-test leader material, small treble hooks, and a few jars of PowerBait.

Other handy-to-have items include a landing net (especially useful if you are fishing from a boat), needle-nose pliers, hook remover and stringer.

What is critical to success is to make sure your PowerBait presentation is buoyant enough to float above your sinker

Yep, there are a million ways to catch stocker trout this time of year, but there may not be many options more deadly than floating PowerBait off bottom, a tactic made even more effective when adding a Lil’ Corky kicker to improve flotation. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

A few of the items you will need for fishing Berkley’s moldable trout candy include a rod, reel, monofilament fishing line, oval egg sinker, plastic beads, swivel, light leader, single egg imitation and small treble hook. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

after casting into the lake. You see, a bait hovering above bottom is much easier for cruising trout to quickly locate, as opposed to one setting on the bed of the lake. I can’t stress the importance of this enough.

Many avid users of PowerBait have relied on the product’s natural buoyancy to keep their bait above bottom. For a dimesize ball of PowerBait to float, it requires the use of a small size 16 treble hook. And while a few anglers might instead use a size 6 single, the small treble is far more popular due to the fact that the moldable dough bait grips the three prongs of a treble best.

What a growing number of anglers do to ensure their bait will float above bottom without fail is to use a buoyant Lil’ Corky single fish egg imitation in combination with their prepared bait. By using a Corky you can step up your treble hook a size or two. In addition to guaranteed buoyancy, employing a Corky means you can bait up with less PowerBait.

A selection of size 12 and 14 Corkies, along with a handful of the same size treble hooks, is what you will need. What I do is partner a size 14 treble with the size 14 Corky, and a size 12 treble with a size 12 Corky.

RIGGING UP IS easy. Thread your main line (extending from your rod tip) through your egg sinker, add a small plastic bead and connect to your swivel. Although the most productive leader length may vary depending on conditions, you should start off with one measuring 18 to 24 inches. It’s then that you thread a Corky onto your leader and add a small treble hook.

To bait up requires you to scoop out a dime-size chunk of PowerBait from its jar and form it into a round ball around your hook. The idea is to use enough of the bait so that when combined with the buoyancy of your Corky, your offering will float up off the lake bottom.

Now, cast your baited outfit into the lake, let it settle to the bottom and wait for a bite. It’s important to leave some slack in your line so that trout can swim off with your bait and swallow it without feeling line resistance. That’s also why you should use a free-sliding sinker. One last thing: You will need to set the hook when you notice your line tightening up or rod tip dipping towards the water!

The right leader length is important because, after all, you want your bait floating at the depth the fish are cruising, which might be close to the bottom during times when the water is clear and sun bright, or higher in the water column early and/or late in the day, or when it’s overcast. And while the average leader length should be 18 to 24 inches, a leader long enough to extend above bottomgrowing vegetation might be the ticket to success when trout are swimming just above the weedtops.

How far you cast out might vary depending on where fish are holding or how bright the sun is. For example, trout may be found fairly close to shore early or late in the day or on cloudy or rainy days; during these times and conditions you might only cast out 30 yards or so. As the sun rises through the day and becomes more intense, try casting further into the lake. This is important because the way fish regulate the amount of light coming into their eyes is by changing their location; after all, they have no eyelids. Employing a larger/heavier oval egg sinker

Here’s how your setup should look underwater; the leader should be long enough to float your bait above lake-bottom weeds so trout can find it, while the sliding sinker and slight amount of slack line allow them to swim off with your offering without feeling any tension and dropping the bait. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

and/or longer fishing rod can help extend your casting range during times when fish are holding in deep water.

WHILE IT’S LIKELY trout will spot your bait in their normal search for food, it’s a good strategy to go to them if and when the bite slows. What I often do is cast in different directions or move in 30-yard increments along the lakeshore until I locate fish. In addition, trout suspended higher in the water column may follow your bait as it sinks to the bottom, which can suggest that a longer leader might produce best.

Another strategy I often employ is to cast far and wait 10 minutes before moving my bait toward me with 10 cranks of the reel handle, then wait another 10 minutes before moving it again.

In preparation for your trip, do yourself a favor and check the condition of the line on your reel, and at the very least strip off a few yards before rigging up. If your line feels rough or breaks easily, you should replace it. It’s also a good idea to wipe your reel down with a damp cloth and add a drop of oil to its moving parts, all while checking it over for loose screws.

Your first step in figuring out what lake to try for trout, along with what’s legal or not, means reviewing a current copy of your state’s angling regulation pamphlet. Step two will be to check out the stocking schedule for the lake you have decided to target, which will likely be posted on the fish and wildlife website (idfg.idaho.gov/ fish/stocking; myodfw.com/fishing; wdfw. wa.gov/fishing).

As you might guess, on lakes open to year-round angling, trout will be running shortly after the hatchery truck arrives. On lakes where a start date applies, you’ll have to wait for opening day, which varies by state and sometimes location. Keep in mind that opening day can offer quick limits, as fish bite way better prior to being hit with a barrage of baits and lures from other anglers. NS

George Fort shows off a fine stringer he and a fishing partner put together while fishing PowerBait and worms at a lake near The Dalles in the Columbia

Editor’s note: Buzz Ramsey is regarded as a trout, steelhead and salmon sport fishing authority and proficient lure and fishing rod designer. He has been honored into the Hall of Fame for the Association of Northwest Steelheaders and the national Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame.