EXPLORE THE SEEP LAKES

Deep in the heart of the Columbia Basin is a network of trout and spinyray waters that provide good fishing in spring.

By Mike Wright

For many eons the rain shadow of the high, rigid Cascade Range has kept the Columbia Basin exceedingly dry and rather unproductive. In order to make these and other arid regions of the West more productive, the federal Bureau of Reclamation constructed a number of dams for agricultural irrigation and in some cases power generation. O’Sullivan Dam, completed in 1949, was one such project.

Two things were discovered. It was soon found that the loess soil, common to the Columbia Basin, was very fertile and excellent material for farming purposes. The terrain around the newly formed Potholes Reservoir contained the same rich soil under the gently rolling sagebrush hills and numerous shallow depressions. And secondly, a sizable portion of the reservoir’s water was seeping into these depressions, forming numerous small- to medium-sized lakes.

Thanks to the excellent soil conditions and a reliable supply of freshwater, heavy weed growth

Not far from Potholes Reservoir is a network of waters known as the Seep Lakes, featuring dozens of angling possibilities for rainbows and warmwater species in a landscape that’s primarily public ground. (MIKE WRIGHT)

began appearing in these waters, followed closely by a multitude of aquatic insects. It was only a matter of time before what would eventually become the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife saw the potential and stocked these waters, thus creating numerous new, highly productive fisheries.

The prolific insect and forage base available to the fish powered a very rapid growth rate. Fingerling trout, typically stocked in early spring, can often reach 14 to 18 inches by the next spring. If they are lucky enough to survive two or more years, they can reach up to 5 pounds, though in most of the lakes this would be a rare catch. Most of the Seep Lakes are managed under put-and-take regulations, meaning a large percentage of the carryovers end up as tasty table fare. MORE THAN 70 lakes make up the Seep Lakes Wildlife Area, with just about that number of regulations or special circumstances governing the various bodies of water. First is the fact that there are several different opening dates. Many of these lakes are open to fishing year-round, while others open April 1 and close September 30, or from the fourth Saturday in April through September 30.

The majority of the lakes are stocked annually in the spring with fingerling rainbows, while others receive a fall stocking of catchable rainbows. Still others receive the catchable stockings in both the fall and spring. Many of the fisheries require a short hike into the lakes, while others have roads leading right to a launch site.

Most of the lakes contain rainbows, but some of the waters have received the bucket biologist treatment and for the most part are nearly devoid of any trout. A number of the lakes contain only warmwater species, while some have both trout and warmwater fish. Periodically some of the lakes are rehabbed and contain no fish, so to avoid feeling like a dog who has developed a flat nose from chasing parked cars, it might be advisable to check with WDFW’s Ephrata office (TeamEphrata@dfw.wa.gov; 509754-4624) to determine which of these lakes might be a waste of time and effort.

Many of these waters are fishable from the shore, but you would be far more successful on most using a small boat, float tube or pontoon. In addition, several of the lakes (Hutchinson, Shiner and the Hamptons) do not allow gasolinepowered boats, and two more have issues with private property access.

All of the trout lakes contain rainbows, but Warden also contains tiger trout, while Morgan features cutthroat. Quail Lake is the only body of water in all of the Seep Lakes fishery with fly-fishing- and catch-and-release-only regulations. All other bodies of water contain no

The Seep Lakes may not look like trout waters, but the nooks and crannies of what is geologically known as the Drumheller Channels – where massive floods picked the basalt bedrock apart during the last ice age – can hold some real nice fish. Maralee Moore caught this large rainbow last year

moratorium on bait or lures.

With so many of the lakes open year-round, some of the easy access lakes are hit heavily and may be a little crowded at times. If you are more inclined to do a little hiking and stay away from the more popular spots, the Seep Lakes offer a virtual smorgasbord of waters to fit your desires.

To aid in your search it might be very helpful to have a copy of WDFW’s annual fish stocking report (wdfw .wa.gov/fishing/reports/stocking). It provides information on the number of fish stocked, when they went in and at what size, either fingerlings, catchable, or a combination of both. From these reports, you can ascertain which of the different lakes would offer the best chance of success.

Another good stop would be at Mardon Resort (mardonresort.com), just off the O’Sullivan Dam Road, also known as Highway 262, where a detailed map of the area and roads can be purchased. Maneuvering around the 23,200-acre tract of land that encompasses the Seep Lakes can be a rather daunting task. The map can prove invaluable in finding the waters you have decided to fish, especially if it is a hike-in lake. The people who manage the resort can also convey valuable information concerning all bodies of water in the area. This, in turn, could make the angling experience much more enjoyable and productive. Many of these bodies of water can be somewhat fickle, so the more info you have at your disposal, the better.

FOR LURE FISHERMEN, three of the most effective pieces of hardware might be Mepps, Panther Martin and Rooster Tail spinners. A Colorado-bladed spinner with a worm as an added incentive might also be a good choice. For those lure fishermen targeting bass, most standard topwater lures and spinnerbaits should work well.

For those preferring bait, the most popular choices, outside the old reliable garden hackle, might be PowerBait and Pautzke’s Balls of Fire.

For fly fishing on the year-round lakes, chironomids under a strike indicator and fished close to the shore

Most of the lakes are on the smaller side, but some have ramps, such as Teal, for launching a boat, float tube or pontoon, making it easier to explore and fish hard-to-reach waters. (MIKE WRIGHT)

is undoubtedly the most popular strategy, especially early in the season. Midges are present throughout the year, providing a food supply for the trout. Keep in mind, chironomids are a very slow-moving insect, so your retrieve must also be exceedingly slow. The Snow Cone pattern in black or red has always been a personal favorite of mine, but a red Brassie or a Palomino Midge can also produce.

Since scuds and leeches are also present in nearly all the lakes, an olive or Pumpkin Scud or a Canadian Mohair or Kaufman Mini Leech will also work well and can be fished effectively in deeper water with a much faster retrieve.

In April and May, callibaetis mayflies begin to appear and the fishing really picks up. For nymphs, a gold-ribbed Hare’s Ear, Pheasant Tail or beadhead Prince Nymph are good choices. For a dry fly, the Parachute Adams, Purple Haze or a CD Cripple are always effective.

By mid-May, damsels begin to appear. A Marabou Damsel, Nyerges Nymph, Six-Pack or Sheep Creek fished along shallow weedlines can be very effective. As the damsels begin to hatch out, a blue damsel adult, fished close to the edges of protruding weeds, may be productive.

AS MENTIONED EARLIER, some of the

lakes can be rather fickle, so when one proves less than productive, it is rather easy to simply move to another spot and wet a line there. From past stocking reports, one good spot to try might be the Windmill Lakes, located a short hike off the Seep Lakes Road. These three bodies of water are all open year-round, with the largest (37 acres) receiving over 11,000 fingerlings in May. The next largest, North Windmill (20 acres), is stocked with just over 6,000, also in May. However, the third is really not worth the effort, according to WDFW fisheries biologist Mike Schmuck, who considers Heart, June or Canal as better choices if the Windmills aren’t turning.

Another normally good fishing lake is Blythe, just a short distance from Mardon Resort. The 30-acre lake is stocked with both catchable and fingerling rainbows that can grow 20 inches or more. There is a rough site for launching a boat and trails for shore fishing.

Corral Lake is only a short distance from Blythe and might be a good option to try if Blythe is not productive, especially considering the fact that it is well stocked with catchable-size rainbows, in both the spring and fall, as well as several thousand fingerlings. Corral is also an excellent spot for shore fishing.

Scaup and Chukar are also good options if things don’t work out on Blythe. These two both contain some very nice rainbows.

Regardless of whether you’re bankbound, a bait chucker or a fly guy, the Seep Lakes are a good early-season bet, thanks to state stocking, a good forage base and carryover trout. A lad shows off a nice stringer he caught at Lower Warden Lake in late March. (MIKE WRIGHT)

Speaking of, Upper and Lower Hampton Lakes are an excellent spot for trophy-size ’bows up to 26 inches or more. In 1998, a 10-pound, 13-ounce trout was taken out of Upper Hampton.

But if the fish are not cooperative in the Hamptons, Sage or Long Lakes might be good alternatives; Long also has a large population of spinyrays.

THE COLUMBIA BASIN contains some of the finest trout fishing destinations of any region in the Northwest. The Seep Lakes offer quality without the crowds of other local waters. Perhaps because there are so many to choose from, there is the distinct possibility you may be able to fish a lake that has no other human beings on the water. There are places in the basin with more of the larger fish, but there are few where there is a possibility of catching 20inch trout in relative solitude. The Seep Lakes are definitely an area worthy of further investigation. NS