FISHING
It doesn’t have the name recognition of Lenore or the state record like Omak, but Grimes Lake is a very solid option for Lahontan cutthroat starting this month. Randy Davis caught this trout at the Douglas County water in a past season. (JEFF WITKOWSKI)
Time’s Prime For Grimes The third of Central Washington’s three primary Lahontan lakes opens June 1, and here’s how to fish it. By Mike Wright
O
ne of the most coveted trophy trout species in Central Washington’s Columbia Basin is the Lahontan cutthroat. These fish originally came from Pyramid Lake in Nevada, and had a reputation of growing to truly
outstanding size. Their history here dates back to 1977, when a shipment from Nevada was transported to Lake Lenore. For many years Lenore was considered to be far too alkaline to support a population of trout. However, Pyramid Lake, as well as a number of other lakes in Nevada, are highly alkaline,
and Lahontans not only survive but thrive in these waterbodies. It was soon found that the fish adapted well to Lenore, located in Grant County’s lower Grand Coulue, and grew very rapidly – within three years, some of the new plants had reached 25 inches and weighed over 6 pounds. This was very encouraging nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2021
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