TIME’S PRIME FOR GRIMES

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)

The third of Central Washington’s three primary Lahontan lakes opens June 1, and here’s how to fish it.

By Mike Wright

One 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

Grimes Lake, at top, is tucked into the head of Moses Coulee, an “oddball canyon” related to runoff from ice age glaciers. Private lands line its west side and northern tip, while the eastern shore sits at the forefront of a large block of state

and federal ground. (DON SEARLS, FLICKR, CC BY 2.0)

not only for Lenore, but for several other highly alkaline lakes.

The cutthroat were rather rapidly introduced into other lakes in the general vicinity of Lenore, and the fish experienced similar growth rates.

The two best known of these waters are Omak, in Okanogan County, and Grimes, in Douglas County. Both lakes have prolific insect hatches, as well as other forage, which aids in this rapid growth rate. As a matter of fact, the state record Lahontan was taken in Omak, not in Lenore, as one might expect. It weighed 18.04 pounds and was caught by Dan Beardslee in 1993.

In Grimes, 8,000 3- to 4-inch fingerlings are stocked each October and they grow to 12 or 14 inches in their first year. By the end of their second year, they generally have reached 18 to 19 inches, and by the third year they will weigh 4 to 6 pounds. While a one-fish limit (minimum size 18 inches) is in effect on Grimes, catch-and-release is a

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standard practice in the lake, so it is quite possible to have fish in excess of 7 pounds in these waters. In addition, you will not be encountering the “combat fishing” that often occurs at Lenore. Both Omak and Grimes are lightly fished in comparison to their more famous sister lake.

If all of this seems too good to be true, there are indeed a couple flies in the proverbial ointment. Grimes doesn’t open until June 1 and closes August 31, and Omak has been closed to all nontribal anglers since last year due to, as you may have guessed, the Covid-19 pandemic. At press time it and other reservation waters were closed through at least May 31, by order of the tribal Business Council. Watch Facebook .com/CCTFNW for updates.

Although it is a little disappointing that Grimes has an abbreviated season, it should be pointed out that the lake is accessed via private property and we should be grateful that the landowner and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife have presented us with the opportunity to fish for this remarkable resource at all. Hopefully, anglers will continue to treat the lake and surrounding land with the utmost respect.

THE LATE OPENER means Grimes Lake anglers don’t experience the false spawning run that brings Lahontans to either end of Lenore, meaning the fish may be far more spread out by June 1. However, June is an excellent time for damsels, which normally start to appear in the middle to latter part of May and continues into July. Marabou damsels, Sheep Creeks and the Nyerges Nymphs are excellent patterns to employ during this period. Although nymphs are the primary pattern used on Grimes, blue damsel adults can also be found near the edge of the lake and can make for some excellent dry fly fishing.

Callibaetis mayflies begin to hatch out the first part of May and continue through the middle of July. Pheasant Tails and Hare’s Ears in sizes 12 to 14 work well, often used as a dropper, with a damsel pattern as the lead fly. Since the callibaetis nymphs begin to appear before the lake even opens, by June there are usually a good deal of adults on the water, and dry flies, such as a Parachute Adams, Purple Haze or CB Cripple, become very effective. From late June into July, callibaetis spinners become the prominent attraction and the rusty or grey spinner flies are very effective patterns.

Probably the most important food source for the Grimes cutthroat is the chironomid, or midge, as the adult insect is known. Midges begin appearing as soon as the ice goes off the lake, usually in March or perhaps as late as April. During this early period, the chironomid is the prime dinner special for the Lahontans, but by the first of June they are not as dependent

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Adapted to alkaline waters, Lahontans grow big thanks to limited competition for the rich forage base. Grimes’ cutts are planted as 3- to 4-inch fingerlings and push past a foot after their first year. Many that are caught run around 18 to 20 inches. (MIKE WRIGHT)

on them. That’s when midge emerger and adult patterns begin to become more effective.

Probably the best patterns to use for the midge adult would be a Griffith’s Gnat or Renegade in sizes 14 to 18. When fishing with a Griffith’s Gnat, it is often more effective if the fly is skidded occasionally to mimic a newly hatched midge. When fishing with chironomids, a strike indicator and a very slow retrieve is still the most popular strategy. However, an intermediate or sink tip line can also work well, as long as a very slow strip or retrieve is employed. Although Lahontans are not particularly leadershy, a fluorocarbon leader and tippet might be advantageous since the water is usually rather clear.

Although not as prevalent as on a number of other lakes, caddisfly hatches can appear occasionally on Grimes, so it might be advisable to include a few Elk Hair or Goddard patterns in your fly box. Caddis usually appear during the warmer weather of late July and August.

Grimes also contains a fair number of scuds, or freshwater shrimp. Scuds provide an important food source for the fish long before the season even opens, but by opening day, damsels, callibaetis and chironomids become the more preferred menu item. Still, an olive or Rollover Scud can produce fish.

Leeches are also effective patterns to use on Grimes. A Kaufmann Mini Leech or a Marabou Leech in olive or brown have proven to be quite effective, and then there’s the venerable Woolly Bugger. To increase the odds of a take, using a Prince Nymph dropper would not be a bad decision.

KEEP IN MIND that selective gear rules are in effect on Grimes, along with a prohibition on gasoline-powered engines. You can use a second rod if you have the two-pole endorsement. Shore fishing on this 180-acre lake is really not very effective – the west side and northern end are also private property – so a boat, float tube or pontoon is really a necessity. If you don’t have your own, you might inquire at nearby Jameson Lake Resort if their boats can be rented. In addition, there is a no camping rule in effect, but considering the sizable rattlesnake population in the area, sleeping on the ground might not be the most prudent decision you ever made anyway.

With the false spawning run on Lenore over by now and Omak possibly still closed to nontribal anglers, Grimes is most certainly the best option for the angler in search of a trophy Lahontan this time of year. The lake not only provides outstanding cutthroat fishing, but accomplishes it in a peaceful, scenic setting. It is truly worth the extra time and effort it takes to reach the lake.

There is only one way into Grimes, and that is south out of the town of Mansfield, which sits on Highway 172 in northern Douglas County. To get to Mansfield from the west, take Highway 2 out of Wenatchee and go north on Highway 172; from the east, take Highway 2 west out of Coulee City to Highway 17, then north on 17 to 172 and then west to town. From Mansfield, go south on Mansfield Road toward Jameson Lake. Approximately 9 miles out of town look for a sign to the left and follow the gravel road to Grimes and the access site. NS

Cody Herman might be most associated with Columbia River and ocean salmon fisheries, but he’s begun guiding Central Oregon waters for trout, char and kokanee. Here he holds a big Odell Lake Mackinaw caught in 2020. (DAYONEOUTDOORS.COM)

Now More Than Fly Guides In Central Oregon

They say the Deschutes National Forest in Central and all guides, is that no guiding is allowed only thing Oregon. In case you don’t know, the high whatsoever on the Metolius River. certain in plateau of the Beaver State is regarded as life is change. For a trout fishing paradise. For Herman, the COVERING THE HEART of Central Oregon, fishing guide Cody chance to purchase this permit was a golden the Deschutes National Forest is a vast Herman of Day One fishing/guiding opportunity. area that encompasses 1.6 million acres BUZZ RAMSEY Outdoors TV fame, change involves adding another And while he is now operating under one of the five guiding permits in use at this time, he is the only outfit currently stretching across four counties: Deschutes, Klamath, Lake and Jefferson. What draws anglers to this region are very different offering fishing adventures where you the bountiful rivers and lakes where trout, guiding experience to his already diverse can use fly or conventional lure-and-bait kokanee, Mackinaw and bass lurk. When buffet of salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and methods. You see, the four other guiding it comes to rivers, Herman’s guiding area saltwater fishing adventures. operations in service within this national includes the upper Deschutes and Fall

You see, Herman has purchased one forest have chosen to offer only fly fishing Rivers. The lakes and volcanic reservoirs of the few special-use permits for the excursions. The only exception, for Herman include names like East, Paulina, Odell,

While Wickiup Reservoir, the region’s trophy kokanee fishery, is suffering from low water levels, there are other options for numerous though smaller kokes. Herman’s client Matt Abrams of San Francisco caught this nice one at Crane Prairie last summer. (DAYONEOUTDOORS.COM)

Davis, Lava, Crescent, Crane Prairie, Wickiup, Cultus, Elk, and more – not to mention a countless number of walk-in lakes.

Although Herman has guided anglers to fishing success around the globe since 2012, 2020 was his first year guiding in Central Oregon. This year and last he began on opening day (April 22 in 2021) on Odell Lake chasing kokanee and Mackinaw. He says the kokanee are plentiful, great eating, easy to catch and the daily limit is generous.

In fact, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife figures there are currently over 1 million 12- to 14-inch kokanee lurking in Odell. Their numbers are way over population goals, which is why the daily limit is currently set at 25 fish per day. You can help reduce their abundance by securing your limit, which, given time and cooperation by anglers interested in keeping fish, should allow the lake’s mini salmon to grow larger in size.

In addition, Odell offers trophy-size Mackinaw. The state record of 40 pounds, 8 ounces came from here. According to Herman, a trip to Odell could yield a new state record since ODFW has captured fish way over the 40-pound mark. Because of their large size, limited supply and the fact that Macks are not great eating, the guide insists on getting a quick photo before releasing all caught aboard his boat.

During the early season, before the water warms in mid-June, a typical day with Herman includes chasing kokanee during the morning hours before switching to Mackinaw, usually in the late morning, which is when Odell’s lakers seem to bite best.

And while you can cast ½- to ¾-ounce jigs for kokanee that might be cruising near the surface from the opener until the water warms in mid-June, you will need to go deeper to find success through the balance of the summer.

According to Herman, jigging and trolling work on Odell when kokanee leave the surface. Any ¾- to 1-ounce jig works well when dropped to the level the fish are holding. The most productive colors include pink pearl, red, white and orange.

When trolling, Herman has found that a small Spin-n-Glo-hoochie/squid lure rigged a short distance – 8 to 12 inches – behind a kokanee dodger and trolled at 1.1 to 1.5 miles per hour is what yields strikes. The most productive colors here include mostly pink color combinations.

The gear is mostly bigger when it comes to Mackinaw. Herman has found, however, that Odell’s lake trout (sometimes referred to as char for their genus) can be finicky about what size jig might entice them on any given day. For this reason a selection of 1- to 6-ounce jig sizes is what he carries. For Odell Macks, the most productive jig colors include white, gold and red.

Mackinaw also respond to plugs ranging in size from 31/2 to 6 inches. High-action plugs like Mag Lip, FlatFish and KwikFish all work. Silver/blue “scale” is a productive color, as are pearl, pink pearl and gold. Herman runs these 60 to 80 feet back before sending them deep on a downrigger set to run 10 to 20 feet above bottom, depending on how deep the plug dives.

What seems to get Macks to strike is to have your lure occasionally trip/rub bottom. Though Herman has caught them at pretty much all depths, his guiding has revealed most are taken at 100 to 180 feet.

NEARBY CRESCENT LAKE offers similar

opportunities for Macks and kokes.

And for trophy-size kokanee, Herman says you might try Wickiup Reservoir,

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although there is a big caveat this year. While its landlocked sockeye can average 16 to 24 inches and sometimes tip the scale at 3 to 5 pounds, everyone is a little unsure what to expect this season as last year’s reservoir drawdown to near nothing likely reduced the fish population. Wickiup was also just 40 percent full at press time.

Later this month, as water temps rise, Odell’s lake trout seem to become more lethargic and not bite as well as earlier in the season. Because of this, June is a transition month for Herman, finding him switching focus to lakes with rainbows, browns, brook trout and, of course, kokanee. His favorite haunts include East, Paulina, Lava and Crane Prairie. And although rainbow and other trout come in all sizes, those in these waters average 12 to 18 inches in length. However, based on conditions and level of persistence, his clients catch a fair number of 3- to 5-pound rainbows and browns.

HERMAN WAS JUST finishing up his guiding trips for spring Chinook from his 30-foot center-console craft when I interviewed him for this article. He was excited about getting over to Bend to ready his smaller 20-foot jet sled and two 22-foot pontoon boats for this past April’s opener.

And while he will be guiding trout trips this summer, he plans to return to the west side for salmon trips on the ocean, Buoy 10 and the Columbia, just like he has every year since 2012. Meanwhile, he has several qualified guides working the trout beat on his behalf under his guiding permit.

To learn more about Herman, catch his TV show, which is on NBC Sports and Amazon Prime, friend him on Facebook/ Instagram, and visit dayoneoutdoors.com. You just might excite yourself enough to visit this inland fishery and, possibly, book a fishing adventure with the one person I know who has expanded his guiding operation to include waters on the east and west sides of Oregon’s Cascades. NS

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.