Report: Silver Lake 8 June 2008

Meet up with Z at Silver lake about 2:30 pm.  I would have been there earlier but I was having a problem finding a public boat launch.  Turns out that the first place I stopped with all the big red "parking permit required" signs was the place and the parking tag I got with my WA license months ago was the required permit.

When I finally met up with Z across the lake he reported that he had one trout on his fourth or fifth cast so things where looking good.

Despite the cool weather of last week and today, Sunday afternoon on Silver Lake was quite nice.  Warm 70 degree water, hardly any wind, lots of blooming lily pads, and views of both Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams.  The lake itself is stained and about 9 ft deep.  After years of California and now Oregon deep reservoir bass fishing I'd forgotten what it was like to fish a shallow bass lake.  I came completely unprepared (tip: don't bring deep diving plugs to Silver Lake).

Z and I headed over to the far shore to try and yank a largemouth out of the lily pads.  We heard a  large fish bust in the middle of the lily pads as we approached so we were getting pretty worked up at the prospect of some top water action.  I figured I could probably hook a large bass in the lily pads, but to land it would be another feat altogether.  After a few casts, I managed to land my lure on the top of a large fish's head and the explosion on the water was intense.  With a few more casts we had these lily pads looking like the fountains in front of the Bellagio and I realized that these probably weren't the 10 lb bass we were hoping they were.  Oh they were certainly fish and they probably weighed between 5 and 20 lbs, but they weren't bass.  I paddled in closer and finally saw a couple up close.. large carp warming themselves in the shallows of the lily pads.  If only I had brought the dough balls.

Final score.. Z one trout, me nothing but a good day on the lake.

Anyway, I got to fish with Z again, I met his wife and dog, and I also got to check out his brand new Hobie Adventure.

Brian

From the picture it looks like a perfect day for a paddle anyway

Rob.

B.S.,

So what's the mountain in the background?  The shape looks all wrong for Ranier.  Is that you in the picture then?  Hey, I LIKE that hat!

Fishin-T

B.S.,

So what's the mountain in the background?  The shape looks all wrong for Ranier.  Is that you in the picture then?  Hey, I LIKE that hat!

Fishin-T

Looks like Zee in his new ride in the picture.  And that looks like St Helens in the background ... with a lot of snow on her still.

-Allen

That's Z on his new ride, and I thought that was actually Mt. Adams in the background.  Mt. Saint Helens was also visible slightly to the south.  However, looking at a map, St. Helens is definitely the closest to Silver Lake, but Mt Adams is right behind Helens and Rainer is about as close as Adams.  The mountian behind Z was to the Northeast so I'm now thining it was Rainer.  I'm confused now.. I should have stopped at the visitor center.

Here's a map.   The "A" is the launch at Silver Lake.  The mountains are the obvious white circles.  Clockwise from the top  Mt. Rainer, Mt. Adams, Mt. Saint Helens.  To me it looks like we just had an odd view of Rainer.

Brian

Here's a "Mt. Rainer from Silver Lake" picture that confirms that it was Mt Rainer (unless we're both wrong).


http://www.flickr.com/photos/59104218@N00/1030697670/

Yer prolly right Brian ... which explains why I though she had a lot of snow on her still.

-Allen

Actually Mt. Saint Helens does have a lot of snow on her still.  Although I suppose this could be Mt. Adams.  At least in Portland I know where Mt. Hood is.

BTW, did you know that there is something like nine "Silver Lake"s in Washington State?

I headed out to Portland to drop the X off to Phynix (Enjoy!!) and then headed back up to Silver Lake. Beauty of a day w/ almost no clouds and wind. Like B said, I got the Adventure all ready and  made a few casts and BAM! first fish to the yak and fish blood ground breaking done. It was probably the most beautiful trout I'd ever caught but wanted to get in back to the water and skipped the pic. Plus, it was only like my 5th cast so I'd get a ton more right?... Well it was a beauty of a day on the lake. Great to meet up w. ya again B! Gotta make it out that way again.

Z

BTW, did you know that there is something like nine "Silver Lake"s in Washington State?

yep, my mapping softwares gets confuselboggled when i just type in "silver lake, washington"