Olallie Lake advice

Planning on heading to Olallie Lakes area for a few days of fishing and camping.  I am looking looking for some advice on what works (or has worked in the past, your results may vary), techniques, gear, times....planning on bringing both spinning and fly gear.

Has anyone explored some of the other lakes in the area with good trail access, thinking of dragging the boat in, maybe...

Also has anyone tried catching crawdads in Olallie? After watching the video from Uplandsandpiper thought it might be worth a try...

Thanks in advance! 

I put in crawdad traps last year and caught exactly nothing, nor did I see any crawdads in the lake. I saw dozens of fish, but could not entice them with anything. My brother caught one hatchery fish on a small Dick Nite spoon - red & gold, I believe.

PM sent

One of my favorite places!  Perfect kayak fishing lake.  I've been fishing in small row boats and rubber rafts since I was 4 or 5 years old, though I don't make it up there nearly as often any more...

No crawdads that I'm aware of - usually plenty of salamanders, frogs, and planter trout.  You might try Timothy Lake if you're interested in crawdads.

In the past, we've had good to great success catching decent sized rainbows (and the occasional brood trout) by flat line trolling spruce flies - no weight and fine 3# leader.  Fishing this method along the coves and points under Olallie Butte, early mornings and late evenings has always been fun!

I also know that people have success in the deeper middle of the lake with more conventional trolling gear - ford fenders, etc. 

One note - spent a day up there last summer with my son.  We C&Rd a few dozen fish, keeping the injured ones, stopping once we'd limited.  The fish were much smaller than they had been in the past, most barely 8 - 9 inches in length.  And not much fun, even on ultralight trout gear.  I'd heard that they might have switched to a different hatchery for fish stocking a few years ago - was not happy with the quality/size/spunk/etc of fish we caught.

Hope this helps - my only experience in the nearby lakes is for swimming (no swimming allowed in Olallie)...

-Sam

6lb test to a les davis`s "baby lake troll"(all silver blades)  18 inch leader 4 lb test to size 6 baitholder hook. half nightcrawler. ssssllllloooowwww trolled  from point at the yurt to point kinda kitty corner left to point  across lake. early eve. to dark. also first light. ...... cast yellowish body with orangy/black spots size 1/16 roostertail silver blade from the point at the yurt(6lb test).  maybe changed as last time was there maybe 4 yrs ago? sounds like they are not stocking it with many big fish like they use to?  the last 9-11 miles to the lake use to be kinda shitty washboard, guessing still is? plz post report good or bad.

Thanks for the advice!  Will give a report when we return.  Hoping that there will be a few pictures to share!  Nothing else it is a good place to go camping.

Trip Report from Olallie Lake. 
Thanks again for the advice and suggestions.  I was able to get a few planter trout everyday.  Some on flys and others trolling a variety of lures.  Seems like almost all trout offerings will work.  Talked to several other people and everyone had a different secret for success.  The watre is very clear so long leaders are helpful.  Did make and attempt for crawdads (had to find out for myself) and struck out.
The strong winds did limit waving the bug wand around.  I would suggest bringing a spinning rod as a back-up. 

The huckleberries are in season right NOW!  Was able to pick enough to have huckleberry pancakes on two mornings!!

The road to Olallie is rough, really rough.  Forest Service primitive!!  Narrow, bumpy, washboards, lucky to hit 15mph for the last 7 miles.  But it is worth it!!  Scenery, hiking, boating and fishing are wonderful, it is just not a day trip in my book.  Plan to stay a few days and enjoy.  Many of the campsites have access to the lake, with available kayak parking!

The bald eagles and osprey did much better at fishing than I did!!

How were the bugs this time of year? And did you have a camping reservation or do a walk up site? Thinking of going next weekend and would be good to get a scout ahead!

No bugs to speak of last weekend, and there were campsites open in the Peninsula CG.  I believe that all of the campgrounds at Olallie are first come, no reservations.
Good luck if you go!