Noob wanting to check out Sand Lake for flounder, suggestions?

Weather should be beautiful this weekend, and based on posts I've found here, thinking of heading to Sand Lake to scout it out a bit.  It sounds like best access to the estuary is simply via Sald Lake road off 101, is that right?  Any other suggestions or tips?  While this is just a scouting trip, once we gear up and get out there, I'll let you know what we learn about finding the flatties here, if you have interest.

By way of introduction, my wife and I have been kayak fishing in Texas (Espiritu Santo, Contee, Aransas, Galveston Bays mainly) for many a year and target mainly flounder (which makes us kind of unusual, but hey, founder eat better than almost anything...!). We are in the long process of moving to Portland and are now at a point where we need to scout out a few places and begin the process of gearing up for the local weather and deeper/colder waters.  Have read your posts on safety and really appreciate the advice and will be using much, if not all of it.  I can also share some great fishin' spots from Sabine to Galveston down to Corpus Christi in Texas if any of you ever plan to visit.

Thanks in advance, Bud

Welcome aboard!!

I don't know anything about Sand Lake, but I can tell you our PNW flounder are not the same as what you fished in TX. I grew up in the South East fishing them on the East Coast of  FL, the Gulf from the FL Pan Handel all the way through Gulf Shores AL, and quite a bit of time in Mobile Bay AL. I've personally found jigging with Berkley Saltwater Gulp is the best way to get'em up here, and the Starry flounder is the best table fare of all the PNW species. You can easily tell them apart by the striped fins and rough scales.

We have a lot of members in the PDX area. I'm sure you'll have no prob finding info, and people to fish with. Our fishery is WAY different than what we are accustom to in the south, but it's been a blast learning how/targeting fish I never thought I would see in person.

The easiest place to put in, and have the most water to play in is at the Fisherman's access point near the SandLake OHV area. 

Pictured in the link below.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=45.282315,-123.95667&spn=0.003435,0.014656&t=h&z=17

I have attempted to fish for them flatties only a few times with limited success.  They are in there, you just have to find them.  I used a slip float for casting, an egg sinker, and a few feet of leader bouncing a shrimp along the bottom from shore.  And also just bounced the shrimp offering along the bottom just drifting the kayak along with the incoming tide.   There are crab in there too, and you can catch them by accident with the shrimp offering.

You may even have fun putting in at this area.  Crab for sure, other sea kittens maybe?
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=45.27335,-123.946354&spn=0.001718,0.007328&t=h&z=18

Excellent, thanks, guys!  Yeah, I certainly expect it will be a lot different fishing her, lots to learn, which is great, since I think things had actually gotten a bit boring in TX.  Will be interesting to see which of my tricks work and don't work here.  Thanks again, Bud