Beaver Lake, Issaquah, WA

Beaver Lake, Issaquah, WA

Not much of a secret, but perhaps not widely known here.

http://www.pnwadventures.com/press-releases/king-countys-beaver-lake-to-receive-2000-large-hatchery-rainbow-trout/

I'm heading out this morning.  Tried a couple of weeks ago and I think I was the only person on the lake including boats and shore that didn't catch something 

Beaver is my "home turf"...  I'll be there this weekend braving the crowds trying to improve my paltry AOTY score. 

Beware, after every plant it turns into amateur hour here with quite a few disrespectful knuckleheads.  If you don't mind, bring a small trash bag with you and police the launch a little while you are there; this launch gets trashed by people who have no intention of cleaning up after themselves.

Hey Yarjammer,

If you're up for some company, I'd like to join ya.

I'd love the company.  I'll be hitting it Saturday, rain or rain.   

I'll post up the time as the weekend draws closer.

Yar... please let me know what time. i think i might just join all of ya.. Rich has to work.

Got skunked after 5 hours on the water 8am-1pm.  Nobody was catching fish trolling.  Everyone catching fish was either fishing from shore or anchored and plunking power bait in shallow water.  I can understand plunking in the summer when it's warm and sunny, and one can sit back, crack a beer, light a smoke, and just wait like a mushroom.  Not so much in the winter.  

More than a dozen shore fishers, and about 2 dozen boats at the busiest.  Most of the boats were clustered at the south end around the cultural center and the boat launch.  A few boats were at the other end, but did not seem to be doing as well.  Watch the bottom hump in the middle of the south end.  Saw some big fish at 20-30 feet on the FF and lots of pan fish and bass (?) hugging the bottom in the deepest stretch.  The suspended fish were big and solid and I assume trout.  They were taking nothing.  Small flatfish, larger kwikfish, EZ-Eggs, worms, minnows, leeches, rooster tails.  Nada.  I even used a jet diver as a Hail Mary to get the gear down.  

I launched from the Cultural center beach.  Was very polite in gently squeezing out between a couple shore fishers.  When I beached on the way in, a guy came over and started chatting about the boat and such.  After about 5 minutes of chatting while I got the boat on the cart and ready for the haul to the truck, someone started yelling "fish on".  The guy I am talking to looks at his rod and it is jumping in the rod holder he has stuck in the dirt.  Grabs the rod plays the fish in near shore, but is having trouble landing it, so I asked if I could help with my net.  I netted the fish and it was gorgeous.  20", bright red coloring, deep and fat.  I'm guessing 3.5 lbs.  At least my net tasted fish.

This is the second time Beaver Lake has skunked me trolling.  

I might have gotten desperate enough to try a food pellet imitation on those fresh stockers. I fished for some fresh stockers last month about three weeks after they were stocked. Those dumb fish still hadn't learned how to eat properly yet. I kept four, and only one had anything in its stomach. It was a cedar twig with two cones attached, and I figure the trout could have mistaken it for a crawdad or food pellets. (I bet it was food pellets).

I'd also try slow trolling a size 10 black sparkle bugger over the school of suspended trout.

Somebody recently posted a similar report on Beaver Lake over at Washingtonflyfishing.com

I might head up that way Saturday as well.

I might have gotten desperate enough to try a food pellet imitation on those fresh stockers. I fished for some fresh stockers last month about three weeks after they were stocked. Those dumb fish still hadn't learned how to eat properly yet. I kept four, and only one had anything in its stomach. It was a cedar twig with two cones attached, and I figure the trout could have mistaken it for a crawdad or food pellets. (I bet it was food pellets).

OK, I want to see some food pellet flies!!!!  Hmm, I might have to try my hand at that this weekend.   

I don't know about flies, but powerbait has a 'hatchery trout' pellet they sell as bait.  I have a bag of them  :-)

spot.. come on up bring the herd too and us washington folks can show you oregon folks how to fish.. LOL...


Yar... so what time are we all meeting up there and where do you launch.

SG

Being that I am quite possibly the worst trout fisherman on the water I'm not sure if time of day really matters in the same way it does for bass.  I'm thinking 6:30 or 7ish.  The parking around the launch and in the park fills up pretty quick.  I launch from the WDFW launch across from the park.  If you want to launch from the park, bring a cart!

Apparently Google Maps doesn't recognize the launch...  I've marked up the map below.  It is a PIA to go from one to the other, so do map yourself to the Park when you wanted to go to the launch.  If you use Google move the "tack" onto the road next to the lauch and you should be fine. 

Amos..... i just clicked on that link and all i got was the maps no location.. got a address. and 7am sounds good to me.

what suggestions would you give for bait for this lake?

SG

Being that I am quite possibly the worst trout fisherman on the water...

No idea on the bait... I hear chart. power eggs do well.  I'll be using the powerbait I bought for the Oregon trip with whatever else I can dig out of my tacklebox. 

If you have an anchor or drogue I'd bring it, the wind can really pick up on this lake if you don't plan on trolling the whole time.

On a previous trip and from a fishing report yesterday from a buddy, little Hot Shots plugs seem to be trolling well on Beaver Lake.  I picked up a couple at Fred Meyer and some Power Bait.

http://www.luhrjensen.com/products/trout-lures/hot-shot-trout
http://www.luhrjensen.com/tech-info/tech-reports
http://www.sportfishingbc.com/articles/tackle_reviews/hotshots.htm

Good Luck!