Potholes Reservoir

Anybody been to Potholes Reservoir near Moses Lake? I hear the fishing for walleye and bass is pretty good, but I've also heard some more troubling things about the place.

lol gangs.  I recently had a group of thugs / gangstas living in the house behind mine.  They had a shoot out in the alley that runs between our houses.  Maybe I'm just screwed up in the head, but I just sat there and laughed (after telling my kids to lay down on the floor) as I watched them hiding behind the car with handguns and one kid with an AK-style rifle, chambered in .22  - the kid jumped out beside the car and held his AK at waist level, spraying rounds everywhere... well everywhere except on his target.  I really wish my kids hadn't been there that day, I don't like them to experience that kind of thing, and I would have permanently resolved the problem had they not been there.

But yeah, I'm going to fish Moses Lake on Memorial Day weekend if we get time.  We'll be staying at the sand dunes and we have other plans, including taking the kids to the water park and playing on high octane machines - but I still hope to fish, if the lake isn't completely full of drunken morons.  That said, I always carry.  Some people don't understand why but to me it's a no-brainer.

2 men shot and killed the armored car driver at the Lakewood Wal-Mart (less than 5 miles from my house)
Crazy guy shot the 4 Lakewood cops (less than 5 miles from my house)
Crazy guy shot up Tacoma Mall and killed multiple completely innocent bystanders (less than 3 miles from my house)
The previously mentioned shoot-out directly behind my house (oh took cops 30 minutes to respond to that too!)
I also completely omitted the burglaries and armed robberies that happen in Tacoma/Lakewood on a weekly basis, because it would take me too long to type them all up!

Then we have crazies like that nut-job that killed the park ranger on Mount Rainier.  Of ALL the places to get attacked by a psycho, I thought that would be the last.  Just goes to show, you never know when/where your life will be in danger.

Zero tolerance for gangs and gang members. Zero, zippo, NADA!
As far as I am concerned, gang members gave up any claims to having any civil rights the moment they joined a gang. The only good gang member is a dead one. I will never speak out against, nor be overly concerned about any "heavy handed" response by law enforcement to gang activity. I don't even think its possible for them to get heavy enough with coming down hard on gangs.

I hate hand guns, but I might go get a CWP and start to carry.

Potholes does have good walleye and bass fishing, with perch and trout also plentiful, and an occasional bonus from fishing for the walleye.  As a matter of fact i caught the largest walleye i have ever caught from this lake!  It has been a while since I've been there, but have seen some good reports from there recently.  I wont go back to Mardon Resort because of bad customer service i received from the Messburg (sp?) family when i stayed there and rented a boat from them.  I have heard the state campground is fairly wide open and not much for shade, but the fishing is good in general.  I plan on heading out that way soon, but memorial day we have a large group going out on a charter from Westport.  Good luck!

As a kid we did lots of camping at Mardon usually 2 weeks a summer.  Walley and bass fishing in the dunes seems to be the ticket but some do good along the dam and near the state park.  Besides Mardon and the state park I have been told that there is a free place to camp on the opposite side as the lake but never been there myself. So potholes has good fishing and the sand dunes are pretty awesome.  I have always wanted to do some kayak fishing/camping in the dunes but never have done it.  (supposedly there is a place to launch in the sand dunes just off the road you drive on to get to the state park)

I plan on heading out that way soon, but memorial day we have a large group going out on a charter from Westport.  Good luck!

On may 26th we are also going on a charter boat out of Westport for some bottom fishing action on the Rampage thru Westport sports fishing

tread jack:
doing the same with the bottom fishing- but with Westport charters on the Tornado with Captain Dwight- we did the same trip last year- great time!!!

Lots of carp in Potholes too.

Potholes Resort is one of my favorite places to fish and sail. I recently sailed, paddled, and pedaled my Hobie sail yak from the top of Moses Lake then through the channel to the Potholes Reservoir, then into the Potholes canal through the chain lakes, to Othello WA. I did this trip with my son in 2 days, it was amazing. You can read this article at www.funtofish.com . You can also find great info about all the launches and main access points on the Potholes Res. at www.boatingtheinlandnw.com . In 2013 it looks like we will be putting together a kayak fishing tournament on this Res.

Sounds like a good time!

Yeah, I'd love to make that!

I'll be on Moses Lake and/or Potholes Res for a couple of days in a couple of weeks.  Any suggestions on bass and walleye fishing/launch locations?  Any tips on terminal gear?

Last year we launched into Moses Lake at Battery Street ramp and caught both walleye and bass in that east channel.  Interesting waters within just 2 nm in both directions from this ramp. 

I'm also thinking of using the Sullivan Damn boat launch for access to Lind Coulee Walleye and Rock Pile and rip-rap bass.  Again, from the Sullivan Damn boat ramp interesting water is within just 2 nm in both directions. 

Best guess will be a day on each lake.

Domenick go to www.funtofish.com and slide down the page and read my articles about kayaking/sail yaking Moses Lake, Potholes Res. & Canal, and Chain Lakes. Might be some good info in there for you. I am doing this trip again and this time taking my GoPro Camera to film that trip. Also if you go to www.boatingtheinlandnw.com and click on both Grant County sections you will get a lot of info on the lakes of the area. Still working on it with the next phase adding detailed maps that will be downloadable.

Thanks.  I did read the sailing account - interesting, but no fishing info.  I also checked out the Grant County section of the other website and already had all the boat launches marked.  Got any fishing tips?  Going to stock up on wedding ring rigs for walleye and already have bottom bouncers, Lindy sinkers, soft plastic leeches, worms, and minnows to tip with.  Crankbaits, surface poppers, spinners, soft plastics, and slide sinkers for bass. 

Demonick, i have found that the Cha Cha rig tipped with a nightcrawler worm is great for the Walleye.  So when your in the Wedding ring section, reach over and grab a couple Cha Cha's- you'll be glad you did-

If I head up to Potholes, it will be for walleye. Only fresh water fish I've found that freezes well. Caught 'em as a young lad on Lake Erie. I reckon I'd take a nine or ten pound largemouth bass just for fun. The deal with the gangs has got me a little worried, hate to have my truck broken into...