Has anyone ever been successful for coho or chinook on Sammamish Lake? I have never seen any posts about it. Can you give me some feedback? What method of fishing? Techniques?

I have heard the same setup you would use for sockeye will also work for kings and coho in the lakes. That is just hear-say and I do not have any fish to back it up with. I have also heard using Wiggle Warts can be productive in lakes also. I know for a fact Wiggle Warts work in the rivers for salmon. I have caught many a coho in the Green using Wiggle Warts.

Just thought I would bring this one back up to the top to see if I get any more bites.

Nibble, nibble.....I bet big SAM will be worth a try later this month for kings. I fished it a couple of years ago, right in front of Issaquah Creek. Did not have any luck though. Wasn't using 'riggers.

Personally, I woudn't even bother with this fishery. It's more of a PR gesture by the state than a legitimate chance to catch kings and silvers. The fish are usually VERY dark, and have been sitting in fresh water a while. They are notoriously tight-lipped as well. Some folks have had success trolling wrapped kwikfish off of downriggers near the mouth of Issaquah creek. Come the first rains of fall the snaggers used to line up at the creek mouth and jerk buzzbombs until the game wardens would show up. You're supposed to stay 1/4 mile away from the creek, so if you go, I'd suggest trolling deep near the center of the lake.

Busy,

I've had very limited success catching fish there, but off the mouth of the creek, at least the 1/4 mile that's required, you'll mark school after school of kings, usually at about 45-60 feet.

I don't have downriggers, or a boat for that matter, so I'm not surprised I've had little luck. The only decent king I've caught there was with a coyote spoon behind a 2 oz. sinker, no dodger or flasher, on my light steelhead rod trolling in my float tube.

The fish weighed about 18 pounds, was definitely bright enough to keep, and drug me around the lake for about 20 minutes until I finally landed it off the beach near the swimming area around the corner from Issaquah Creek.

Really fun, but not too productive.

I, too, have heard that the dodger/bare hook setup works for the coho, but the kings seem to be more numerous and in better shape. Just be careful to not get associated with the numbnuts all over the creek mouth bar with jigs chasing old kings in two feet of water.

Fish on...

Todd.

Hey Easy,
I'm going to try to hit the lake when it opens the 16th. Maybe even in the evening. Going to try to hook up with Tom also. Maybe you can join us.
So nice to fish for salmon in fresh water.

Count me in! I can do some evening fishing.

That is the kind of input that I am interested in . Thanks guys. Mike and Carl, I am definitely interested....let's make it a plan to see what there is.