Ross Lake

I have been invited on a 7-day canoe trip this July on Ross Lake. Apparently this group does not normally fish. I plan to.

Who can give me some tips on gear, location, methods, etc. for fishing on Ross Lake in July?

I'll be taking ultralight rod/reels and am intending to do some sort of trolling from a canoe or simply bank fishing.

Any information would be appreciated.

fool

Some links to look at. A pretty location to go fishing/camping. As with most reservoirs/lakes, especially ones that drop off quickly along the shoreline, you best off trolling close to shore (less than 20' depth), working the points and inlets and if casting from shore with lures cast parallel to shore. Try letting your lure sink some before beginning your retrieve. A bubble and fly might be a good bet in the evening or early morning.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/vacation/ross_lake.html

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/washington/122/

http://www.fishingmagician.com/
Try this and he does a good job for folks. Oh yeah he is a WDFW Commissioner just so you know.

What Bushbear said.

Any of the creek outflows are also good (Big Beaver etc.).
A short hike up Big Beaver, casting micro spinners is also good to go.

I was just up there last weekend and it was COLD. Should warm up some before July....

Floatin' Fool,

Bushbear's first link mentions that Ross Lake now has redside shiners. Since the illegally introduced minnows became abundant, the lake's bull trout and rainbow trout grow larger with the added forage base. Rainbows reach 25" and bull trout - which you cannot technically target and must release - can reach 30". The floating resort near Ross Dam has two redside shiner fly patterns if you don't tie your own. The owner/operator gave me samples a few years ago that I misplaced. Troll or cast and strip shiner imitations along the shore, near snags or other debris and hang on.

Selective gear regulations are in effect, so it's artificial flies and lures, no bait, single barbless hooks.

If you're canoeing, don't get caught in the middle of the lake after about 1:00 in the afternoon. The wind can kick up a nasty chop and waves, making paddling unpleasant, if not downright dangerous.

Sg

I'm not a bug tosser, so I'll have spinning gear. I've done small flies using a clear bubble float, long leader, and a small fly on the end. If I cast and slowly strip this combo, might it entice a strike?

Salmo's words about 25-30" troutskies simply warms my heart. If we're trolling, perhaps I should secure my rod, rather than just letting it drape over the side of the canoe.....

thanks all,

fool

I think you can make a bubble/fly work. Might want to try about 3' of leader to a swivel and a small split shot at the swivel, put the bubble on your main line above the swivel. When you pause your retrieve, you can free spool some line allowing the fly to sink back down before your next retrieve.

Looking forward to your report later this summer.

6 lb main line, 4 lb leader?

I'm not a scholar on selective fishing rules. Single barbless on all lures, too? Does anyone have suggestions on how to change out treble hooks on small lure? The split ring is ever so small and the small trebles are real hooky....

Is powerbait considered bait? I'm sure it is, since the goal is for the fish to not swallow the hook.

fool

To de-treble your spinners, use some cutting pliers or a bolt cutter to cut the treble eye, remove the treble, and replace with a smallish siwash hook (which is easily closed around the split ring with a pair of pliers). You may want to look up some redside shiner pics, to get a feel for what color combinations might work best. Sounds like a silver blade over a red body might work....

For trout of the gawdy proportions mentioned, I would step up to 6-lb. leaders, especially for spin fishing.

Spoons and spinners, it couldnt be simpler. Usually the bite is deep during mid day and in a canoe it may be best to just get up early to fish and fish late since trolling deep in a canoe is usually an excersize in wasting time.

People over think this fishery because the bite comes and goes dramatically. When the bite is on any lure will work. I prefer spoons (cleos usually or boyant) because they cast further and cover more water and can be trolled between spots without rerigging.

Here's how you do the bubble thing.

Bubbleology 101:

Get any fillable bubble. The larger the bubble, the farther you can cast. Fill it 1/2 full, no more than 3/4. Take about 2 feet of heavy 15 - 20 lb line and tie a small swivel on one end. Take your bubble and slip it on the mono with the smaller center tube end towards the swivel and slide it all the way down to said swivel. Measure about 6 - 8" of your line and tie in another swivel on the other end in that spot. You should end up with a pre-tied bubble assembly. swivel -
bubble - swivel. About 6 - 8" long in total. Pre-ties are easy to store and manage. They are perfect if you want to switch between flies and a lure. Just cut off your main line at the leading swivel to fish lures. Re-tie at the swivel when you want to go back to flies. No need to remove the leader and fly at all.

Now tie onto your main 6 - 8 lb line. Tie it on so that the smaller bubble tube end is facing towards your rod (main line). You don't want it backwards or the center tube may push out from being reeled in. On the other end / swivel end, tie on your leader. 6 - 8' of 6 lb. Flouro for line shy fish. Now tie on your wet fly (wooly bugger, shiner pattern - whatever). Add a small split shot about 2 feet above your fly and you are good to go.

Now, cast out nice and slow and as FAR as you can. With 6 - 8' of leader below your bubble, make sure to lift the fly off the ground. Nice and slow smooth cast.

Once the bubble hits the water, do not do anything until the splash rings disappear. Just let is sit for 20 - 30 seconds. Now retrieve in slower than you have ever reeled before and then go even slower. Watch your bubble and if you begin to make a bubble wake, you are reeling much too fast. Don't try to strip, just reel super slow. If the bubble tracks in any direction that is not straight towards you, set the hook.

Grill trout.

FF,

I wouldn't go lighter than 6# test line/leader. You may not need a bubble for your spinning outfit, but it's probably a good idea to have one along. I think a couple small, size BB split shot, will give you casting weight and achieve the shallow depth you'll generally fish near shorelines. While trolling works, I think cast and strip is more effective in imitating the way the shiners swim. You might do that by lifting your spinning rod tip a couple feet and then slowly reeling down to where you began the lift, sort of like fishing a jig.

The shiners have totally changed that fishery.

Sg

Leaded line + needlefish and full sink line + Woolley bugger have always been my go to canoe set ups.

I've been having amazing success with "pistol pete" flies. Flat lined out of a boat/canoe/whatever.


Bubble + shiner pattern sounds fun.

That fly brings back memories of lake fishing with the ol' man.
We would flat-line troll propeller flies like that....typical color was a Cardinal red.
Also on a calm evening a flat-lined Muddler pattern would work well.
They make a nice little wake......and then wham !!

I've also had good luck drowning a dry fly pattern using the same flat-line trolling method.

The small size Flatfish in Michael Jackson is yet another flat-line trout whacker.

The pulsation of rowing, I think adds an advantage over motor trolling.

Flat-line = no weight.....tie directly to your bug and get it out 100' or so.

One more thing.....
Don't let them take your rod away....they WILL try to take your rod away.

Good luck !

Edit:
If this represents those shiners, then a Thomas Buoyant spoon will whack them very, very well.
I would add a split ring (or snap swivel) to the nose of Thomas and also continue with the flat-line method.

Fly casting one of those is fun,... hearing the buzz of that propeller spinning as the fly whips by your ear at Mach 1.

You must bring the camp host a fresh-baked apple pie in order to receive the permit to run propeller flies on restricted lakes.


LOL

ive been to ross a couple times, fishing is usually pretty good for around here. the trout are good size and really pretty. most fish are about 16-18", and occasionally up to about 22". dont expect to see any of those "25-30 inch" fish mentioned earlier. the northernmost 2 miles of the lake is where the best fishing is, as its the only shallow zone with a respectable food chain. although there is brookies and bull trout, its real rare to catch one, other than up in the skagit. coho killers are a pretty good match for the forage base in the lake, but i would recommend swapping out that meat hook for a lighter wire. ross is the boss!

Right up front....I've never fished Ross Land BUT I did fish Diablo Lake, back in the early 1960's. Diablo Lake is right below Ross Lake.

There was NO North Cascades hi-way, at that time, the complete HI way wasn't complete until 1974.

I remember 4 of us left Bellevue early to be a Diablo Lake around daylight. I also remember having to walk from the base of the dam up to the lake. Only 1 of the four had fished this lake, so it was a new experience for 3 of us. Trout fishing was my passion, at that time. Bear Ck., around Redmond, all the local lakes, and many of the "pot holes lakes in Eastern WA. I still have some of the lures I used that morning, 50+ years ago. We all caught fish, that morning......we all lost fish, broken lines/leaders. The fish were BIG, most were in the 21" - 25", fought like heck.

The lures I remember using: skinny Minnie, super duper, roster tail, and small spinners. All cast from the bank, no resort on the lake.

Got married in 1963, went to college in 1964-68, started teaching 1968, in Aberdeen, so never went back to fish. Did trailer the North Cascades hi way, it is truly one of the most beautiful trips you can make.

I'm not sure if the "skinny Minnie or super duper" are still available but they sure worked, IN THE OLD DAYS!!!!!

Super dupers are still around, I use gold ones for trout a lot and they still work great. Never heard of a skinny Minnie though

My wife and I took a trip up there a couple of years ago on a whim. We rented a boat from the resort and camped a couple of nights up the lake a ways. Fishing was excellent for us. Basically, I would motor until the shiners would show and then I would troll a one ounce sinker to a five foot leader with a silver Canadian Wonder spoon at the end. Troll through school, rod buries, land fish, and repeat. Evening bite was best; big fish was a 24" football.