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I’m not seeing any stocking data there, either. I haven’t paid too much attention to WDFW’s site, but it looks like they changed the database they are using to list the high lakes at some point.
Yeah, that fish looks skinny so it likely comes from a lake with a stunted population.
It is true that the EB in Pothole are healthy. As are the ones in Granite past Bertha May. But they are unusual in that regard. Fish end up stunted because they eat their way through all the available food in the lake. That in turn threatens some native amphibians and can even cause shifts in zooplankton populations.
But even in lakes where the EB are not stunted any EB that can escape downstream pose a threat to native fish populations. If RB can drop down from Bertha May to Pothole it stands to reason that EB can likely fall out of Pothole and down to the Nisqually.
The EB in Pothole are naturally reproducing. They were stocked in there every so often from the 30s through the 60s. EB don’t need running water to spawn so they are especially likely to become established in high lakes if they are stocked there.
They also stocked Bertha May with EB in the 30s, but as far as I know, they are no longer there. Fortunately.
As for the RB, I suppose it is possible it came down from Bertha May.
I’ve never been in there so I can only speculate. But my assumption has always been that you work you way down through the cliffs from the Summit Lake trail. That is obviously extremely rugged country so you would have be be very careful.
Mason Lake is a fine spot, but it will be very, very busy on the weekend. If you keep on going into Rainbow or Island it would probably be far less crowded. Talapus and Olallie are too crowded on the weekend, but going over to Pratt would be nice.
The Foss Lakes (Copper, Little Heart, Big Heart, etc.) are always nice. Necklace Valley is great.
Snow Lake sees a lot of people, but it is worth it. You can continue on to the Wildcat Lakes.
Nordrum or Snoqualmie Lakes are great. Or you could go up Dingford Creek and hit Myrtle or Hester.
I haven’t even gotten outside the Alpine Lakes Wilderness! So many great options.
It is kind of hard to say. Because their gill rakers are more narrowly spaced, RB can feed more effectively on zooplankton then other species. So sometimes you will find RB in deep water targeting copepods. The dynamics in a relatively productive lake like Evan are a bit different then in higher, less productive lakes. The only real way to know what will be effective is to start trying a bunch of different things to see what you get.
There could be a number of things going on, but as a general rule, CT are easier to catch than RB. CT tend to be more aggressive and in many lakes they can be largely spatially separated from RB as the CT cruise the shallows while RB hang toward the middle.
Janus is about 3.5 miles in if you start from Smithbrook Rd.
Trout Lake is pretty meh. But Copper and above are really nice.
Dorothy is a nice spot. It gets very busy on weekends, but it is a large lake so it absorbs a lot of people. A raft helps for fishing.
Forest and Lonesome Lakes in Pierce County are in need of surveys. Both are drive to lakes. I recommend avoiding camping at those lakes on the weekend, especially Lonesome. Forest has a population of goldfish and surveys on their abundance and size is particularly welcome.
Hyas is a flat and easy hike, but a popular spot. Squaw Lake, in the same area, fits your parameters. And the Hi-Laker new member trip will be there on 6-7 July.
Janus Lake would be a nice spot. Josephine, Swimming Deer, Trap, Mig, or Susan Jane would all be good. While we are in the Stevens Pass area the Grace Lakes can be a fun hike if you enjoy the interesting detritus while walking through the ski area.
Down by Mt Rainier you could go to the Deadwood Lakes. No official trail, but there is a way trail. Sheep Lake is right on the trail and nearby. The Dewey Lakes are a short hike the other direction.
Twin Sisters Lakes are nice. Or off White Pass you could visit Hell Lake, or go the other direction to Cramer Lake and from there visit however many lakes you want to visit. But watch for mosquitoes this time of year. They can be brutal in that area.
That was a few off the top of my head. There are many, many more. Perhaps someone will come up with some more ideas. I’m sure I’ll think of a bunch as soon as I hit submit.
Mostly you should just keep what you can eat. If there is snow around you can pack fish in snow, but baring that it can be difficult to keep fish cool enough.
It is also worth keeping in mind the number of fish stocked in some lakes. In small lakes there might be only 20, 50, or 100 fish stocked so it can be really easy to take a measurable percentage of all the fish in the lake. In other lakes the fish are spawning out of control and the more fish you take the better.
Joshua, the lakes in the blast zone were ice covered when the mountain erupted. That saved the fish from the initial blast. There was a productivity spike as nutrients were washed into the lakes and for a while the fish grew larger. But I believe that in the lakes were the reproducing populations survived they have all settled back to their pre-blast stunted states.
You know, we are going to need to learn more about fishing in Newfoundland. The more photos the better!
When I need the fly to be dry I will normally blow it dry before every cast.
You can tie flies with closed cell foam that will float no matter what. Flies like that normally float very high and are often used for visibility in running water. I imagine there might be someone who has come up with foam patterns good for fishing with a bubble in still waters, but I’ve never used one.
I don’t have a particular floatant brand that I favor. Perhaps someone who knows more then me will chime in.
Yeah, that happens frequently and it is always frustrating. Sometimes it just means that they are hungry and you can laugh it off. But sometimes it means that they are keying on something on the surface. In those situations you want to get your fly floating. This can be accomplished with a new fly, or by adding floatant, or sometimes it will work to reel a bit quickly so the fly floats to the surface. The latter will depend on the fly and how the fish respond to a moving fly. All the various variables are what make it fun.
