Each month a club newsletter is sent electronically to all members announcing club news and guest speakers. Some of those articles are archived here.
We welcome contributions from our members. Submissions have no written constraints, as long as they promote Klamath country fly fishing. Short or long, the most important element is photographs. In fact, photographs with just a short piece of writing covering who, what, where, when and perhaps how and why is all that you need! Send your information to Dave at archdave@gmail.com. Photographs must be attached as .jpegs.
Affiliate Club, FFF, Oregon Council
P.O. Box 324, Klamath Falls, Oregon 97601
This category includes entry articles on meetings, club sponsored projects, club officers, contacts, featured members, a library list and information on our sponsors.
“Klamath Country Flycasters trip to Thompson Reservoir, June 7, 2009”
Trip Report by Marshal Moser
On the morning of June 7, 2009, I pulled into Yamsi Ranch, near the head of the Williamson River. I was eager to try a place I had not tried, and make one of my few attempts at flyfishing for Largemouth Bass on a flyrod in Oregon. The destination was Thompson Valley Reservoir, usually just called Thompson Reservoir. It is on Silver Creek about 13 miles south of the town of Silver Lake in Lake County. It is also about 25 air miles northeast of Yamsi Ranch, which makes Yamsi a good rendezvous place for most of the flyclub members.
It was soon clear that the day would be a little different than I thought. Except for John Hyde, the Flycasters’ President, I was the only one there to go fishing. The trip had been scheduled for months; however, it had been postponed from a few weeks earlier. The reason was, Bill Tinniswood, of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), said that in our eagerness we were going too early. Prime time for the big Largemouths would be the first week of June.
So where was everyone? Neither John nor I knew, but the weather was bright and clear; we were going to go fishing! At John’s suggestion, we decided to fish our way on the streams along the backroads to Thompson Reservoir. It was a great chance for me, a recent transplant from Ohio, to learn my way around the wilds of Oregon with a man who grew up in the area and knew it very well, from vehicle, on foot, or horseback!
Of the places we stopped, first was the Sycan River. It can be very good, for big Redband Rainbows, Brook Trout, and Brown Trout, below Sycan Marsh very early after season opens. It drops rapidly as warm weather begins but can still hold nice fish, especially in its canyons until at least the third week of June. We had both brought light and heavy flyrods due to the variety of waters we might find. We fished briefly in the tea-colored waters between the Marsh and the first canyon. We did not raise a fish. I think we would have done better on the Sycan to go into the canyons, or fish above the Marsh.
Next, we fished a lower reach of Long Creek on private land above the preserve owned by The Nature Conservancy. John is pretty good at quickly sampling for fish with his flyrod and his Tommy Zonker on a dryline in such small waters. We caught a few small Rainbows and Brook Trout and moved on, enjoying the day and landscape. We crossed Coyote Creek, then Guyer Creek and other tributaries of upper Silver Creek before getting to Thompson Reservoir. We did not fish any of them but discussed the possibilities. Even some of the tiniest streams in that territory do have canyons and/or beaver ponds which hold water and fish, despite their small size at the road crossings. The fish are mostly Brookies but there are even some Bull Trout, so you had better know the difference (I had not yet seen a Bull Trout in the wild).
When we arrived at Thompson Reservoir, a strong south wind was blowing straight up the lake toward the dam. The dam area is where we had been told was the place to fish in association with the big Largemouths spawning. Thompson Reservoir is mostly shallow but is deeper in the old stream channel. Out of the channels there is a lot of drowned timber, much of it standing. It is great Largemouth Bass habitat but can also have nice Rainbow fishing. I fished Duncan Reservoir, several miles southeast of Silver Lake, a few weeks earlier, and saw several pictures of large Rainbows pinned to a bulletin board at the general store in Silver Lake. There is also hybrid Striped-White Bass in the reservoir.
Unfortunately, the wind was too much (and possibly the full moon); we could not attract much attention from the fish. We had planned to do some float-tubing but it would have been really tough, if not foolish. We enjoyed the scenery a little more, ate our lunches, talked to some other fishermen who were also not having any success, and started looking around for another place to try.
We decided the stream below the dam, Silver Creek, looked inviting. We separated and tried different sections. I did not have any luck on the flyrod and I forgot to ask John if he actually caught anything there. What we did see were fish in the water. However, they looked like dace or chubs, not trout. I later checked with ODFW and found that Silver Creek below the dam to Silver Lake has Tui Chub, Redband Trout, Brook Trout, and Speckled Dace. The water from the reservoir appears to come from high off the lake, so the water in the stream below the dam probably gets a little warm for trout much of the year.
We moved on, heading back to Yamsi via the network of Forest Service and private roads southeast and south of Yamsi Mountain. At times we discussed the plants and animals of the area, and some of the things and changes John has seen. We even discussed Jackrabbits! I looked them up later and found we were in the less habitat-limited and more southern Blacktail Jackrabbit country, but on the edge of Whitetail Jackrabbit country in the wide-open grass and sagebrush plains just to the east (Whitetails turn white in the winter, just like the Snowshoe Hares higher up in the mountains in this area!).
The roads are quite a maze and you need good maps, compass, even a GPS, if you want to try the area, unless you have John Hyde along. He just knew his way. We looked at and fished several more streams, notably Calahan and Long Creeks (again). In fact, we stopped at least two places, upper and mid-slope on Long Creek. We found mostly Brookies, but a few small Rainbows, and then… John caught a Bull Trout! We were close together at said spot and he led it over so I could get a look, and quickly let it go. I did not get a picture, but I did get to verify my first Bull Trout in its native habitat.
John also showed me a beautiful mountain meadow with a stream flowing
through it. I want to go back to the general area and search for beaver ponds.
We headed over Booth Ridge on the south side of Yamsi Mountain as the sun was
low in the west. I was again impressed at John’s knowledge of the
labyrinth of backroads. We arrived at his ranch about sundown and relaxed a
bit. None of the fish were big, in size, but they were bright and feisty, pretty
denizens of the clear, cold waters of those mountain streams. It was a good day
of exploring, giving me an appetite to try some of the same streams at other seasons,
and some of the other backroad streams on the map that beckoned.
Note: Having camped out the previous day, Dave Archer motoring around all morning looking for the flash of a flyline. Next time...
Our guest speaker for the March meeting of the Klamath Country Fly Casters was Wayne Eng, a licensed guide who plies his trade on the Upper Sacramento River. Wayne cites Jim Gade, who fished these waters from 1949 to 2004, as to the origin of high sticking. “Native American Wintu women tied simple weighted flies for the trout because they got tired of digging for worms. Some of these weighted flies were adapted to a very short line technique we call today high-sticking, which was popularized by the late Ted Fay and his partner Joe Kimsey…. The technique was simple: a fly rod, a short leader, two weighted flies, which they drifted in pocket water on a short line. This system still works today as effectively as it did over a half century ago. Although we have tweaked the system with strike indicators, lead, and different bugs, the game remains the same—get your bugs down to the trout with as little line on the water as possible.”
Pocket Water
“Pocket water is a mini-ecosystem, usually in faster water, created by big rocks or obstacles in the water. These rocks and obstacles create ‘pockets’, which provide three basic requirements for the fish: food, shelter and cover.”
Rigging (See descriprtions at the end of the article)
“Strike Indicators are a visual aid to indicate the drift and take. Some usual materials are yarn, corkies, or colored line. One characteristic of yarn is that yarn floats higher for a more natural drift. It is easy to see, but sometimes yarn can be harder to cast. Some of the characteristics of a corkey is that they float lower, connect to split shot quicker, they are easier to cast, and they work great when a slightly faster than natural drift is needed. The placement of the indicator should be a little greater than the depth of the water you are fishing and above the split shot.”
Reading the Water
“Rocks shape the river and create lies and habitat and concentrate the food source. Knowing how to detect feed lanes and see the rocks that create pockets will help you find the trout. There are two types of rocks you care about: primary and secondary. A primary rock is a rock above or just below the water that splits the river into right and left lanes (known as feed lanes), forming what looks like a big VEE in the water. Fish will be stationed in or next to these food highways. Generally, trout will be in the feed lane if it is slow, or they will be in the seam next to the fast water. A secondary rock is a submerged rock, which is a relatively tall rock in or near a feed lane that creates a cushion. This cushion provides a place where trout can hold with little effort and wait for food.”
Presentation
“In this type of water, presentation can be more important than a specific type of bug. The reason is that trout are sometimes not as selective because they have little time to inspect the offering. By presentation we mean drift the bug in areas where the trout hold and in a natural manner so the trout think it’s food.”
The Three L’s: Lob, Lift, Lead and Set
“Lob the cast. With a short line loading the rod downstream using water tension to cast, form a tent with the rod and fly line. Raise and rotate the rod hand and in a chopping motion, drop the forearm toward the target (usually slightly upstream). This will allow the flies to sink to the desired depth. After the cast ‘lift’ the rod horizontally so all or most of the line to the indicator is off the water, leaving a slight bit of slack for a natural drift. Lead the tip of the rod above or slightly downstream of the indicator. This position will help with the hook set. (When thinking of lead, think about ‘Walking a Dog’. If the leash is too tight, you are choking the dog. If it is too loose, the dog can get out of control.)” The hook set is when the indicator does anything other than drifting naturally, such as slowing, dipping, pausing….When in doubt, quickly set the hook downstream by moving your rod tip towards the water. This will pull the hook into the trout’s mouth and keeps the rig in the water and not flinging in the air. Remember that most tangles happen in the air and not in the water.”
High Stick Rigging
(1) “The original rigging, according to Joe Kimsey who was Ted Fay’s partner, consisted of a 7.5 foot 3x or 4x tapered leader. Attach a split shot for the water depth. After the split shot add a Dropper Loop. Add six to eight inches of leader material and attach the first fly. From the Dropper Loop (Google for instructions) continue for 16 to 18-inches to the terminal fly. Attach the fly with a Duncan Loop, which allows more movement in the fly.
(2) Select a 6 to 7.5 foot tapered leader from 3-5x. Add split shot. Add an additional 6-8-inces of leader and tie a triple surgeon’s knot. Note: the first fly is treaded into the section of this portion of leader between the split shot and the triple surgeon’s knot. In this manner, the fly may slide up and down this eight-inch distance freely. From the triple surgeon’s knot add 12-14-inches of tippet and attach the terminal fly.
(3) Here is a simple but effective rigging. Add split shot followed by tying on a fly. From this first fly, tie another piece of tippet to the bend of the hook and attach the terminal fly.
(4) Dry and Dropper with Split Shot: Using a large buoyant fly such as a salmon fly or a grasshopper, add 24-inches of tippet to the bend in the hook. This tippet material should be 1 or 2x lighter tippet material. Add split shot in the center of this dropper tippet and a small bead nymph to the terminal end
(5) Dry and Dropper without Split Shot: Using a large buoyant fly such as a salmon fly or a grasshopper, add 10 to 20-inches of tippet to the bend in the hook. This tippet material should be 1 or 2x lighter tippet material. Add a small bead nymph to the terminal end.”
Strike Indicator Placement and Split Shot: “The distance between the strike indicator and the split shot should is a little greater than the depth of the water you are fishing for running a ‘tight line’. One advantage of a corkey is that it is easily adjusted for the water depth.”
Wayne Eng, Licensed Guide
(530) 235-4018
kozmo@nctv.com
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will be performing a creel survey on Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes from March 18-Septmber 30, 2009. Four new employees will be hired to interview anglers during this time frame. If you are surveyed by the creel surveyors please give accurate information. One creel surveyor will be operating the ODFW boat to count and interview anglers whereas the other three persons will drive vehicles to the access points to interview anglers. The primary objective of the creel is to determine harvest of redband trout in Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes. In conjunction with adult escapement of redband trout this information can be used to better manage the fishery. Scale and intestines will also be collected for life history and disease studies.
Klamath Flycasters are welcome to volunteer with the creel surveyors and also perform spawning surveys. Interested volunteers should contact Bill Tinniswood at 883-5732.
Thanks
William R. TinniswoodAssistant District Fish BiologistKlamath Watershed District Office (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)1850 Miller Island Road WestKlamath Falls, OR 97603
Phone: (541)883-5732 ext. 24 Fax: (541)883-5521Cell: (541)891-4625 Personal Cell: (541) 281-9199william.r.tinniswood@state.or.us
March 28, 2009
Ana
River Fishing
Trip
Your
name: Ray
McClenathan
Email address or phone number: rwmcclen@charter.net (541) 882-4182
Fishing
destination: Ana River
Date and time: March 28, 2009 7:00
AM
Where to meet: Mollies Restaurant Parking Lot
Additional
information: Just seven miles long,
the Ana River flows from a series of underwater springs in Ana Reservoir, a
50-acre impoundment built in the 1940s that looks more like a big farm pond than
a full-fledged lake. The spring water, an optimum 52 degrees the year round,
creates a rich crucible of life along its short reach. The Ana makes a series of
lazy turns and eventually flows into Summer
Lake.
Average 28 March weather
Low 29 Deg High 51Deg Mean 40 Deg
In the past after fishing we have stopped for dinner at Cowboy Dinner Tree Restaurant
Please RSVP soon (the sooner the better) me by 24 March 2009 if you plan to have dinner Reservations required, (place your order(s) when you call)
MENU
The true Cowboy Cut
26 - 30 oz. Top Sirloin Steak or 1 Whole Chicken
Homemade Hearty Soup - served piping hot
Refreshing Salad - complimented by our special recipe Honey Mustard or Ranch Dressing
Baked Potato and Homemade Dinner Rolls
Top it off with one of our Homemade Desserts
Coffee, Iced Tea or Pink Lemonade offered with dinner
$23.50 per Person
No Credit Cards - No Electricity - No Kidding
Please No Splitting Dinners
20% Gratuity added to groups of 15 or more
June 2-7: Fall River
Ray McClenathan
Tournament Chairman
Ore-Cal Senior
Men's Golf Association
541 882-4182
Web Site: www.ore-calseniorsgolf.org
E-mail
rwmcclen@charter.net
Tournament Chairman
Ore-Cal Senior Men's Golf Association
541 882-4182
Web Site: www.ore-calseniorsgolf.org
E-mail rwmcclen@charter.net
9349 Hwy 97 South
Klamath Falls, OR 97603
541-884-3825
Your Oregon Adventure Specialists!
Yamsi Ranch Fly fishing; destination fly fishing resort located at the headwaters of the Williamson River, also Hyde lake, a 300 acre private lake stocked with trophy rainbow trout.
John Hyde -- Yamsi Leather and silver, Echo Fly Rods, Airflo products, Flycasting Instuction, guiding on the Upper Williamson and Hyde Lake
Yamsi Ranch Fly Fishing
541-783-3008
P.O. Box 371
Chiloquin OR 97624
www.yamsiflyfishing.com
email : yamsiranch@hughes.net
After reading Dave Archer’s experiences in the Sky Lakes Wilderness, it occurred to me that I might give some insight into what an angler might expect to find in the lakes along the east side of the Cascades. As many of you know, I was the Klamath District Fish Biologist from 1977 through 1994. During those years we spent a week each summer doing fish population inventories in the “high lakes” which allowed us to look at each lake every five years. These inventories involved first snorkeling to look at fish and habitat but if not enough fish were seen, gillnets were set to capture a sample of the population. Those fish netted were measured and weighed for condition, examined for stage of maturity and we usually looked at stomach contents. I’ll try to recall generally what each of these lakes typically produced. In recent years stocking of these lakes has been reduced from annually to every other year; I don’t know how that has affected those populations, maybe fewer fish allows for more growth. I know the increased District work load doesn’t allow much time to look at these populations but I expect Roger and Bill have some current info guiding their management.
I’ll start this trip up memory trail in the Mountain Lakes Wilderness Area by working up the Varney Creek Tail. At the top and a bit to the right are small shallow lakes called Eb and Zeb; in my day these weren’t stocked but may be now, worth a look. Back to the main trail the next lake is Como, good sized with some depth, it reliably produced good numbers of brook trout (BT) and some rainbows (RB) of medium sizes, 8-12 inches. On up the trail in a clockwise direction, next is the biggest and deepest of all the lakes, that’s Harriette which had similar populations of BT and Rb. Just off the trail, next to Harriette, is Echo, smaller and shallower, that reared average sized BT. Farther up the trail and down a spur to the left you can find Mystic and Paragon, two more small shallow lakes that usually held smaller BT. Farther down that spur is South Pass Lake which was one of the most reliable for RB but also held BT. South Pass used to be accessible from a short, steep trail off a logging road to the east but it hasn’t been maintained for years. Back up to the main trail, continuing clockwise you get a great view of Harriette Lake before decending down to little Clover Lk. which used to produce BT surprisingly well but nothing big. A shorter route to Clover (about 3.5 mi.) is up the Clover Cr. Trail off Clover Cr. Rd. If you continue the clockwise circuit from Clover then take a left on the trail headed down toward Lake of the Woods, you may venture off trail to the west to find little Weston Lake which years ago held some small RB and BT. If you continue on the trail around Mt. Lakes, you’ll again pass Eb and Zeb to find the top of Varney Cr. Trail, only a few miles to the parking lot.
If
this exercise is worthwhile, I’ll go into the Sky Lakes Wilderness Area
in the next installment and eventually work my way up to Willamette
Pass.
High Lakes Memoirs -Sky Lakes by John Fortune
After revisiting the Mountain Lakes Wilderness Area, I’ll move north into the Sky Lakes Wilderness Area, mainly on the east side of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), to pass on my recollections about those lakes and their trout populations.
Starting at the south end at the Fourmile Lake Trailhead, Squaw Lake lies about a mile and a half to the NW on the Twin Ponds Trail; its a good sized lake but quite shallow and was stocked with brook trout. Back to the trailhead and moving north around the east side of Fourmile on the Badger Lake Trail, Woodpecker Lake is the first water on the right; fairly small and shallow, it produced mainly average sized brookies. On up the trail a short ways is Badger Lake which, although shallow, has at times reared some above average brookies. Another mile and a half north on the trail is Long Lake; long and narrow and quite shallow, it was quite reliable in producing healthy brook trout.
About a mile north of Long Lake, is the intersection with the Lost Cr. trail which I hear is no longer maintained; its trailhead was on a spur (3659) off the Cold Springs Road. I suspect you can still find and follow that trail that is (was?) a shorter way into the next group of lakes. Just north off that intersection is little Burt Lake that has fair depth for its size and has raised average brookies. Continuing north, you cross the PCT and enter the Blue Canyon Basin. You soon come to Island Lake which is one of the larger lakes but still not very deep and one of the few wilderness lakes that supports a bit of natural reproduction of brook trout that, along with stocked fish, produces a variety of sizes. Just west of Island, through the woods, is Dee Lake which has been quite reliable in raising good sized brook trout. Farther north on the trail is Red Lake that has had a history of “winter kill”, so may or may not be supporting a fish population. You can continue north, crossing the PCT, to access the northern Sky Lakes area but that area is closer from the Cold Springs Trailhead.
From Hwy. 140, about 12 miles up Rd. 3561, is Cold Springs Trailhead and camp. Up the Cold Springs Trail, staying to the left, in about 3 miles you intersect the Sky Lakes Trail. About a half mile to the left, you’ll find Deer Lake another good producer of average or better sized brookies. Doubling back past the Cold Springs Trail, turning left on to the Isherwood Trail you’ll first come to Notasha Lake. In the past it was stocked with rainbows and brook trout but that has been stopped because of a concern to “protect water quality”. That because EPA had found that Notasha had the purest water they had ever seen in a natural setting (even though trout had been stocked there for many years before their analysis). Up the trail a few yards is little Elizabeth Lake which typically holds a good number of average sized brookies. Just a bit farther is Isherwood Lake, larger and deeper, it has been stocked with both rainbow and brook trout; it yielded the largest rainbow I ever saw in these lakes. As I recall, it was 19 inches and was also the only trout I ever saw that fed on water-striders! Continuing around the loop, you come next to Big Heavenly Lake and then Little Heavenly, both decent producers of brook trout. At this point, you could return back down the Rock Cr. Trail to Cold Springs. We’ll continue north in the next episode (if there is one). Good hiking.
Continuing my recollections of lakes and their fish from my old survey days, we return to the Cold Springs Trailhead and head north past the Heavenly Twins. Wizzard Lake lies off the east side of the trail about a mile and a quarter north of Big Heavenly; its quite shallow but was fairly reliable at raising brook trout. You can continue north about a mile to the next group of lakes that are at the upper end of the Cherry Creek Trail which is about 5 miles and fairly steep. Trapper Lake (Horseshoe on some maps) is the source of Cherry Cr, a good looking lake but never spectacular at raising brookies. Down in the canyon to the SE is Sonya Lake, one of the deepest and one that produced rainbows as well as brook trout, worth checking out. Swing around the end of Trapper and up to Margurette Lake, one of the prettiest and most popular and quite productive of rainbows and brookies. A little farther south past Margurette are a couple of small lakes that aren’t named on FS maps. The first we called Fisher Lake, small and quite shallow, but once had one of largest brook trout I’d seen while snorkelling. A bit farther up the trail a small lake we called O’Donahue that also held brook trout. Doubling back down the trail past Trapper, turn north, first to find Donna Lake, another small shallow brookie pond. A bit farther comes Deep Lake with its great view of Luther Mountain; Deep has some depth and was always a reliable trout lake. From Deep Lake, down the hill to the east of the trail a short ways is what we called Tananger Lake another producer of average sized brook trout. Continuing north from Deep about a mile comes picturesque little Snow Lake lying at the base of a talus slope; you may hear the pikas while angling for brook trout. Just NE of Snow, off the trail a short ways, is little Wind Lake; a neat spot that raised brook trout. If you continue north and east on the Nanny Creek Trail in about 2 1/2 miles, with some great views, you’d come to the Puck Lakes trail with South and North Puck lakes. The larger South lake generally did a good job of producing brook trout. I hear the North lake is now stocked with rainbows. If you’re just headed for the Puck Lakes, they are a shorter distance up the Nanny Cr. Trail off the Westside Rd.
Deep Lake, North Sky Lakes WA
As my memory serves me, the following is a quick tour of lakes “up north” in the Oregon Cascades Recreation Area and Diamond Peak Wilderness Area.
Starting at the Windy Lakes Trailhead at the SW corner of Crescent Lake. About 4 miles up the trail is an intersection of trails at the Windy Lakes group. The largest lake, East, was quite reliable in producing brook trout (BT). West Windy, next one south, is shallow but did carry over BT. Farther south at the end of the trail is South Windy which is deeper and kind of intriguing in having submerged structure of boulders and snags; it also carried trout over, though it was the last to thaw in the early summer. Back at the intersection and just to the west is North Windy, smaller and a pretty spot, but never very impressive at raising BT. Back at the trail intersection and a mile or so east are Suzanne and Darlene both good looking lakes with some depth that consistently produced BT. About 4 more miles east is Oldenburg Lake, larger, quite shallow but produced some nice sized BT. There is likely a shorter trail to Oldenburg branching off the lower end of Windy Lakes trail (there used to be a separate trail head) that goes up past the Bingham Lakes, three or so miles; don’t bother with the Binghams, for unknown reasons, they don’t support trout. Back to the Windy Lakes trail intersection, if you continue west to the intersection with the Summit Lake Trail, you’ll find Gray Jay Lake that looks OK but was never very good at producing BT. If you continue north, you’ll come out on the Summit Lake Road where I’ll start the next group.
Up the Summit Lake Road (a rough one) from Crescent Lake about 4 miles, you’ll find a trailhead. Headed south from there about an easy mile is Meek Lake which was always good at producing BT and cutthroat trout. Going north from the trailhead, another easy mile, you’ll find Snell and Farrell lakes (named for Oregon’s Governor and Sec. of St, respectively, that were killed in a plane crash). Farrell is down off the trail to the right just before coming to Snell. Farrell is small, narrow and not too deep but has held some of the larger BT I’ve seen in these lakes. Snell, much larger, holds BT but was never very impressive. A couple of miles farther north is Effie Lake, fairly shallow but does rear BT. Even farther north is little Sowbug Lake which also held BT.
The next couple of lakes, good ones, can be reached from the trailhead at Crescent Lake Campground. Across the road and about 3 or so miles up the trail is Fawn Lake which has always been a reliable producer of good BT. To the west of Fawn, up the hill to the right is Stag Lake, a scenic spot with its view of Lakeview Mountain; in the past, Stag has yielded some good sized BT. There is another trail to these lakes from Odell Lake Resort but it appears to be longer.
Stag Lake
Moving farther north to the west end of Odell Lake, you find the Yoran Lake Trailhead, not the Trapper Cr. trail that is nearby. About 4 miles up this trail, the first lake we called Karen’s, a nice looking pond but didn’t support trout, so stocking was discontinued. A bit farther you come to Yoran Lake, a larger body with Diamond Peak as a background, it has been a very good producer of BT and rainbows in the past. About a half mile south of Yoran, up the hill across country is a scenic gem called Bonnies Lake which also holds BT.
Yoran Lake
South on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from Willamette Pass in the space of about 4-5 miles are four more lakes, first Midnight, then Arrowhead, Hidden and finally little Lil’s lake; all of these lakes have carried trout in the past.
Finally, going back to Willamette Pass and heading north on the PCT in about 3 easy miles you come to the Rosary lakes, strung together one after another. First is the largest, Lower Rosary, that has some depth and in the past has been a good trout lake, producing BT, rainbows and cutthroat. Up the hill to the north, you come to Middle and then Upper Rosary lakes, both of these smaller lakes have supported BT.
Lower Rosary Lake
Well, there you have it, my (mostly) fond memories of my experiences hiking, “working”, and angling in the wilderness lakes of Klamath County. There is no guaranty that what I remember is still true today but I hope this info will give you some idea of where these lakes are and what you might expect when you get there.
