Elk lake (Clackamas Watershed)

[laxmike11]

Hey I was wondering if any of you guys have gone up to Elk lake near Detroit? How would I be launching my little 12 foot aluminum boat or is it a no go? I saw it supports brook trout, cutthroat, and kokanee.

[Da Bank Maggot]

Hey I was wondering if any of you guys have gone up to Elk lake near Detroit? How would I be launching my little 12 foot aluminum boat or is it a no go? I saw it supports brook trout, cutthroat, and kokanee.
Never been there, to be honest...but the word is that the road into the lake is a very rough road.

Can anyone confirm or refute this?

[laxmike11]

Yeah I saw that, It looks like my car will be able to clear it though. Does anyone know anything?:anyone:

[s20055]

You should be able to launch something like that no problem. It is just and unimproved dirt launch. Post a report for us, that's a beautiful lake! The road is not as bad as some people like to make it sound...some improvements were made a couple of years ago.

[Da Bank Maggot]

Huh! May have to go give 'er a try myself.

[kill2hunt]

ive been there a few times although i have only banked it i always caught fish. they were small though nothing too big, the same size 10-12 inch brookies, and a few raimbows. heard there are kokes in the lake but never caught any. i always either floated worms or threw small kastmasters. they do seem to love the gold ones in there.:twocents:

and oh yea it is a pretty darn washboard road that will jar your insides!

[laxmike11]

thats great to hear that its not too bad. Im going to keep checking the condidtions because i dont want to find myself in snow on that sort of road.

[laxmike11]

oh yeah, Is it a no motors lake? even electric

[s20055]

Don't know about the motor regs, but you should be just fine with an electric...the lake isn't tooo big. I was up there in September and the road was just fine. There were a couple of washboard spots, but otherwise much better than years past. I wouldn't wait too long though, we had snow just a couple of weeks ago at that elevation.

[laxmike11]

I'm going to try getting out there this weekend. If conditions aren't so great I will just go after salmon but it sounds like a really pretty lake. who knows might even have it to myself.:)

[pontoonbandit]

I haven't fished it in a couple of years, but it is a very pretty little lake. You should have any problem launching a 12 ft aluminum boat. I always fished it with my pontoon boat and an electric motor. The fish were on the small side but gorgeous. I liked to long line a 1/16 green rooster tail on the north side. The road is a bit bumpy!

[laxmike11]

Thanks! I'm not too worried on how big the fish are. hasn't been a worry for me. I don't know if i will be able to go just because of low snow levels this week. but hey, still got my hopes up.

[happybrew]

The road there is very rough. Your boat trailer should have a high clearance as well as your tow vehicle. If you can put your boat in the bed of the truck or on top of the car, you will probably be better off. Beautiful lake, never fished it though. Just stopped off there doing some exploring.

[Salmonator]

I was up there in September and the road was just fine. There were a couple of washboard spots, but otherwise much better than years past.

It's not the road up that sucks it's the road in. Less like a road and more like a river bottom. Probably only a mile, but it seems like three. I made the mistake of taking a slide-in camper up there years ago. Got a luggage rack ripped of the top and everything in the cupboards looked like they went through a dryer cycle:passout:

[samiam]

about two summers ago my wife and i and the kiddo wanted to escape to Elk Lake for a nice afternoon. we were looking forward to the extremely rough road and light crowds. there was lots of heavy equipment on that last 1/2-3/4 mile, and they pulverized it into submission. i remember doing about 25mph all the way in. it was depressing.
it was a really great afternoon relaxing on the water, but i haven't gone back since.
but that's just the road i'm talking about - the bushes were still thick crowding in on the road, and the trees limbs low and waiting to getcha.
i have never caught a fish in Elk Lake :passout:

[laxmike11]

Thanks guys. Theyre calling for low elevation snow over the weekend so im not sure if I will want to be driving on that road. But its first on my list for this spring!

[Salmonator]

. there was lots of heavy equipment on that last 1/2-3/4 mile, and they pulverized it into submission. i remember doing about 25mph all the way in. it was depressing.


wow, that is depressing.:(

[Private-Aye-Fish]

I was up there last year during deer season and year before during bear season. We just drove through for kicks to check it out. I was in my truck and don't recall the road being too bad but it has been rough in the past years. As I recall the road isn't marked very well.

I used to bank fish it years ago with some luck. I have a hunting buddy that likes to take his son up there fishing for Brookies and they do very well.

[Beaver1]

I was up there this summer. The road sucked in my SUV. Fine if you drove less than 10mph, but anything more than that was a bit bumpy. Just a lot of pot holes and wash board in sections.

Good looking lake. Didn't get to fish though.

[samiam]

Anyone have a recent report on Elk Lake? How's the road/fishing/swimming/camping/crowd? :D

[Hawk]

ttt