mann lake?

dahsboard_fisherman · 04-17-2003, 05:23 PM

me and my dad heard about this lake. its called mann lake anyone heard of it? if so how good of fishing is it? i dunno were getting a 4 wheel drive soon so we were looking for some suggestions. thanks all

Fish_N_Russ · 04-17-2003, 09:07 PM

Its over on the east side of the Steens. Ive heard its really good at certain times of the year........course its a LONG ways over there too :smile:

BuKuBass · 04-17-2003, 09:41 PM

Haven't been there in a while. But nineteen years ago, almost to the day, I C&Red 64 cutthroat in 4.5 hours, 11 were 16" and under, most 18-20", biggest 26"; no brag, just fact. Beware, it can blow and snow. Not that far off the road; 4-wheel isn't necessary if the ground's dry. Enter "Mann Lake" at topozone.com

Snapset · 04-17-2003, 11:53 PM

Mann is a great place if ya like seeing hats skipping across the water. It is a great place to catch fat buttery looking cutthroats, too. Like BukuBass wrote, you don't need 4wd. It is all paved except the last 30 miles or so, and that is a big gravel road unless it hasn't been graded recently, then you might want to get your fillings re-tamped when you get back. The washboard can be pretty bad. Take it easy on the gravel. A few year back a guy got sideways on that road and died in a car wreck, all because he was in a hurry to get to the lake. Imho, 30 mph is plenty on the gravel, especially when the wind is really screaming. If you want to see something different, Mann is the place. Bring a camera, the view of Steen Mt. Rivals the wasatch fornt for being flat out gorgeous. Now is a good time to go.

By doing a slow retrieve and casting close to the shore, you can average 10 fish a day, and I have never been skunked. Chironomids, Serendipitys, BH Pheasant tails and prince nymphs on a floating line all work. The best I ever did was on a #10 Brassie with very coarse wire.

nitrobass · 04-18-2003, 06:06 AM

A buddy of mine just got back from Mann and said it was LOW. He isnt a fly fisherman so he tossed spinners and managed 4 trout which isnt very good for that lake. He said nobody was really getting them.
The scenery alone is worth the drive over but if you hit it right you can have some awesome fishing.

greenbuttskunk · 04-18-2003, 09:55 AM

The wind does howl out there at times (often) so bring a selection of rods to punch it into the wind might help.
I'm thinking of heading over during mem. weekend. It's such a drive, a weekend really does'nt give you much time to fish. Good population of healthy cuts. Yes, it is low this year. Heard that from other sources also.

TillamookChinook · 04-18-2003, 11:23 PM

Mann Lake is at the top of the list for places my wife has no interest in seeing again. The lake itself is a round puddle in flat ground with no significant trees around the edge. The spectacular scenery is the rugged face of Steens Mtn., which has not much to do with Mann Lake. The last time (only time) we were there, we camped in our tent and the warm wind came up (or came down the face of the mountain) at about 2:00 a.m. at about 80 mph. We had to drive the car to the upwind side of the tent to have something to tie the tent to.

I did not catch much, but was flyfishing from the bank. I can't wait to go back and fish from my float tube.

salmonking · 04-21-2003, 06:50 PM

I agree totally with TC. Last time we were there the wind started blowing in the middle of the night and we had to move the truck to tie the tent to. Even at that we were up all night holding on to the tent from the inside. If you don't mind a little wind (haha) then Mann is an experience and something to see. Beautiful country surround and usually lots of wildlife abound.
Upsize your rod to punch through the wind....
Do they make a 30 weight?

Fisherfield · 04-22-2003, 09:11 AM

This from Oregonlive.com....Fishing Forum:

The fishing is slow. WAY OVER-FISHED for the past 3-4 yrs. Also, the darn lake is almost dry. Will be dry this summer. Dont waste your time this year. It will be years before we can expect any GOOD fishing at MANNS LAKE (proper name).

Mojo · 04-22-2003, 12:22 PM

There was a fish kill there last summer. That coupled with the purposeful de-watering of the creek that feeds it(which killed a bunch of the spawners)by the land owner, have pretty much done in this once great fishery.

I expect a few years of good snowpack (which we haven't seen over here in a while), and things will be hopping again.

It's really too bad. It was once awesome!

BuKuBass · 04-22-2003, 04:44 PM

Fisherfield...I thot it was "Manns Lake" also, however upon checking my maps , it is "Mann Lake", at least according to the US Geological Survey from whom I bot a topo quad with that name.
It's a shame about Mann's demise. I was last there in '91 when there were a whole bunch of fly fishermen flogging the water to a froth; never went back. I do hope it's managed better next time.

[ 04-22-2003, 05:53 PM: Message edited by: BuKuBass ]

GutshotApe · 04-22-2003, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BuKuBass:
I do hope it's managed better next time.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">What would you propose to do differently? :whazzup:

Mojo · 04-22-2003, 09:52 PM

I suggest 3 things...

1) Tell God to make it snow more.

2) Make sure the land owner that controls the creek flowing into Mann Lake keeps water flowing into the lake.

3) (See number 1) make sure God shuts off the wind.

[ O.K. 1 out of 3 ain't bad]

[ 04-22-2003, 10:52 PM: Message edited by: Mojo ]

garyk · 04-22-2003, 11:41 PM

One other piece of essential gear is a couple cans of Flat-Fix. When the road is re-graveled the pieces can be very sharp and will punch through the tread block of P-series tires. Check your tire rating, many SUV's are factory issued with P-tires rather than the stouter LT(lighttruck) series.

It's a long ways between services at Fields junction and Burns, so go prepared.

BuKuBass · 04-23-2003, 07:18 AM

I did not mean to denigrate any flyfisherman in my previous post; some of my best friends are flyfishermen.
Besides providing a reliable source of water and restoring its riparian zone including spawning beds, deepening a portion of the lake to insure survival during harsh winters should be done during this "dry time".
At the end of that day in my original post, I was talking to an old timer and mentioned the previous night's wind. He replied, "Yep, it was a two-rocker all right".
"Two-rocker"?
"That point where you cot all those fish this mornin'? Usta be an outhouse there. When the wind really blew, ya hadta use two rocks to keep the door closed".

Slow and Low · 05-15-2003, 07:05 PM

It's a wind tunnel. Do it at least once. Major photo ops with the Steens behind you.

gstrand · 05-16-2003, 10:57 AM

I learned to Flyfish there about 20 yrs ago, and BuKu is right - it used to be killer fishing. The weather is touchy, can be brutal, and the road in is a "carry at least two spares" kinda road.

That said, it can be the best place ever. Steens is cool (found a plateau literally knee deep in antlers once...) and the high desert is something else. The hot springs up the road are great as well. It's an "experience" regardless.

I've heard that this year its not too good for the water levels, and thus the fish though...

-G

garyk · 05-19-2003, 05:44 PM

My weather reporter from French Glen tells me that late snows brought needed snowpack, and it looks to be a relatively normal water year - not the big runoff that Mann needed, but at least not a severely dry year either.

Slugranch · 05-19-2003, 07:27 PM

My brother lives in Fields and is a good friend of the guy at Mann Lake Ranch. If he diverted the water from the creek to the lake, it was because of something costituting a dire emergency. Can't believe he'd do that! He likes to fish there too. Went there once to visit and while we were there, brother's blue heeler caught himself a trout out of the creek. I swear the fish was at least 22" long. Nicest cutt, I'd seen in years