Suttle Report

[moknots]

It's still too early JZ, but not by much! Ran up for a couple of hours after work Friday just to see how the water temperature was progressing. I took a 43.5 temp on the east end, with a west wind, late in the day, so subtract a couple of degrees to make up for all the warmest surface water stacking up on that end of the lake, and I'd say we're within 2-3 degrees of where the fish starting to turn on last year. 4 boats, no bites. Could happen any day now.

[FallRiverGuy]

Thanks for the update. It is waiting to turn on for this weekend.

[EastCreek]

Originally Posted by FallRiverGuy

Thanks for the update. It is waiting to turn on for this weekend.

I posted this on the other thread, but saw Moknots started a new one....so here's what I saw on Saturday. EC
Fished today along with a buddy. The wind was blowing. Water temp was 42.9. Achored up on the west end, out of the wind, marked a good number of fish (anchored in 20' water)...had Gibbs Minnow, 2 other jigs, and one bait rod (though kids were at it....but buddy was after them next to us) and no biters. Guess they're waiting for the perfect temp. The wind seemed to keep most off the water,and for those on the water (2-3 boats total)....well, the wind makes things difficult. Either way, the kids had a blast, which is all that matters when getting kids into fishing. The day will come soon. EC

[jzell]

Yes you're right Moknots. But with the first Springer on the tag, I'm not ready to pack it in and switch gears just yet. Gotta see that Christy gets one and maybe one for a guest in the boat.

[Jaw's Tackle]

Was at Suttle lake 4-10 to 4-11 and fished all over the lake. The east end was a little warmer then the west with morning surrface temps around 42, and in the afternoon they were close to 43 degrees. Couldn't find one koke that wanted to bite, but did manage to pick up 2 browns in the 18 inch range. Link creek campground is clear of snow, but I believe the water is not turned on yet.

Moknots, I was the White Fish Rite as you came out from the Lodge day use area. I was hoping that you would have gotten into them, but now do not feel so bad that I wasn't the only one to get skunked out there this weekend on Kokes.

[El Wapo]

So I have been told there is NO WAY that a koke lake can get fished out. And, it is more likely that a koke lake will over poplulate and stunt the size of the average fish? Every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day I take the kids to Suttle for several weekends. Every year until last year we did pretty well, and the kids would get to keep and eat a couple fresh fish? In fact last summer we gave up on the kokes and mostly fished for browns.

Anyway, it seemed to be more than coinsidental that last year there was so much late snow and so much more early pressure on Suttle than in previous years. I know this is because there wasn't access to all the other lakes that where snow bound later than normal. There where amazing pictures posted on I-Fish with lots of nice big Kokes heading for freezers from suttle. Did I just have a poor summer? Am I on to something? or was it slow due to other reasons?....It sure is great for the kids to get exposed to fishing by catching easy kokes in nice weather...and I hate to think that is dampered by people who think they need 100 or 200 fish in their freezer when the columbia is full of hatchery spring Chinook?

[byebyeducky]

Originally Posted by El Wapo

So I have been told there is NO WAY that a koke lake can get fished out. And, it is more likely that a koke lake will over poplulate and stunt the size of the average fish? Every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day I take the kids to Suttle for several weekends. Every year until last year we did pretty well, and the kids would get to keep and eat a couple fresh fish? In fact last summer we gave up on the kokes and mostly fished for browns.

Anyway, it seemed to be more than coinsidental that last year there was so much late snow and so much more early pressure on Suttle than in previous years. I know this is because there wasn't access to all the other lakes that where snow bound later than normal. There where amazing pictures posted on I-Fish with lots of nice big Kokes heading for freezers from suttle. Did I just have a poor summer? Am I on to something? or was it slow due to other reasons?....It sure is great for the kids to get exposed to fishing by catching easy kokes in nice weather...and I hate to think that is dampered by people who think they need 100 or 200 fish in their freezer when the columbia is full of hatchery spring Chinook?

You were there at the wrong time. Suttle slows down pretty early usually compared to other high lakes as far as I know.

Ask a pro about the overfishing, but I am pretty sure that is never a problem for the kokes.

[FallRiverGuy]

Most lakes with naturally reproducing populations are very difficult to over fish. Wickiup and Odell come to mind. You could raise the limit at Odell to 100/per person/day and not likely dent that population.

Right after the bite slowed at Suttle, I marked large schools of fish and could not buy a bite. The fish were there, but were not biting. Everyone I talked with that fished Suttle later in the year reported the same slow fishing. I think it was as off year and not the early season harvest.

[El Wapo]

I've heard that kokes spend 3 years in the lake before they take their spawning run to death. I've heard that most of the biters are the 3 year olds that will spawn at the end of that year. So you will marlk shcools of 1 and 2 year olds all summer....but it is very tough if not impossible to get them to bite.

[marshworm]

Originally Posted by El Wapo

So I have been told there is NO WAY that a koke lake can get fished out. And, it is more likely that a koke lake will over poplulate and stunt the size of the average fish? Every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day I take the kids to Suttle for several weekends. Every year until last year we did pretty well, and the kids would get to keep and eat a couple fresh fish? In fact last summer we gave up on the kokes and mostly fished for browns.

Anyway, it seemed to be more than coinsidental that last year there was so much late snow and so much more early pressure on Suttle than in previous years. I know this is because there wasn't access to all the other lakes that where snow bound later than normal. There where amazing pictures posted on I-Fish with lots of nice big Kokes heading for freezers from suttle. Did I just have a poor summer? Am I on to something? or was it slow due to other reasons?....It sure is great for the kids to get exposed to fishing by catching easy kokes in nice weather...and I hate to think that is dampered by people who think they need 100 or 200 fish in their freezer when the columbia is full of hatchery spring Chinook?

El Wapo,
I have been fishing Suttle for years. This most certainly does not make me an expert. I am however able to notice changes that have occurred with the kokes in Suttle as to their size and spawning time and numbers from year to year. NEVER has there been a year that I did not see kokes spawning in Link Creek in October or early November untill last year. Last year I not only did not see any spawning I also did not notice any spawned out carcasas laying around as in past years.
You are correct in the unusuaslly high amount of people that fished Suttle last spring. I have never seen the amount of pressure put on the kokes during the spring bite like I saw last year. I made three trips up to Suttle during the spring bite and there always was 20-25 boats on the water. "Normally" over prior years I would only encounter a handful. From the posts covering that time span it was obvious there were boats on the lake continously. I also noted that when the bite ended the amount of boats returned to normal.The kokes last year were unusually big for that time of year. In 2006 and 2007 they were small but the numbers were excessive with not many fishing for them.
The other thing that was obvious was that after that 2-3week spring bite the koke fishing was meager at best for the rest of the summer with those that were caught being very skinny.
The fish ladder between Suttle and Blue Lake was supposedly fixed so the fish could pass between the lakes. Maybe all the kokes went up into the creek feeding Blue and spawned or died off from lack of food or some type of disease. Who knows? If the numbers of fish are up again this spring then that would rule out the disease factor in my mind.
I agree with you with the heavy snows the pressure was increased at Suttle however also the fact that the word got out about the size and numbers being caught also brought numerous newbies.
I think the over riding question is wether it is possible to overfish kokes. Common sense tells me in most lakes probably not. However in a small lake like Suttle there is no doubt overfishing can be a significant factor in the population. Unfortunately the kokes in Suttle put on a spring bite that lasts from 1 to three weeks. They have been doing that for years and that was unfortunately exlpoited last year. It will be interesting to see how the kokes in Suttle fair 3-5 years from now. No doubt interest in this little lake has been enhanced from last springs fishing. Also over the past few years koke fishing interest in general has been on the increase. There have been and continues to be numerous clinics and derby's targeting kokes which also increases interest in kokes and fishing pressure. With out a doubt the 25 fish limit also is inviting to some.
So El Wapo, I have nothing other than the above to offer you and your kids. I am not sure about what happened last year or what the future holds for Suttle. Time will let us know.
I can tell you that I am 61 years young and I fish primarily for the love of fishing not the catching. PM me if you wish.

[moknots]

One thing is clear to me -- they didn't get fished out in the spring. In late August I marked huge schools and caught plenty of fish. Trouble is, they were the same size as they were in April. Had the population been greatly reduced, those left would have had enough to eat that they would have grown, given they usually have peak food supplies in the summer months.

Popularity comes and goes. Marshworm knows his stuff, and makes very good observations -- thanks for sharing. I looked and looked for spawners in October at Odell and they weren't showing up at the normal times and places, or numbers, there either. Don't know what's up with that! I agree that pressure was up last year, and for all the reasons MW mentioned. But it was even greater in the mid to late 1990s when many times I counted more than 40 boats in one spot. Comes and goes, with the size and ease of catching!

[byebyeducky]

Originally Posted by moknots

I wish more people would take big numbers of kokanee from Suttle! I sure wouldn't want to disparage those that do. Definitely far more likely to be overpopulated than under, and if we somehow ever got to a lower population, we could get some nice 18-20" fish. Some years there are so many that the spawning adults barely get to 9" long. Some Idaho lakes used to have 50 fish limits for that reason. June and July are tricky months at Suttle -- don't know why, but I am usually fishing higher elevation lakes those months. I hope someone figures out how to crack the code for more consistant fishing at Suttle in June and July. Odell, Wickiup and Crescent all have a reputation for turning off sometime in mid summer too. Love to hear any good explanations (I've heard some sketchy ones!

I have heard that Suttle is shallow and the water temp warms up too much and too early for good koke fishing. Not sure if this is at all the reason, or just another sketchy idea?

[marshworm]

Over the years Suttle has been good to me especially in June and July. Last year was definetly the exception with very little to show for the effort. I humbly accept that even a good jigger can get spanked consistantly and am willing to take my turn at that, however I still ask where were the spawners in October? The spawned out bodies? Answer this question and we'll have the answer to a lot of questions.

[FallRiverGuy]

Not all the fish spawn in the third year. In our lakes, it is my understanding that most do spawn as three year fish, but some spawn at years 2 and 4. Wickiup is just as shallow as Suttle and there is good fishing all season.

[El Wapo]

I drive past the lake on average twice a week. In 2006 and 2007 I never saw more than 5 boats fishing before Memorial Day on a weekday morning. Those years we did pretty well all season...Last year 2008...I saw upwards of 40 boats on weekday mornings...and I know there was a large % of those boats limitting on nice sized fish. The fishing ended up being pretty slow the rest of the year, so it kinda makes sense to me that all those fish taken would have been available throughout the season if they'd not been taken.

I don't begrudge anyone their fishing time or success...or for beating me and my kids to the lake...I say...congratulations and I hope you had a good time...my point is simply that IF IF IF early season success affects the catch rate in June and July..why take more than you or your family can eat just because it is leagal...It would be sad to think that there isn't plenty for all...because a few felt the need to fill their freezer or ego...especailly if there is still last years meat in the freezer at this point.

[DidIPutThePlugIn]

My daughter is 6 and I've been taking her to Suttle every August since she was born. Over that 5 year stretch we have always been able to find fish and caught several every trip, that was until last year when we trolled for two days and never found a fish. I don't have any idea why that was, but it certainly was a big difference from the previous 4 years. Nobody I talked to had caught a Koke that weekend either.

I've heard talk that there are some who would like to see the numbers at Suttle decrease which they feel would mean bigger fish and have even heard rumor some in the ODFW that might be on board with that idea. Suttle has always been a family lake to me and kids don't care how big the fish are, they just get excited when they catch one of any size. Not catching any at all makes kids less likely to want to go again. I don't know the reason for the slow to nonexistent fishing last summer, but if I'm concerned about catching BIG fish I'll go hook a steelhead or chinook, I would just like a couple family lakes where mom and dad can take the kids and have a good chance of catching some fish of any size. Suttle has been that lake for my family since I was a kid and I hope last summer was just a bad year and that Suttle will be a good summer long producer for my kids and other families in the future.

[marshworm]

Originally Posted by DidIPutThePlugIn

My daughter is 6 and I've been taking her to Suttle every August since she was born. Over that 5 year stretch we have always been able to find fish and caught several every trip, that was until last year when we trolled for two days and never found a fish. I don't have any idea why that was, but it certainly was a big difference from the previous 4 years. Nobody I talked to had caught a Koke that weekend either.

I've heard talk that there are some who would like to see the numbers at Suttle decrease which they feel would mean bigger fish and have even heard rumor some in the ODFW that might be on board with that idea. Suttle has always been a family lake to me and kids don't care how big the fish are, they just get excited when they catch one of any size. Not catching any at all makes kids less likely to want to go again. I don't know the reason for the slow to nonexistent fishing last summer, but if I'm concerned about catching BIG fish I'll go hook a steelhead or chinook, I would just like a couple family lakes where mom and dad can take the kids and have a good chance of catching some fish of any size. Suttle has been that lake for my family since I was a kid and I hope last summer was just a bad year and that Suttle will be a good summer long producer for my kids and other families in the future.

Plugin,
I surely hope it was "just a bad year". Right now we can only guess and discuss. The proof awaits us come June thru August.

I'm hoping your daughter is all smiles this summer at Suttle.

[El Wapo]

Well maybe early season fishing has nothing to do with later season success...but maybe a guy might think about stopping and releasing a few just incase...especialy if he's just going to pack his freezer with 25 extra fish that will eventualy get freezer burt.

[Dullhook]

Originally Posted by El Wapo

Well maybe early season fishing has nothing to do with later season success...but maybe a guy might think about stopping and releasing a few just incase...especialy if he's just going to pack his freezer with 25 extra fish that will eventualy get freezer burt.

Freezer burnt Kokanee......now that's a crime that should be punishable with a 20 year minimum prison sentence of hard labor. Served meals in solitary confinement consisting of nothing but alfalfa sprouts and 10 day old biscuits. The problem is...that the defendant could win an easy acquittal by just pleading the insanity defense!

Agreed El Wapo, that wasting food of any kind is a bad practice, but anyone who wastes Kokanee really needs our sympathy and prayers.

[taprice]

Went up to Suttle this afternoon for a little R&R and that is pretty much what it was. The fishing was very slow. Saw about a dozen boats and did not see any action at all. Talked with a couple of boats and same nothing.
Well I am off to Cresent tomorrow. Can't waste this wonderful weather.

[Dropshot]

20 boats with one limit per boat is 500 fish per day, two people limiting per boat equals 1000 fish per day.

20 boats with one person limiting daily for 7 days equals 3500 fish. Two people in the same number of boats for the same period of time equals 7,000 fish.

I don't know how many boats there were daily but there was at least 20 the two days last spring I was there, and I don't know for sure how long the bite actually lasted. Nor do I know if every boat limited out. But as you can see from my examples above, the number of fish caught can add up quick.

[SlamminKokes]

When Joe, Davy, and i went last spring and held our Board meeting there werent any other boats even coming close to limiting. In fact i think there was only 1 boat that was catching fish consistently, the others were sight seeing!

[byebyeducky]

Originally Posted by SlamminKokes

When Joe, Davy, and i went last spring and held our Board meeting there werent any other boats even coming close to limiting. In fact i think there was only 1 boat that was catching fish consistently, the others were sight seeing!

I think the idea that all the boats were limiting is a bit far out. I like to fish suttle, but even at the hottest times, I don't know if I have seen more than 25 boats on the lake, and even then, most people are barely getting 5 or 10 fish. Those that limit know what they are doing, and it seems most everyone else is jealous.

(BTW, I am one of those that doesn't limit )

[El Wapo]

hard to be jellous after when your busy catching springers!

[byebyeducky]

We all love springers, but come on, when summer hits and springer fishing is done, nothing tastes better than fresh Kokes.

Originally Posted by El Wapo

There where amazing pictures posted on I-Fish with lots of nice big Kokes heading for freezers from suttle. Did I just have a poor summer?

In all seriousness, I hope you have more luck this year! (and me too)