What is your fav. hike in lake?

[ExBassGuide]

midnight lake is boring to look at but loaded with trout.
there is a lake north of the north sister that I like a bunch too.
I have hiked the PCT all of Oregon in one trip.
So what is your pick for THE best hike in lake?
Thanks
Roger

[codeman]

since you didnt specifically say "in Oregon," I'm ganna have to say parachute lake in idaho, near the border of montana in the bitterroots. Its a fairly easy 8.5 mile hike up a creek, actually pretty flat hiking. You set up camp there in a very small clearing. then you leave your stuff there, grab a small day pack and your fishing rod, and hike about another mile or so up the trail, then cross the small creek you hiked up (white sand creek) and hike / climb up the hill about another 2 miles (all off trail) to the lake. It is absolutely brutal and takes longer than the 8.5 mile hike up the creek. But man is it worth it. I'm guessing years go by where no one fishes this thing. Last time there, I got about 7 hours fishing in, before it was time to head back to camp. I caugth 174 trout, about 10% rainbows, 30% cutthroats, and the rest were cutbows. SMALLEST fish caught was 14 inches, around 75% were in the 17 - 24 inch range, while the rest were measured by the pound. Several were over 8#. Had two fish strip line off my reel super fast and could never turn them and they broke me off. Im guessing the shore line is about 2 miles around, and all i could cover in the 7 hours was about 300 yards of it. Simply an incredible place. Anyone who seriously wants to tackle and find this place, pm me and i'll walk you through the directions. I only know about it because me friend's (who i met in college) dad was the forest service hydrologist for the area and him and my friend would back pack every summer to collect water samples from lakes all over idaho. It ruined me for all other trout fishing.

[KD Fisherman]

I really enjoy Heart lake on the Santiam Pass out of Sweet Home. It is a great little lake with tons of trout and not many folks. I have not been there for about 5 years or so and this thread is making me think about taking a trip soon.

Cheers,
Kyle

[SavageShooter]

Originally Posted by KD Fisherman

I really enjoy Heart lake on the Santiam Pass out of Sweet Home. It is a great little lake with tons of trout and not many folks. I have not been there for about 5 years or so and this thread is making me think about taking a trip soon.

Cheers,
Kyle

I did Heart Lake twice last year!!Will be going as soon as the snow is clear.The fish are'nt real big,but there is plenty of them.Didn't see any other humans.Do you take Browder Ridge trail,or short cut off HWY 20?
Do you want to hook up and go with?

[OregonSteel]

marion lake. brook trout, rainbows, and cutts. you dont know what you are going to catch. constant action last time i was there!

[McSteelie]

Lower Welcome Lake. Pack in a good air mattress and stradle it. There are some nice size brook trout.

[Tred73]

I like the Erma bells there are three of them and all decent fishing when I use to go. Ok that was 10 years ago so it might stink now. I like Midnight in the Diamond peak wilderness. Small, but fun if you get em to bite.

[Halibutt]

I have always done pretty good for brookies at Pamelia lake on the santiam pass near marion lake. Fun hike not to rugged.

[SavageShooter]

Originally Posted by Tred73

I like the Erma bells there are three of them and all decent fishing when I use to go. Ok that was 10 years ago so it might stink now. I like Midnight in the Diamond peak wilderness. Small, but fun if you get em to bite.

I beleive the 2 bigger upper Erma Bells are still produceing.I fish the Woldo Wildreness area,have'nt fished those myself,but a friend says they are good for Brooks and Rainbows.Nothing real big in size.

[Farmer10]

Marion Lake.....love fishing it in a small raft...

[wahooguy]

Originally Posted by SavageShooter

I beleive the 2 bigger upper Erma Bells are still produceing.I fish the Woldo Wildreness area,have'nt fished those myself,but a friend says they are good for Brooks and Rainbows.Nothing real big in size.

Wahanna Lake is another good lake near Waldo as is Kiwa.

[SavageShooter]

Originally Posted by wahooguy

Wahanna Lake is another good lake near Waldo as is Kiwa.

Very true!! Wahanna is a bit finiky,but there is some bruiser Rainbows in there.I've only bank fished these lakes;a lot of the Waldo area lakes are better slow trolling out of a raft.
KIWA(my favorite),,bank fish the rock slide.

[morelk]

Originally Posted by Halibutt

I have always done pretty good for brookies at Pamelia lake on the santiam pass near marion lake. Fun hike not to rugged.

The beautiful creekside trail to Pamelia was wiped out by a huge slide a few years ago. The creek now runs a different course. Pamelia is a pretty spot, but you now have to have a special permit to go there in the summer time months.

[SilverBullets]

Lake Victoria in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It's a no trail brush whacking boulder hopping elevation gain of 3,270 feet. Incredible fishing for cutthroat trout.

[Chromitis]

Originally Posted by Farmer10

Marion Lake.....love fishing it in a small raft...

Absolutely. Brookies can get massive up there. Prepare for bear....

[SandyEggs]

Mine is a 3-4 mile hike in a well known wilderness and in a burn out area!! Can't tell yea the name, must forgot.. but it is what bioligist call "over populated" with brookies!

[uhmw]

Snow lake.Trail head at alpentall ski area. Prehistoric trout still roam this huge super high mt lake and they aint shy. I remember leaping off the cliffs in aug and at the same time noticed a glacier running into it The hike seemed somwhat long and strait up.

[SavageShooter]

Originally Posted by SandyEggs

Mine is a 3-4 mile hike in a well known wilderness and in a burn out area!! Can't tell yea the name, must forgot.. but it is what bioligist call "over populated" with brookies!

Sounds like one of the lakes in the Burn at Waldo.

[GameChaserFid]

I've only hiked into a handful of lakes in Oregon. I like the Berley lakes. Only been there twice and hope to make it over there again this summer.

I've wanted to try Heart lake since a couple years ago when hunting over in that area. How many trails go into Heart lake?

[SavageShooter]

Originally Posted by GameChaserFid

I've only hiked into a handful of lakes in Oregon. I like the Berley lakes. Only been there twice and hope to make it over there again this summer.

I've wanted to try Heart lake since a couple years ago when hunting over in that area. How many trails go into Heart lake?

I know of 2 trails to Heart Lake.Browder Ridge and what I call the short cut.

[supertim]

makes me think of klickitat lake. its not really too much of a hike to get to the lake itsself, but to get into the fish you have to hike across logs floating in the lake. real small lake, but packed with cutthroat and largemouth.

[samsberr]

Baldy in the Elkhorns & Blue Lake in the Mt. Baker National Forest

[TakeEm]

Cliff Lake, in the Three sisters N. Forest. Epic still water fly fishing!!

[crossroads]

I've been taking my kids into marion for the past 10 years and really enjoy the fishing as well as the view of Three fingure jack across the lake. THe last few years the fishing seems to have slowed down a bit though. I wish they wouldn't have banned fires around the lake, camping without a fire leaves me feeling like there is something missing.

[HillsboroFisher]

Marion Lake for sure, great lake and such a nice place to hike in and camp for the night. Not to mention some great trout fishing also!!

[Livin Large]

Marion lake is by far my favorite, constant action last time I was there.

[skeetshtr]

I like the lakes in Jefferson or Three Sisters that are not on trails. They are a lot easier to find now with a good GPS. Always a good time to find these off trail lakes and sometime you might find one with fantastic fishing. I like to check out lakes that are at least twenty feet deep and are a mile or more off trail.

[codeman]

Parachute lake, bitterroots, Idaho. Its a real Beach to get to, bet years go by with no one fishing it. you can catch hundreds of trout a day, most over 20 inches. rainbows, cutthroats, and cutbows. nothing like having a place to yourself, either catching or missing a fish on every cast, and most being huge fish. fantastic.

[mutantcolors]

The Sawtooth range in ID has so many options you can pretty much head out a trail until it ends, pop over a hilltop and take your pick.

[snag32]

I can remember laying in my bag trying to fall asleep on the shores of Marion Lake...but couldn't because of the noise of the fish hitting the surface!

[007SPRIG]

Ucrama. Not sure of the spelling. Hit it at ice out. Golden trout. Its been 25 years or so since I was last there.