The funny thing about these Merwin threads is that I thought it should always run from April 1 to April 1 to match the WA fishing license seasons.

 

No matter how hard I try I can’t figure out how that could possibly make any sense. The official April to April thread?

 

I’ll add my echo…looking forward to an updated report after all the rain.

 

My fishing buddy and I fished Merwin yesterday (Jan 9). NWS wind forecast said it would be around 7 mph. Speelyai Bay seemed OK, then we got out on the lake. Probably 15 mph east wind with wind waves forming. I have a small boat so we just headed toward the waterfall to make loops there. Luckily the wind speed dropped a bit around noon so we kept trolling. 3 rods out for 5 hours. One 10" kokanee at 9:59 am on the line with 2 oz weight at 100' out. Talked to some other boaters out on the lake and in the parking lot. Almost no one had any action. Some drive-by's and a couple lost. Some boats were still out there when we pulled into the dock. Maybe they were catching some down toward the dam. ??

Merwin is one beautiful lake. Looking forward to better days out there In 2025.

 

This is only my third year fishing Merwin but it didn't take me long to learn to stay home (at least this time of year) when the wind forecast is out of the east. I've caught very few fish and it's usually just a cold, miserable boat ride. There are to many awesome weather days on Merwin for me to deal with an east wind in the winter, no thanks. Just my $.02 worth.

 

In hindsight, I fully agree! SS

 

Fished Merwin today, I wouldn't call it great fishing just one here one there, only had 1 double all day. We started at daylight and put #30 in the boat about 2:00. Started out in front of Speelyai and found a dozen or so than it seemed to dry up so we moved down past the stump farm and found the rest of our fish. Didn't seem to be any hot lure, they all got bit. Depth also didn't seem to matter, pretty close to 50/50 between flat lines and DR's.

 

For those that watched Outdoor GPS on TV last week the voice behind the Kokanee video was me LOL
Today had a buddy with me and it was pretty easy pickens.
When you all drive up early in the mornings drive careful. The roads are froze in some spots right at daylight.

 

Go get em Plugs !

 

Looking at Windy and thinking of going on Thursday or Friday. It looks cold but calm for the wind.
Am I seeing this correctly?

 

Windy offers a lot of info and options. I attached screenshots of my Windy. It agrees that the wind forecast looks mild Thursday and Friday. Windy doesn’t really interpret models, just puts them in an app so I pay attention to the model I’m referencing.

Key for me is to see how much the models agree with each other. If there is a great deal of separation, it wouldn’t be worth a 1.5 hr drive to Speelyai.

Also wind direction is IMPORTANT at Merwin as the wave size grows if the wind is presented along the length of the reservoir. Friday models appear to agree, but can change between now and then.

 

I’m planning to go Friday as of now if the weather holds. Is the lake still really low? When do the gates open again?

 

Pretty good fishing today 2 people
Fishing 4 rods. Started at 7:30, had a really good bite from 8-9 then it slowed and got one every now and then. Got our 20th fish at 1. Maybe 20 boats on the lake. Fished from the surface to how ever deep 1/2oz/1oz/2oz at 150 ft is. All depths caught fish. Fish we marked were mostly around 50-60’ but they didn’t seem to mind coming up.

 

My buddy and I fished the same day but did not have the same results 😂. We only landed 8, lost a few and had multiple short bites. Was a nice day though. Most of my trips to Merwin the east wind follows me. I own the green Willie with a minn lots up front, swing by sometime, would like to put some faces with all your names. Feel free to give any tips or advice 😂😂

 

Anyone thinking about going tomorrow?
The biggest problem I have with merwin is predicting the wind, most days for me are always windy, sometimes way windy

 

I’m all loaded up for tomorrow 👍😎
First time since August

 

Well, I launched with the first wave of boats this am. I had a swing n miss with a surface rod and that’s it by say 9:30. Then I decided to investigate clusters of marks down at 50 and 60’ and found some biters.

Chrome dodgers and pink KK Super Mysis with 20’ setback, natural tuna corn and about 1.1 mph was the combo that finally worked for me. I wouldn’t have believed they were that deep if I wasn’t there. Surface water temp around 42.

 

Well, I launched with the first wave of boats this am. I had a swing n miss with a surface rod and that’s it by say 9:30. Then I decided to investigate clusters of marks down at 50 and 60’ and found some biters.

Chrome dodgers and pink KK Super Mysis with 20’ setback, natural tuna corn and about 1.1 mph was the combo that finally worked for me. I wouldn’t have believed they were that deep if I wasn’t there. Surface water temp around 42.
View attachment 1055656
View attachment 1055655

View attachment 1055657

I like your downriggers stackers in the picture

 

BURRRRRR

 

Fished the lake today. Fishing was very slow for us. At 1pm two of us only had 7 kokes. We finally found a good concentration of fish that were biting just ok at 2 and put the 20th fish in the boat at 430. Didn’t get a double all day.

 

We struggled Sunday, ended up with 12. This usually is my favorite time of year to fish up there, long lining, fish are usually on top. Well for some reason, maybe no rain for two weeks, who knows, we got most of em at 50-55 on the down rigger. Seems like in years past you put something down that deep in January all you got was pike minnow.

 

I still haven’t caught a pike minnow. But today was definitely better deep. Not entirely, some were caught at the surface but most our fish came around 40’ and most fish were swimming around the 70’ depth.

 

Fished today, launched about 7:10 was nice and calm but a bit chilly. Catching was sporadic, flurries of bites then nothing for a bit. Everything was good until about noon when the wind picked up from the west, we pulled the plug about 1:30. The minn lots was at full power into the wind and starting to not keep up. 2 guys 4rods, surface down to 40’ all rods got bit. Most active were the 2 rods at 150’ ish with 1/4 oz lead. Anyway we went home with 15 and lost about a dozen. Hopefully make it back in a couple weeks if the weather cooperates

 

Now that the icy roads have cleared, isn't any one fishing Merwin?

 

Seen a pic of a guy who limited 4 guys recently at Merwin. I’m sure the fishing is still good.

weather looks Pretty nice Friday possibly.

 

With all the rain we've had I'm curious how that affects fishing Merwin. And what time are the opening the gates. Going up Thursday or Friday.

 

Trust your electronics. If you aren’t seeing much, possible the fish are at the top.

Gate has been opening close to 6:58 am.

 

Might be more debris than usual👍

 

Any reports, thinking of going tomorrow

 

About perfect is the Windy report.

Note the healthy Solunar - not that it means the fish will jump into your box, but on paper as good as it gets.

I’m betting you’d find plenty of chrome.

 

Chores kept me away the last two days, but this weather just was driving me crazy how’d y’all do. Coming back from vacation nothing but Springers and Cokenee or Cokenee and Springers or just Springers🦇💩🤪🤪🤪

 

Kokanee

 

Merwin madness today! Arrived at 8 and line was backed up, didn't get launched till close to 9. The gatekeeper was late. Fished till 11 without a bite, then had some on and off action till 1. Ended up catching 4 and losing about the same. Fished from the bay to the stump farm, lots of boats not many fish being caught in that area. Surface temp was 40 when we started and 47 when we quit. Hope others did better.

 

Fished noon till 1730, landed 5, lost twice that. West side of the lake is much more productive.

 

What a crying shame. It is now 7:30am.
Merwin Reservoir gate is still locked. There has to be at least 30 boats in line.

We need Elon Musk and his DOGE crew to come in to clean house and improve efficiency.

I arrived and got in line at 6:10am. 5 other boats ahead of me. At least 20 more boats behind me that I could see. Maybe more boats out of my view.

The gatekeeper must have partied too hard last night.

This is ridiculous, unacceptable, incompetent, and a waste of my time and fishable daylight.

Lance Nguyen

 

What a crying shame. It is now 7:30am.
Merwin Reservoir gate is still locked. There has to be at least 30 boats in line.

We need Elon Musk and his DOGE crew to come in to clean house and improve efficiency.

I arrived and got in line at 6:10am. 5 other boats ahead of me. At least 20 more boats behind me that I could see. Maybe more boats out of my view.

The gatekeeper must have partied too hard last night.

This is ridiculous, unacceptable, incompetent, and a waste of my time and fishable daylight.

Lance Nguyen

Sounds like yesterday, very frustrating