Northwest Reel Life June 2024 Volume 3 Issue 8 - Flipbook - Page 12
clouds come up.
Weather is another factor
for June’s high-country
adventures. Cool mornings
and warm afternoons
often mean thermal winds.
Welcome the breeze
as it will help keep the
mosquitos at bay but also
be ready if an afternoon
thunderstorm approaches.
Rain and even a snow
shower is common in
June in higher elevations
as it is still springtime up
in the mountains. Keep in
mind that if you hike into
a wilderness area fires are
often not allowed so drying
out can be a challenge.
When it comes to finding
the right lake be sure to
check out the fish and
wildlife website and other
resources. For those of us
in Washington the WDFW
has a tab for “high lakes”
and there you can find a list
of lakes which include their
location by GPS as well as
their elevation and size. It
also will have directions
to the trailhead or lake
itself and even a stocking
schedule on when it was
last stocked. These lakes
are often supplemented
with fish that are hiked
in by volunteer groups
and periodically restock
the lake. Some lakes have
natural production if
12 | NWFISHING.net
there is a cold creek that
trout can spawn in or if they
have brook trout, which is a
member of the char family
and can spawn in the lake
itself.
Backcountry fishing is
often done in solitude.
Once you find a few of
these high mountain lakes
you will soon realize which
ones are popular with other
hikers and anglers and
which ones are “secret”. If
you find a lake that is full of
trout, and nobody around,
then do yourself a favor
and keep it a secret. These
lakes cannot take much
pressure and if you post
your trip on social media
and include the lake, trail,
or even a nearby mountain
then soon the lake will get
new visitors and the next
time you go there it might
be void of fish. Then again,
there are several lakes that
are already popular, and
those lakes tend to get
regular re-stocking of fish
so if you find other anglers
do not feel bad about it.
Same with harvesting a
fish or two for dinner, these
lakes either had or have a
natural way to repopulate
them with trout or were
sterile to begin with and
the fish were introduced
into the lake for the specific
reason to be caught. This
does not mean you should
catch a limit of trout to
take home as there are
plenty of lowland lakes
to do that with. Instead,
catch and release using
artificial flies and lures is
a wonderful way to spend
the day. When it’s time for
lunch, you can eat what you
caught.
When it comes to cooking
your catch, again, know
the rules if you can have
a campfire or not. A small
titanium frying pan and
a butane stove is a great
way to cook up some fish.
If fires are allowed, then
packing a small piece of
tinfoil is lightweight and
