What a fantastic season we’ve been having on Lake Billy Chinook! Just a quick reminder that the Metolius arm is closed until March 1st. There’s a bit of confusion about the boundaries between the Metolius arm, the Deschutes River/Crooked River arm, so it’s really important to be aware of where you’re fishing—getting caught in the closed section can lead to some pretty hefty fines, not to mention they might take your gear! I added a photo of the boundaries.
Earlier this year, the lake was looking a bit murky, kind of like chocolate milk, which made fishing a challenge. It seemed to be connected to conditions last winter around the Opal Springs Dam or Bowman Dam—I’m not completely sure. But the good news is that the water is now in excellent shape! The blue-green algae issue has cleared up, and fishing has really picked up.
The Kokanee fishing has been absolutely exceptional! I’ve been enjoying some great days down by the dam, easily catching limits of twenty to thirty fish in just a couple of hours. After that, I love switching things up and targeting Bull Trout, which are starting to show a nice improvement as well. We’ve been reeling in a few on every trip, along with some beautiful Rainbow Trout.
Kokanee have been hanging out at depths of 35-45 feet. I’ve been experimenting with faster speeds—up to 1.7 mph, which is a little quicker than the usual 1.2 mph—with smaller baits. I’ve been using Lured Orange Dodgers paired with Lured Red Death Scuds. Although I think the 4.5″ orange dodgers aren’t available on the Lured by the Bead website just yet, you can reach out to Randy Bales through the site, and he’ll probably be able to help you out. I’ve also had success with the Poulsen Cascade Arrow Flash Jr. Dodgers in a 50/50 Brass with orange pearl Twirlee-Gigs.
Overall, the Kokanee fishing has been stellar, with some beautiful fish coming in, and some even reaching up to 14 inches! Most are in that sweet spot of 11 to 12 inches, which is just perfect for this time of year. If you’re thinking about booking a trip, check out Baddfish Guide Service at Baddfish.com to secure your spot. And if you have any questions or want to chat about fishing, don’t hesitate to give me a call
Recent Comments