Wallowa

Wallowa lake offers fine fall fishing for a nice mix of rainbows in the foot to 15 inch range and smaller kokanee. Spinners took the trout and wedding ring rigs did the damage on the latter.

Just about any reasonable trolling technique works here within reasonable range of the steep banks. Spoons, or fly fishers, Wooly Buggers allowed to sink and fished slowly back work particularly well on the shady side of the lake at at the inlet. The odd Dolly Varden and Mackinaw spice up the mix for boaters and bait fishermen who drown worms under slip bobbers. Don't forget "Big Macs" go deep in this 285-foot deep lake in April and May but they start coming back towards the surface by late September.

Best system on the lake? Simply watch other boats and shore anglers with binos and see what works for the savvy locals as this large morainal lake's symmetrical shape prohibits angling secrets.

Most years April is the best month to fish the lake before the boat traffic builds and campgrounds fill. Fall is the second best once crowds thin and water cools. In all cases scout the surrounding creeks and in the Wallowa River all the way downstream to the Grande Ronde or consider the hike in or backpacking fishing up in the Eagle Cap Wilderness. TIP: scout new water on every trip and you never run out!

Fly fishers find size 12 Humpies and size 15 Parachute Adams good choices. Very small spinners with a single barbless hook work too. These are great streams for mini gear like 5' spinning rods with #2 test or #3 7 ½ foot fly rods. Streams in the Northeast Zone are, of course, open until the end of October.

Below the lake there's not much flow until well below Joseph and Enterprise where you will find supplies and decent dining, but Wallowa River is nice little stream that winds back and forth under Highway 82 in this stretch. Don't bypass this there are some surprisingly decent fish where you can get permission to fish. Then too, the odd steelhead is always a spool clearing possibility! The Lostine River (artificials only) and Bear Creek are major tributaries with camping as well.

At Rock Creek regulations change and only "truck trout" with clipped adipose fins can be kept. Steelhead with clipped adipose fins can be kept January 1 to April 15th and in the fall. Watch out for the odd bull trout here and downstream too.

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