Northwest Outdoor Sports

The Alpine Lakes

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Fish That Live There

By Dale Wick of Icicle Outfitters

GPS 48.51349, -120.68697 ( trail head to Blue Lake)

Since you stopped at this article, it’s a good bet that you have discovered the crystal clear water of the high lakes.11% of all WA fishers do visit these waters; hopefully this information will not significantly increase that numbers. In the discussion below I would like to share some information about Washington State’s alpine lakes.

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First, let me introduce myself. My brother & sister-in-law own Icicle Outfitters & Guides at Leavenworth. I have packed and guided for them since 1983, retired from teaching science 12 years ago, live in Snohomish and have assisted the local sportsman’s club and Trailblazers in planting fish in the alpine lakes. I am also a member of the Hi-Lakers Fishing Club.

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Planting Fish in a Cascade Alpine Lake - Photo by Icicle Outfitters

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My first real introduction to alpine lakes fishing was back in the 1950s. As kids we backpacked to a lake and found it full of jumping trout. We caught fish with every cast. They were only about 7 inches long. We kept enough for dinner and released the rest. Naturally, we decided that we could come back in a couple years and catch some really nice size cutthroat. We did and we didn’t; did go back but did not catch any big fish. The only thing that grew was the fishes head; still 7 or 8 inches long with skinny little bodies.

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Stunted Trout, Note the size of the eye and head, and how small the body is.

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Now I understand what the problem was. Back in the 1950s the WA Game Department planting about 1000 small fish per surface acre. Fish don’t grow without food and 5000 fish in a 5 acre lake is not the optimum conditions for growing fish. Today, fish are planted at a rate of about 50 per acre; growth rates are much better and the fish populations has little if any impact on the rest of the lake’s biota. Quality vs quantity and the lake is better for it.

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Fat Alpine Cutthroat…Time to replant!- Photo by Icicle Outfitters

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One of our trips in 1963 was to a lake that was known for its “steelhead like” rainbow trout. The lake was self-sustaining with a good creek that ran for almost a mile and provided excellent spawning habitat for the rainbow. Fish varied in age and size but we were casting heavy lures and fishing deep trying to catch the 20+ inch rainbow. We had a great time. Now for the sad part of this story; over the years the lake has lost its ability to grow big fish. I blame the “catch and release” approach that most fishers take in the high lakes. The sheep herds and miners and old time outdoorsman were fish eaters and would pack the fish in ice and pack them back home. In the 80′s, 90′s and now this century the fish’s ability to reproduce has out done the lakes ability to feed them. You still catch 7 year old 15 – 18 inch rainbow but they are not fat.

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Alpine Catch and Release  – Photo by Icicle Outfitters

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Let’s go back a little farther. When the Europeans arrived in this country, nearly all of the alpine lakes were barren of fish. The only lakes that had fish were the very few that had no barriers to fish migration up from the river valleys. Twin Lakes near Lake Wenatchee did have a healthy population of cutthroat trout. The “twin lakes” cutthroat is a type of “West Slope Cutthroat”; the name refers to the west slope of the Rock Mountains. The west side of the Cascades and Olympics have an indigenous cutthroat called “Coastal Cutthroat”. Washington State has 4700 lakes that are classified as high lakes (alpine lakes) of those 1800 (40%) have fish. 1000 of those lakes have a self-sustaining population of cutthroat, rainbow, eastern book and a spattering of mackinaw, brown and grayling. 800 lakes have fish that do not have conditions necessary for reproduction and are replanted periodically.

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Casting wooley buggers  – Photo by Icicle Outfitters

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It didn’t take long before the miners, sheep herders, outdoorsman and fisherman started planting fish. They blazed trails to the alpine lakes, filled milk cans with water and fish and headed for the mountains. The Forest Service began planting lakes as early as 1914 using the milk cans on pack animal. The Game Department took over management of the alpine lakes in 1933 and Washington Department of Fish and Game continues to manage the alpine lakes in the State’s National Forests and the North Cascade National Park.

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Alpine fishin’ trip – Photo by Icicle Outfitters

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Today the larger lakes that have non-reproducing fish populations get planted by the Washington Department of Fish & Game from the air. These plants represent about 40% of the plants made in the alpine lakes. They drop fish from either fixed wing or helicopters. A majority of the fish planting is still done the “old fashioned way”. Instead of packing 10 gallon milk cans on mules, we now fill plastic jugs with some water and 50 to 100 fish along a lot of pure oxygen. The jugs go backpack and we head up the trail. The fish seem to be perfectly happy for up to two days. The Back Country Horsemen and some sportsman’s groups plant a few lakes but by far the most prolific lake planters are the Trailblazers who visit about 100 lakes a year; often remote lakes that have no trail access.

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On the east side of the Cascade Mountains most plants are Twin Lakes Cutthroat followed by the Mount Whitney Rainbow (a strain from California) with some lakes receiving Golden Trout (also from California). The CA strains (rainbow and goldens) are raised in WA hatcheries for plants here. Lakes with self-sustaining populations are frequently populated with cutthroat and eastern brook (not planted any more). Many brook trout and cutthroat lakes reproduce too successfully and end up stunting their growth; catch and release does these fish populations not good. Other cutthroat lakes are well balanced and produce nice fish of various ages.

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Fly Fishin’, Alpine Style – Photo by Icicle Outfitters

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Now that we have reduced the planting rate to 50 fish per surface acre; non-reproducing lakes is where you will find the big fat trout. The trick here is to figure out the planting cycle and visit the lake on the year that it will be planted. If a lake is on a 5 year cycle and was planted in 2005 go there in 2010 and you will catch big fat 5 year old rainbow, cutthroat or golden trout. The Trailblazers pack in the new fish at the exact opportune time to fish the lake for quality trout; neat deal for them; they provide a wonderful service for those of us who fish the alpine lakes.

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Nice Golden Trout – Photo by Icicle Outfitters

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Just a few notes about fishing the alpine lakes:

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1. These lakes are almost always in Federally protected lands called Wilderness or National Park. Camp and fish with an eye toward leaving “no trace”.

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2. If the lake is seldom visited and does not have a hardened trail around it, it is best to try to avoid walking and standing on the shoreline. Stand on a rock or logs when you can, or better yet, inflate your tube or raft and enjoy time on the water (it is cold, so plan for that).

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Apline Riders – Photo by Icicle Outfitters

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3. I already mentioned that “catch and release” doesn’t do those over populated lakes any good so “catch and eat” as many as you like. The lakes with balanced self-sustaining populations and those where reproduction is very low or non-existent “catch and release” does help to maintain a quality fishery for those who visit behind you; eat no more than really wanted.

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4. Fly fishing is a great method for “catch and release”, Lures and spinners are good too but the treble hook should be reduced to only one hook. Some just cut off two hooks while others replace them with a single hook. Good idea to pinch down the barbs as well. Some prefer bait fishing and that is okay if you are eating everything you catch. Fish do not survive well when the hook is taken deep into the mouth (often happens with bait fishing). Catch your dinner and either stop fishing or switch to artificial lures.

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Keeping the fish population in balance – Photo by Icicle Outfitters

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Those of us who spend a lot of time in the mountains learn to love the alpine lakes. There is now better way for me to relax. Many good lakes are a day hike from the trailhead. Some require an overnight hike or horseback trip. Our outfit prefers to do drop camps for visitors to the alpine lakes. Clients either hike or horseback ride to there destination, camp there for as long as they like and either backpack back out or we come in with our pack animals to pack the gear back down to the trailhead. Drop camps are good because the horses stay for only a few minutes. Nearly all of the State’s Outfitters provide drop camps as well as regular pack trip camps. There is no need to stop fishing the alpine lakes just because the knees or lungs start showing some age; there are easy ways in for us older guys and gals.

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Icicle Outfitters & Guides

Horseback Rides www.icicleoutfitters.com/daytrips.html

Leavenworth rides (509) 669-1518

Lk Wenatchee St. Park rides (509) 763-3647

Pack trips 1-800-497-3912 www.icicleoutfitters.com

Do You Pre-Thread Your Flies

By Mike Cox, Ferndale WA

This tip started because I wasn’t used to my new glasses. If you have ever had a tough time threading a tiny hook eye out next to a stream, this is for you. An EASY tip to help you be more effective in the field. Using a cheap needle threader from any sewing shop.

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About five years ago I was getting ready for trout season. By this I mean that once again I had spent weeks worth of evenings tying flies, looking forward to getting out the streams when snow finally started to melt and the season opened.

I love fishing for brookies, rainbows, and cutthroats. They don’t have the bulk of the steelhead or salmon, but there’s something really special about alpine lakes and streams and the fishing to be done up there. Small fish call for nice light tackle, and nice small flies.

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So opening day finally arrived and I made a surprising discovery.

“How did it go?”, my wife asked when I got home.

“Not so good”, I grumbled.

“You know those nice new bifocals I got over the winter”, I said, “the ones that made it so easy for me to sit there and tie all those flies?”

“Well they made it darn tough to even see the fly hook eyes, let alone put the line through them, I’ve been fighting them all day…”

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She put up with my rant and said, “For sewing needles, they make needle threaders”, and she went out of the room. Smart woman.

So this tip started because I wasn’t used to my glasses, but now I use sewing needle threaders because they make things so much easier.

They are cheap, and are available in most drug stores and anyplace that sells sewing notions.

Each sewing threader offers you a big target for the small line and then transfers the fly to the line for you.

A  fly box with a half dozen flies  prethreaded.

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Just pull out the fly

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Push the play button to see the video.

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A variety of flies on threadrs.

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Gorilla Ant Fly on threader

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4# Line through the threader

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Threader and fly held by line

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Hold fly and line and pull threader, this threads the fly and removes the threader

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Gorilla Ant ready to tie to line.

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See video on this Fly Fishing Tip on  YouTube

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See Video on making the Gorilla Ant fly  on YouTube

Fishing Blue Lake Off the North Cascade Highway

by Ron Howard of Friday Harbor, WA

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48.51349, -120.68697 ( trail head to Blue Lake)

The first time I traveled the North Cascade Highway was in July 1972, and my only memory was of a mountain I know now as Liberty Bell Mountain, this mountain is located on the east side of the highway closest to Winthrop Wash.. Near Washington pass (elev. 5477 ft./1669 m.) the highest of the passes on the north cascade highway.

In the passed few years I have been lucky to travel this highway many times. But it was in early 1998 that I purchased a old but beautiful bamboo fly rod, now with my new fly rod I became very interested in fly fishing. Later that same year I once again traveled the beautiful north cascade highway but this time my son and I wear going fishing, We would hike and fish what turned out to be the most incredible alpine lake that I had ever seen. Something that made this trip special was the location of this lake, it is tucked close behind Liberty Bell Mountain. The hike took us about 45 min. to 1 hr. it has a fairly steep grade to the lake, after a short time taking in the scenery, we started fishing, the water was light blue and clear. We were able to see deep into the lake, actually watching fish at varying depths swim by.

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I use a dry fly teaser with a wet bead headed fly following about 30” on the end of the tippet. The water is wonderfully clear and you can watch the fish take the fly…..big fun!

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Most all of Blue Lake has a nice bank around it and that made the fly fishing fun. My son and I were able to land 20 or more trout that day. What a incredible day of hiking and fishing. I looked back and smiled as we headed from the lake to the trail, thinking how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place. I make a point of fishing Blue Lake every season.

Some things that can help you enjoy your hikes or fishing trips . There are many lakes on the north cascade highway, my favorites are:

• Blue Lake (48.50644, -120.67101)
• Cutthroat Lake (48.5401, -120.6808) elev.4941 ft
• Rainy Lake (48.50229, -120.73658) Rainy Lake Trail: One mile (1.6 km) paved trail leads to Rainy Lake, waterfall, and glacier view.
• Lake Anne ( 48.50696, -120.75761)

Lake Anne is a good lake, a short hike of only 25-30 min., a great family trip with good fishing. Make sure and watch for marmots along the trail.

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BRING BUG SPRAY , THEY ARE HUNGRY!!

Use GPS coordinates an on Google Maps to locate areas mentioned.

ADD-ON

I made a Trip back to BlueLake This Weekend 0711/09, Look what/who  was waiting for me there!

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I was able to get within just a few yards the nanny and kids! What a treat!!

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This is a “fee” area for trail head parking, so get a daily pass(National Forest Recreation Day Pass) for $5 before you go at a Ranger Station or retailer like REI. You pay that much for a fancy “latte” any way, so skip it, you’ll be so pumped getting to the lake you won’t miss the caffine or the parking fee.

You may coose to buy a pass online at $5.00 for daily or $30.00 for an annual pass. http://www.naturenw.org/store-passes.htm