Fishing in Lake Chelan

Catch 22 · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:40 pm Post subject: Fishing in Lake Chelan

I think Anna and I are gonna do Chelan to Stehiken next week, I have fished there before but not in a while. Does anyone one know any specifics on how to catch the big lake trout out of there. If I remember right we were really deep trolling near wapato point, but that's about all I remember. Any info would be greatly appreciated. thanks..

rogerbum · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:02 pm Post subject:

I've not fished there for lake trout but there are some nice cutt's, rainbows and kokanee in the lake. If you want to have a really good time, fish right where Prince Creek dumps into the lake. There's a nice hole that the creek dug out there and dropping a beadhead fly into the hole can be very effective. Also, be advised that the state recommends no more than one meal per month of Lake Trout out of Lake Chelan (see page 32 of the fishing regulations on that). I don't know what the contaminant is but I presume it's something that only accumulates in high levels in large, slow growing fish like Lake Trout.

chromer · Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 1:33 am Post subject:

I learned last month from a retired fisheries biologist, that the concentration of contaminants are in the lateral line area of salmonid fish. Anybody else heard that?

CAVU · Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 1:37 pm Post subject:

Chromer,
I have never heard that-Everything I have read indicates it is most concentrated in the fat on the belly. I think a lot of people think the brownish-grayish tissue along the lateral line is fat. I have never found a source of reliable information but I don't think it is fat. It doesn't cook up like fat or melt like the fat on the belly of salmon. My guess is that it is more like nerve tissue since fish sense vibrations through their lateral line. At any rate, most people cut away the darker meat along the lateral line anyway.

Catch 22 · Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:39 pm Post subject:

on page 32 of the regs where it was already mentioned about the dangers of eating too much of certain fishes, there is a diagram that shows what to cut of to reduce the amount of nasty stuff we eat..

Capital Sea · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 1:51 pm Post subject:

Have a great trip. We love Stehiken. That place is made for c-brats. A public dock, with a store and bus stop right at the dock. This old bus takes you anywhere you want to go, bakery, restaurants, hiking trail heads etc. Also they offer bike rentals, their is a campground just across the mouth of the river and good places to drop the hook. I have been told the fishing is good off of the rock face opposite the public dock. We need to do a gathering there some day.

lloyds · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 1:57 pm Post subject:

How many water miles is the round trip from the end of the lake up to Stehekin?

rogerbum · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:31 pm Post subject:

lloyds · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:01 pm Post subject:

Cool, thanks for the info. Chelan is on my shortlist. But I was thinking it was a lot longer than that. It should be doable.

Capital Sea · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:25 pm Post subject:

By water its not that far but the place has the feel of being 100 miles out as a result of the fact no road goes there and the fact that guest accommodations are limited to somewhere in the range of 30-50 beds over a wide area at the head of the lake.
Also, with the lady's of the lake (passenger ferries) the trip by boat need only be taken by the skipper or skipper +1 and others can join up at the ferry landing up at the head of the lake, or float plane if time is limited.