carmen resevoir is worth the drive

fishudedmeet · 07-16-2008, 12:03 PM

We went 2 Carmen the other day. four hours round trip. fishing was okay, only caught six. brethtakingly beutiful. i need tips on wat to catch tough. still short of breath

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chris61182 · 07-22-2008, 11:11 PM

I noticed there were no replies, I'm guessing there aren't a lot of people on here that know much about the lake. Maybe you could share some details, or at the very least some photos please

?

Raincatcher · 07-23-2008, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishudedmeet

We went 2 Carmen the other day. four hours round trip. fishing was okay, only caught six. brethtakingly beutiful. i need tips on wat to catch tough. still short of breath

.

Wow, I had never heard of Carmen Reservoir! I looked it up on Boat Escape to find out where it is located. It is in Linn County,east of Sweet Home. Well within range for me and a bunch of other fisherfolk here. Thanks for letting us know it is worth looking at.
C'mon people, any of you ever been there? How about a few tips on what to use and maybe even a "honey hole"?

Boat Escape says there are Cutthroat,Brook & stocked Rainbow in there. Troutski, have you ever been there? Hawk, is it close enough to you for you to have info? Anybody?

Barb

Troutski · 07-23-2008, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raincatcher

Wow, I had never heard of Carmen Reservoir! I looked it up on Boat Escape to find out where it is located. It is in Linn County,east of Sweet Home. Well within range for me and a bunch of other fisherfolk here. Thanks for letting us know it is worth looking at.
C'mon people, any of you ever been there? How about a few tips on what to use and maybe even a "honey hole"?

Boat Escape says there are Cutthroat,Brook & stocked Rainbow in there. Troutski, have you ever been there? Hawk, is it close enough to you for you to have info? Anybody?

Barb

I have been there...depending on the time of year there are quite a few nice places to catch fish. I like in between the bridge and the dam, anchor in the shallow water (15') and cast into the deeper water (25' - 35'). Try a cast master, gold; let it sink to the count of ten and start working it back to you...there is a lot of current flowing through that part of the lake and your right about the Brookies....Hold over Rainbows and even a population of Cut Throats.. Trolling through the flats on the West side of the lake in the evening can produce some larger fish....a frog pattern flat fish or hot shot (Size 50/60) very slow with speratic action..this lake doesn't get a great deal of pressure but later in the summer it can be packed on the weekends. Hope this helps...tight lines.

Chuck

jkeek9 · 07-23-2008, 10:29 AM

does carmen have boat rentals

chunk_style · 07-23-2008, 11:27 AM

Hey everyone! I'm brand new to the forums, and noticed that one of my "Backup Lakes" was a recent topic! I love Carmen, it's not too far from me, but not a "metro area mudhole" type of lake. There are no boat rentals, and no boat ramp either. However, there is a gravel slope you could use to launch a boat if you wished. No motors of any kind are allowed.
As for honey holes, you can almost guarantee a catch if you go as close to the dam outlet as possible on the bank, cast towards the floating booms, and retrieve just fast enough to keep your bait/lure from being pulled into the spillway. I use 1/8oz to 1/4oz slip sinkers and powerbait in this area. Slow dragging anything resembling an earthworm works anywhere there are fish.
They stock this lake with "trophy" trout occasionally (and secretly, sometimes!) I had a monster of a tuesday with the lake to myself last summer. I caught 15-20 fish total, in about an hour, with average size of 16 inches! A blast on my ultralight setup! I'll throw up some pics when I get home.
Also, there's a beautiful short hike up to clear lake from carmen. You pass sahalie and koosah falls on the McKenzie, some great views, and the trail is gorgeous. Takes maybe a little over an hour, and there are some holes that always give up fish along the way.
If you couldn't tell, I love this area!

Combat Chuck · 07-23-2008, 11:33 AM

Also about half the lake has bank access for those without boats. A small dam creates one whole side of the lake. You can see schools of fish cruising around when its been stocked.

Raincatcher · 07-23-2008, 01:51 PM

Well now, that is what I call response!

Thank you,gents,I know it is appreciated by everyone. I think I may head up there soon,myself. As for you,chunk style, welcome to OFF and thank you for your great input.

Hope you don't mind a little more company now that the word is out. I love this forum!!

Barb

FishSchooler · 07-23-2008, 04:23 PM

Stop with the dancin bananas barb! Even if you love em!

chunk_style · 07-23-2008, 05:56 PM

Here are some pics of catches from Carmen! I thought I had some pics of the actual lake, but I guess I don't, sorry! It is a really pretty area, though. The big ones are the trophies they stocked, there were tons of them! The little guy is a pretty typical stocker caught from the place by the dam I mentioned, the same place where the video in the link was shot. He's about 10in.

Here is a link of a little video I shot on a hot summer day, showing how fast the fishing gets at the dam spillway I mentioned above. I just uploaded the video, so it may not be available immediately.

http://www.youtube.com/v/OZi4WR3CrzA

07-16-2008, 12:03 PM	#1
fishudedmeet Angler Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 103	carmen resevoir is worth the drive We went 2 Carmen the other day. four hours round trip. fishing was okay, only caught six. brethtakingly beutiful. i need tips on wat to catch tough. still short of breath .

07-23-2008, 10:29 AM	#5
jkeek9 Neophyte Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: keizer oregon Posts: 23	boats? does carmen have boat rentals __________________ tight lines - jkeek9

07-23-2008, 01:51 PM	#8
Raincatcher Super Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Dallas,Or Posts: 435	Way to Respond!! Well now, that is what I call response! Thank you,gents,I know it is appreciated by everyone. I think I may head up there soon,myself. As for you,chunk style, welcome to OFF and thank you for your great input. Hope you don't mind a little more company now that the word is out. I love this forum!! Barb __________________ Safety First! Fish Second!

07-23-2008, 04:23 PM	#9
FishSchooler Master Angler Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Lake Oswego Posts: 1,003	Stop with the dancin bananas barb! Even if you love em! __________________ Give a man some powerbait, he'll fish for a day, teach the man how to make powerbait, he won't be fishing at all.

07-23-2008, 05:56 PM	#10
chunk_style Neophyte Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Corvallis, Oregon Posts: 14	Carmen Catch pics Here are some pics of catches from Carmen! I thought I had some pics of the actual lake, but I guess I don't, sorry! It is a really pretty area, though. The big ones are the trophies they stocked, there were tons of them! The little guy is a pretty typical stocker caught from the place by the dam I mentioned, the same place where the video in the link was shot. He's about 10in. Here is a link of a little video I shot on a hot summer day, showing how fast the fishing gets at the dam spillway I mentioned above. I just uploaded the video, so it may not be available immediately. http://www.youtube.com/v/OZi4WR3CrzA Attached Thumbnails

07-22-2008, 11:11 PM	#2
chris61182 Master Angler Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hillsboro/Beaverton Area Posts: 718	I noticed there were no replies, I'm guessing there aren't a lot of people on here that know much about the lake. Maybe you could share some details, or at the very least some photos please ?

07-23-2008, 11:27 AM	#6
chunk_style Neophyte Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Corvallis, Oregon Posts: 14	Hey everyone! I'm brand new to the forums, and noticed that one of my "Backup Lakes" was a recent topic! I love Carmen, it's not too far from me, but not a "metro area mudhole" type of lake. There are no boat rentals, and no boat ramp either. However, there is a gravel slope you could use to launch a boat if you wished. No motors of any kind are allowed. As for honey holes, you can almost guarantee a catch if you go as close to the dam outlet as possible on the bank, cast towards the floating booms, and retrieve just fast enough to keep your bait/lure from being pulled into the spillway. I use 1/8oz to 1/4oz slip sinkers and powerbait in this area. Slow dragging anything resembling an earthworm works anywhere there are fish. They stock this lake with "trophy" trout occasionally (and secretly, sometimes!) I had a monster of a tuesday with the lake to myself last summer. I caught 15-20 fish total, in about an hour, with average size of 16 inches! A blast on my ultralight setup! I'll throw up some pics when I get home. Also, there's a beautiful short hike up to clear lake from carmen. You pass sahalie and koosah falls on the McKenzie, some great views, and the trail is gorgeous. Takes maybe a little over an hour, and there are some holes that always give up fish along the way. If you couldn't tell, I love this area!

07-23-2008, 11:33 AM	#7
Combat Chuck Angler Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Albany Posts: 187	Also about half the lake has bank access for those without boats. A small dam creates one whole side of the lake. You can see schools of fish cruising around when its been stocked.

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