Fish Lake and Willow Lake

doublestrike · 05-31-2007, 04:34 AM

The drive up Hwy 140 to Fish Lake is always nice. Seeing all of the green again somehow is so very relaxing. Launched about 6:55, I knew it was cold when I stepped on the board that goes to the dock and it was covered with frost, as was the dock itself. We motored to the south shoreline. Threw our stuff in and began to troll west with the breeze. Lit the heater and put the top up to try to hold some heat in the boat. Water temp was 53 and the breeze picked up into a cold wind. We started picking up a few fish but the fish finder was silent. Went for about 15 to 20 minutes and got down where the logs stick out of the water and marked a few fish and caught fish on my favorite stuff, #4 size lure, about 10 inches of leader, wedding ring, 12-14 inches of leader, and #6 bait holder hook with Berkley Gulp "Nightcrawler"chunk about 1 1/4inches long. This combo has been working for me real well. As we made the turn at the west end of the lake I hooked into something a little bigger than usual. Pulled up 15 inch nice fat holdover. We battled the wind till about 9:50 catching an releasing quite a few planters in the 11-13 inch range. Finally we bagged it and decided to give Willow a try. Launched about 10:50 and started trolling along the south shore. We were using the same stuff but it took a little while to hook up any fish. We went around the first point and then I got into one. A good fighting fish but just a planter. We trolled the shoreline at about 30 feet of water. The water temp was 59 at the dock but in the really big cove at the south end of the lake it warmed up to 62-63. As we got around to the the east bank and where all the people fish off the road, we caught a few more nice planters. Then we trolled down across the face of the dam and started doing better. I put some weight on and got down a little deeper, and hooked into something that started taking line off the reel. Worked it a while and pulled up a 21 inch holdover. Nice and chubby and really nice looking fish. At about 2:00 the bite went flat and we experimented with equipment. Steve put on the ford fender and wedding ring and real worm but no luck and he switched to Gulp worms, his are smaller (wiggler I think is on the label) and caught one more and then nothing. We pulled out about 2:50 and went to Butte Falls and had a burger and came home. Other than the freezing wind at Fish Lake, we had a great day. I hadn't fished there for about 30 years and had forgotten that it is only 20 to 25 feet deep. The views of the mountain are really spectacular though, and of course we both forgot to take our cameras. Maybe next time.

18406ej · 05-31-2007, 10:32 AM

Thank you for the thorough report. Sounds like you had a great day despite the cold.

JTLunker · 05-31-2007, 06:42 PM

I miss going up to that area. I used to live in Medford and we went to willow quite often. I only fished fish lake a few times. Howard Prarie at red rocks was a good spot for me too.

05-31-2007, 04:34 AM	#1
doublestrike Apprentice Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Central Point, OR Posts: 58	Fish Lake and Willow Lake The drive up Hwy 140 to Fish Lake is always nice. Seeing all of the green again somehow is so very relaxing. Launched about 6:55, I knew it was cold when I stepped on the board that goes to the dock and it was covered with frost, as was the dock itself. We motored to the south shoreline. Threw our stuff in and began to troll west with the breeze. Lit the heater and put the top up to try to hold some heat in the boat. Water temp was 53 and the breeze picked up into a cold wind. We started picking up a few fish but the fish finder was silent. Went for about 15 to 20 minutes and got down where the logs stick out of the water and marked a few fish and caught fish on my favorite stuff, #4 size lure, about 10 inches of leader, wedding ring, 12-14 inches of leader, and #6 bait holder hook with Berkley Gulp "Nightcrawler"chunk about 1 1/4inches long. This combo has been working for me real well. As we made the turn at the west end of the lake I hooked into something a little bigger than usual. Pulled up 15 inch nice fat holdover. We battled the wind till about 9:50 catching an releasing quite a few planters in the 11-13 inch range. Finally we bagged it and decided to give Willow a try. Launched about 10:50 and started trolling along the south shore. We were using the same stuff but it took a little while to hook up any fish. We went around the first point and then I got into one. A good fighting fish but just a planter. We trolled the shoreline at about 30 feet of water. The water temp was 59 at the dock but in the really big cove at the south end of the lake it warmed up to 62-63. As we got around to the the east bank and where all the people fish off the road, we caught a few more nice planters. Then we trolled down across the face of the dam and started doing better. I put some weight on and got down a little deeper, and hooked into something that started taking line off the reel. Worked it a while and pulled up a 21 inch holdover. Nice and chubby and really nice looking fish. At about 2:00 the bite went flat and we experimented with equipment. Steve put on the ford fender and wedding ring and real worm but no luck and he switched to Gulp worms, his are smaller (wiggler I think is on the label) and caught one more and then nothing. We pulled out about 2:50 and went to Butte Falls and had a burger and came home. Other than the freezing wind at Fish Lake, we had a great day. I hadn't fished there for about 30 years and had forgotten that it is only 20 to 25 feet deep. The views of the mountain are really spectacular though, and of course we both forgot to take our cameras. Maybe next time. __________________ Git Fishin ! Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?

05-31-2007, 10:32 AM	#2
18406ej Master Angler Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Keizer Posts: 473	Thank you for the thorough report. Sounds like you had a great day despite the cold. __________________ E.J. "I am going where streams of whiskey are flowing"

05-31-2007, 06:42 PM	#3
JTLunker Master Angler Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tigard, OR Posts: 516	I miss going up to that area. I used to live in Medford and we went to willow quite often. I only fished fish lake a few times. Howard Prarie at red rocks was a good spot for me too. __________________ JT Live to fish! http://jtbaitandtackle.oregonfishingforum.com

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