Accidental Steelhead Saunders Lake

[NKlamerus]

Took a Friday off a few weeks ago and fished Saunders lake on the coast outside of Hauser, the bass were suspending in the lilly pads so I was swimming a jig through them, brought it past a point towards deep water and bam, fish on, knew immediately by the shake it wasn't a bass, jumped a few seconds in

Definitely spawned out, fight was fun but I wouldn't say incredible, fights like the ladyfish (elops) in Florida, the poor man's tarpon

Caught a few bass and a whole load of trout, they are super thick in there right off the ramp

 

[rogerdodger]

sure looks like a steelie, I don't see any connection path to the ocean for Saunders, has me wondering if it somehow got mixed in and planted with a load of trout?

in that lake would have been legal to retain as your 1 trout/day over 20".

 

[NKlamerus]

sure looks like a steelie, I don't see any connection path to the ocean for Saunders, has me wondering if it somehow got mixed in and planted with a load of trout?

in that lake would have been legal to retain as your 1 trout/day over 20".

Someone at the ramp mentioned that they collect them from eel lake and transplant them over, maybe with stocked trout?

 

[rogerdodger]

Eel lake does get a run of steelhead but the question would be...why move any? lol

surprise fish can be such fun, great catch.

 

[bass]

Eel lake does get a run of steelhead but the question would be...why move any? lol

surprise fish can be such fun, great catch.

They put recycled steelhead in a lot of lakes to increase angling opportunities. Vernonia lake, Lost lake, EE Wison, etc. Saunders likely gets some from somewhere, maybe Eel or somewhere else.

 

[TheKnigit]

Looks like a decent day. I kind of miss fishing Saunders. I have been told by the folks operating the steelhead program at Eel Lake that they will take some of the spawned out steelhead and plant them in the surrounding lakes once they have hit whatever their quota and buffer margin are.