
Irishrover
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Lake Simtustus is really just a part of the Deschutes River. It is the part that is impounded behind Pelton Dam and starts at Round Butte Dam. I's about seven mile long. Mostly a boat lake because there is very little accessible shoreline and the lake falls of deep from the shore. It has a ten mile speed limit for most of the lake. The place is stocked with rainbow and steelhead. It also has a few kokes and some large browns, a few Bull trout, and has some non hatchery large rainbows. Not that I have caught one of those.
One nice thing about the place is that you can fish it with just about any method you want to use. I have still fished it with worm, pulled lake trolls, hit it with spinners (green roostertails) and of course pull out the fly rod and use a green wooly bugger with a softhackle dropper. The drawback is that you need a Indian fishing permit to fish there $30 for a family season permit. (Treaty of 1855). It also takes about twenty minutes to get to the good fishing area at 10mph. But once you are there the scenery is fantastic and the fishing is usually good.
There is no charge for the boat ramp and there is a store there. The place is run by the same folks that run the store over on the North Fork Reservoir (Clackamas). They make great cheeseburgers! PGE also has a campground there. Even has showers!
It's an easy place to find. Coming east on hwy 26 cross the Deschutes River at Warm Springs keep heading east and there is a sign on the right that points the way to the lake. It's before you head up the big hill to Madras. You can always get the latest fishing info at the little store by the dock. Friendly folks there.
The Feds own the east bank, the Confederated Tribes of the warmsprings own the west bank, the State owns the water. We pay for the fish (taxes tags & licenses) the ODFW put the fish into the water then they become the property of the Tribes (Treaty of 1855)... Could drive a person crazy. But I really like that place and I'm glad to see someone else here has fished there.
One nice thing about the place is that you can fish it with just about any method you want to use. I have still fished it with worm, pulled lake trolls, hit it with spinners (green roostertails) and of course pull out the fly rod and use a green wooly bugger with a softhackle dropper. The drawback is that you need a Indian fishing permit to fish there $30 for a family season permit. (Treaty of 1855). It also takes about twenty minutes to get to the good fishing area at 10mph. But once you are there the scenery is fantastic and the fishing is usually good.
There is no charge for the boat ramp and there is a store there. The place is run by the same folks that run the store over on the North Fork Reservoir (Clackamas). They make great cheeseburgers! PGE also has a campground there. Even has showers!
It's an easy place to find. Coming east on hwy 26 cross the Deschutes River at Warm Springs keep heading east and there is a sign on the right that points the way to the lake. It's before you head up the big hill to Madras. You can always get the latest fishing info at the little store by the dock. Friendly folks there.
The Feds own the east bank, the Confederated Tribes of the warmsprings own the west bank, the State owns the water. We pay for the fish (taxes tags & licenses) the ODFW put the fish into the water then they become the property of the Tribes (Treaty of 1855)... Could drive a person crazy. But I really like that place and I'm glad to see someone else here has fished there.