thanks for the report. this sounds like a lake i'd love to try. just wondering though about the special regs. is it a flyfishing only, barbless hook fishery? i read in a post from a year or so back that someone was knocking them dead using powerbait from shore. not being a smarta$$, just was curious...thanks

yes it is fly fishing only, barbless hooks. Limit is one fish per day if you plan on keeping any. It is a beautiful lake w/ great scenery around it...definately worth heading too.

Been years since flysfishing Chopaka. Love that lake, out in the boonies on the long dirt road (at least last time I was there but years ago as said).
Used to troll leech patterns at night with the cool clear skies earlier in year and a LITTLE flask o' The Macallan to wet the whistle :-) Just lazily flip along and then 'zzziiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnggggg'! Good fun. Dry flies were fun too fishing size 16 Adams and some Compara duns. As I recall in spring had a mayfly hatch during daytime. Fish could be picky though.
Dear gawd hope the powerbait rumor is just that. Would hate to see that fishery get hit. Back in the day there'd be a pack of flyfishers ready to provide some whoopass on anyone that continued baitfishing after being told not to (against regs).
Geezus, keep reminiscing and not fishin'. Hope the Mrs lets me loose a little this fall for the salmon LOL. Thanx for the report and trip down memory lane! Those clear night skies were awesome to look up at while trolling!

LowVW, I love Chopaka. I was surprised to see your moniker attached to a fly lake. You usually hit the bass lakes pretty hard. Anyway, good fishing is....Good Fishing. I have not been to Chopaka for a couple years, they have killed it off a couple years ago due to bass took over. Thanks for letting us know that it is healthy with nice size rainbows again. Lots of nice lakes near Chopaka. Check out Blue lake, Connors lake, and Whitestone lake.

Bass took over? I fished it many years ago and don't remember ever hearing of any bass caught there then. Been too long I guess. But the rainbows were very healthy/beautiful fish. Real consistent size often too, about 16-18 inches with occassional bigger ones back then. Sounds like lowvw was hooking into some in that range. Guess it's even better to hear the lake is back to producing nice trout after being 'cleaned'. Why people would destroy a beautiful flyfishing trout fishery by planting bass is... Ugh.

What was the water temperature?

Mike

Yeah, good fishing is good fishing. I fly fished for a while before i really got into bass fishing, so i already had the gear and got talked into heading on over. The lake was killed off 3 years ago due to the increasing bass population. My parents retired to outside of Tonasket a few years back so i have fished the majority of the lakes over there...Palmer, Osoyoos, Whitestone(which had a huge largemouth kill this spring), Spectacle. Most of the fish were nice and healthy looking, but a few of the largest fish looked a little hungry-Big head...long snake body. Surface temps were 70-72 at the West end of the lake and i can imagine a few degrees warmer on the east end due to how shallow it is. Definately will be on my short list when i need to mix it up a bit....We'll its back to bass this week...should be on Lk Wa on Thursday.

with surface temps 70-72 that is really hard on the fish, most people stay away from the QAULITY lakes during the heat of the season.

GO LECTURE SOMEWHERE ELSE ABOUT WHEN AND WHERE OTHERS SHOULD FISH.

A bit touchy today aren't we?

After all of the positive comments from people, the negative ones are not needed...regardless of your opinion of when and where others should fish. If you choose not to fish a QUALITY lake during the summer...great....dont try and press your views on others. Just be glad people are getting out and enjoying themselves. Enough said.

this would be a good conversation for the forum, let's take it there, and chill with the rude language.