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Omak Lake is easily the best trout fishery in washingon state, by far. Me and my fishing partner (kochmandoo)_ went over for the first time this weekend and fished saturday, sunday and a half day monday.

Saturday:
We headed out, knowing very little about location and gear to catch these fish with. For the first hour, we trolled around and missed a few hits, thinking it was going to be slow. Finally, around 8am, we found a bay on the east side of the lake that was hott, the ledge went from 80 to 13 feet, and we trolled the edge in 25 feet of water with the riggers down 20. In the first 3 passes we had two triple headers and a quad header. We fished the area for the rest of the day and ended with 41 trout to the boat. However, the size wasnt great for Omak, fish averaging 21 inches with the biggest being 24 inches and around 4 pounds. We had 11 double headers.

Sunday:
This was THE DAY. Easily the best trout fishing day I have ever had, EVER. straight out the the killer spot from the day before at 5am, riggers set with the two hottest lures from the day before, a jointed rapala in rainbow trout color and a 2.5 inch cookies and cream needlefish spoon. Instant action, fish after fish, all 20-22 inches. Finally, about 10 fish in, the surface rod with a diving rapala gets BENT over. Long story short, after a good battle on a light spinning rod and 8 pound test, i land a 6-7 pound chrome bright thick shoulders male. Picture above. Hours pass and we HAMMER fish, and around 10 am we try a point we havent tried. Well... In 3 passes we nail a 4 pound hen, a 6 pound hen and a 7 pound buck. HUGE TROUT. peeling line off the ultra light kokanee rods were using, we land them all. Pictures provided in the forum under trout and kokanee forum. A little later, my buddy loses a GIANT that we saw following a fish we had hooked, we saw him, easily 8+ pounds, so we turn around, put gear back in and insantly get hammered and we know its huge, however hook pulls out! DANG. So we continue to RAIL trout double triple headers tons of fish 20-24 inches up to 4 pounds. One pass I hooked a huge 6 pounder, fighting it, following it is a 22 incher, buddy picks up rapala throws it 5 feet from boat, BOOM he nails it! double header, one being 6 pounds. Then, on our way back across the lake, we decide to try the killer big fish hole again. First pass we get hammered by a pig. Peeling line, we know its 6-12 pounds, huge. Chasing it with the boat. 20 feet from boat, cant see it yet, hook pops out. WOW that sucks. Oh well, put gear back in, BOOM double header with a 6 pounder and a smaller one. Put gear back down BOOM my buddy gets his biggest fish of the trip, a 6 pounder. (pictured above) We get some smaller ones, and lose a huge throbbing takedown the looked big and called it a day. Fished 6am to 6pm, always catching fish all day. Day total was an amazing 86 FISH to the boat, and lost plenty more, with the big ones being a 7 pounder, three 6 pounders, four 5 pounders and SO MANY 3-4 pounds. Also caught some pigs around 4 pounds and one giant grumpy spawner on a shoreline at the south end stripping flies.

Monday:
Only have a few hours to fish, so we head out and start trolling same area, we probably fished it out pretty back previous days because it was slower (slow for omak is a fish every 10 minutes instead of every 5). We trolled some new areas landing some nice fish but nothing huge, and called it a day at 11am with 28 fish landed and ended the day with the biggest of the day about a 4.5 pounder on the cookies and cream spoon.

Omak is the best lake in the state for trout, hands down, nothing even compares in any way.

Mike Carey

5/28/2012 7:36:00 PM

indeed, this lake is amazing. The hotspots you marked are areas we fished with Anton Jones in our video from last year. I believe Anton is guiding this lake, if anyone is interested in fishing it with him. Glad you had a killer trip!

RiverChromeGS

5/28/2012 7:42:00 PM

Thanks Mike! Yea, trolling anywhere had fish but that bay was always loaded and had some giants in it!

RiverChromeGS

5/28/2012 7:43:00 PM

Also, anyone who wants to see all the pictures of the biggest fish, I posted a thread under FRESHWATER FORUM with pics. check it out!

MotoBoat

5/28/2012 7:59:00 PM

Wowser, nice trip. Nice write up. Have you fished this lake much? If this was a first trip, it will be one to remember and day dream about while at work. Simply amazing numbers, size, and fish battle's. You guy's deffinitely did NOT need a guide to get into the fish. Even deployed fly rods for fish. Did you try trolling any flies or stick with the lures? Hare to beat a Rapala. What did you troll that did not work so well?

Lake Chelan Adventures

5/28/2012 8:49:00 PM

Very Nice...I have fished this lake a lot in the past but now that I am busy with Guiding, I don't have the time to fish for me much anymore. Great report!!! I can tell you that if you pull your boat to Omak lake you will catch fish...Thanks for the posting!!!

RiverChromeGS

5/28/2012 9:30:00 PM

Thanks guys,

To Motoboat, This was our first trip, but with the quality of the fishery, it only took about an hour to learn it. The first big ones we caught were spitting up 10-12 inch fish during the fight, so we knew big ones are eating smaller ones. So we used 2.5 and 3 inch spoons, cop car was top producing spoon, but the overall best lure was a jointed rapala, it looks just like a wounded minnow, exactly what theyre eating on. Everything seemed to work decently, nothing was BAD, just not as good as rapalas in minnow colors, size 5 and 7 caught fish. We did not troll flies, too much action on riggers, however, any shallow flat you find on the lake has fish cruising, and if you stop and cast wooley buggers or anything good lookin at them, they bite, we probably got 15 fish on flies stripping the south end flat, one being a dark 7 pound buck . once north bay opens, flies will be unreal, we saw hundreds in flats in north bay spawning, but its closed until june 1st, then you can go and slam them all day on the flats there!

tele_maniac

5/28/2012 9:56:00 PM

Wow! That sounds like some crazy cool action. Thanks for the pictures and the report.

mwdehaan

5/29/2012 2:59:00 AM

Amazing, nice job. Thanks for the report!

kenbarb

5/29/2012 10:45:00 AM

Great report and pictures. Thanks for all the detail, felt like I was there fishing with you. Did you camp at the lake, and do you know if it is okay to camp overnite at the boat ramp?

RiverChromeGS

5/29/2012 12:53:00 PM

you have to talk to the tribe, and they charge you like 10$ or something to camp at the launch, but we stayed in east park in omak!

The Quadfather

5/29/2012 1:50:00 PM

This is my favorite E. WA. lake for sure. Just be careful with securing your rig, and taking in and out after dark. I have had a run in with shady characters. Looking forward to fishing it in July.

RiverChromeGS

5/29/2012 5:12:00 PM

Thanks Quad, didnt know if there was any problems like this or not, will be careful.

Jipper

5/30/2012 6:54:00 AM

great report i felt like i was there

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