Northwest Fishing Reports

hey i was wondering if its legal to camp on the island at potholes.going there in august and i dont really like camping at state parks. or is there other places on the lake where i can dock my boat and camp.

Thanks to the bird watcher's, we can't even set foot on the island anymore.

You can head back into the dunes.

Besides, that island is painted white with bird sh!t. I wouldnt want to camp there even if it was ok. I was told camping aroung the seep lakes is ok if you want to hike in.

You can camp on the N.E. side of the lake nice and sandy. We also camped on the N. end of the lake. But you may want to check with the dam to make sure there not going to open the dam gates and drop the water level.

samman253 wrote:hey i was wondering if its legal to camp on the island at potholes.going there in august and i dont really like camping at state parks. or is there other places on the lake where i can dock my boat and camp.

I'm going over to wet a line in August . . .when are you going???

Micropterus wrote:

samman253 wrote:hey i was wondering if its legal to camp on the island at potholes.going there in august and i dont really like camping at state parks. or is there other places on the lake where i can dock my boat and camp.

I'm going over to wet a line in August . . .when are you going???

we're going august 7-10. never actually fished at potholes, but i heard of some really good fishing at the dam and sand dunes

I'm heading over at the end of august let me know how you did?

3 more days til fishing/camping at potholes... can't wait to be on one of the islands fishing and drinking all day and night hahahaha YES!!!!!!

I just camped in the Dunes for the first time this year, and i have to say that it was one of my favorite camping trips ever. You get to take over an island and be completely isolated for a weekend. We found a nice and big island with a sandy beach and set up shop there. One thing i highly recomend is to bring some sort of shade set up. We brought a 20'x30' tarp, some poles, extra tents steaks and rope and set up a sweet little shady camp. This was our shade get-away, poker room, and dining room during the heat of the day. Another thing that is nice to have is a table. Prepare to have sand on everything - but it's totally worth it if you don't mind roughin' it a bit. If you launch at the state park and don't want to use the "great outdoors" as your bathroom, you can use their restrooms. Post pics of your camp when you're done.

Sounds like they had a good sixe wildfire going on there last weekend. All taken care of now, but torched some land and a car or two. As a friendly reminder...Don't shoot tracer rounds into the brush and hills...not a bright idea.

Drewp wrote:I just camped in the Dunes for the first time this year, and i have to say that it was one of my favorite camping trips ever. You get to take over an island and be completely isolated for a weekend. We found a nice and big island with a sandy beach and set up shop there. One thing i highly recomend is to bring some sort of shade set up. We brought a 20'x30' tarp, some poles, extra tents steaks and rope and set up a sweet little shady camp. This was our shade get-away, poker room, and dining room during the heat of the day. Another thing that is nice to have is a table. Prepare to have sand on everything - but it's totally worth it if you don't mind roughin' it a bit. If you launch at the state park and don't want to use the "great outdoors" as your bathroom, you can use their restrooms. Post pics of your camp when you're done.

thanks for the advice. is the state park the only place to launch a boat?

No, there are other places, but I'm pretty sure it's the closest launch to the dunes.

State Park and Mardon are closest to dunes. They are geeting crazy with prices to setup tents at Mardon. Like $30 a night, prices doubled over last 2 yrs but they have not changed anything. No better now than it was years ago. I have a trailer there, even then they tried to make me pay for tents setup in my yard area. BS

Made decision to go to Mardon Friday until sunday. I just checked out their website, Samman253 what kind of fishing are you doing? The Wasteways are HOTT right now. Try Frenchmans Wasteway, which is between State Park and Dunes. They are catching nice LM. Maybe I'll see ya on the water. Getting pontoon today and going to hit up face of dam for SM.

delyakguy wrote:Made decision to go to Mardon Friday until sunday. I just checked out their website, Samman253 what kind of fishing are you doing? The Wasteways are HOTT right now. Try Frenchmans Wasteway, which is between State Park and Dunes. They are catching nice LM. Maybe I'll see ya on the water. Getting pontoon today and going to hit up face of dam for SM.

what ever bites my hook hahaha.. never fished in that water before so i don;t know really what to expect.hoping for some bass and catfish. leaving in about 3hrs from now,probrably see you there i'll be in a 19ft bayliner.

I'll keep eye out for ya. Not sure where hotspot is for cats but there are some nice ones in Potholes. Good luck

Drewp wrote:You get to take over an island and be completely isolated for a weekend.

Really? Ive only stayed at Mardon. Where are the islands? From looking at Maps.google.com Im seeing what may be islands on the N half of the rez but your post says dunes...

Where exactly are these, how do I reserve one?

The entire N. End of the Potholes Reservoir were all sand dunes before they built the dam. Now these dunes are just a bunch of flooded islands. Those things that look like clouds on google maps are actually islands. You don't reserve them - you just find one and camp. It's public land. Like I said too, it's one of the coolest ways to camp I have ever experienced.

Totaly cool. We'll have to check into that for next summer. Then again, we'll need a bigger boat to haul all the crap a family of 4 would use plus us.

Thanks Drewp, and Im running a little slow getting that mailed out to you... but its comming.

It helps to have a bigger boat - but you can leave some people at the state park launch and take a load and some other people to scout for an island then make multiple trips.

No worries on the sticker man.