Lake Sammamish, anyone?

[LunkerTrout]

Hi, I'm new to the board. Was wondering if anyone has been out to fish Lake Sammamish for Cutthroat? I've never fished it, but hear it can be pretty good this time of year. I might check it out this weekend.

[Nino]

I've never fly fished it, but have had success trolling with gear. I'm sure a number of streamer patterns would entice them to bite (especially when salmon smolt are present). However, during the winter months, the fish gorge themselves on massive midge hatches during calm days. These hatches are easy to spot. Just look for a sea gull feeding frenzy. I would highly recommend fishing from a boat with a gas engine and electric motor. The engine will allow you to cover water quickly and the electric motor will provide stealth. These fish can be fairly spooky. Personally, I would not try to fish this lake from a float tube or pontoon boat. It's just too big and can get a little rough. Good luck!

[mcoomer]

I fished Lake Sammamish about two weeks ago in a pontoon, but Nino is correct in saying that usually this lake is not good for that. In the summer I would never go out in that lake in a pontoon. You would get run over by a ski boat before you ever got your line in the water.

Having said that, I fished about two weeks ago just north of Weber point, trolling a black bunny leech. I kicked slowly north/south about 50 yards off the shore (more or less) and did OK. I kept one 16" bow for my dinner and released two others that were a bit smaller.

Having only fished the lake once I am hardly the expert, but I had success very early and none after about 10:00 am so I would say get an early start.

Good luck,
Mike

[Nino]

Congrats on your success at Lake Sam. You're a braver man than I for venturing out in a small craft. Even in the winter, the bass competition anglers rip around the same area that's productive for trout at 50mph in their Trackers. Although, the water is generally much calmer in winter.

I am by no means against keeping a fish or two for a meal (especially hatchery fish). However, I would think twice about keeping a resident fish from Sammamish. There has been at least one instance in past years where the lake has been closed due to contamination. All those lakeside lawns and slow water flow create a pontentially hazardous enviroment. Fertilizer run-off or something.

[mcoomer]

Actually, the benefits of eating fish from Lake Sammamish are proven positive. Before I started eating those fish I was easy to sneak up on, but now that I have the third eye growing out the back of my head I have no blind spots. LOL

Seriously though, I hadn't thought of the amount of lawn fertilizer that must end up in that lake.

Mike

[Rob Blomquist]

I both work on the lake, and have fly fished it.

In the winter we find trout in the 10 to 20 foot range on our depth finders. There is also a late winter midge hatch that would blow your mind in late February or March. Bugs bigger than your thumbnail and swarming.

As far as fly fishing, I have mostly fished off the mouth of Issaquah Creek. I've taken one residual chinook, about 12". I have not taken any cutts. But I have thought about trying in the winter. I have a small aluminum boat which is a good bit safer on a lake like that.

Rob

[chadk]

I've gear fished it many times and fly fished it a few times. Used to take my canoe\trolling motor out there quite a bit.

It is worth getting to know. There are some great cutthroat that can be found with some persistance. Tightloops has it right from what I've experienced.

Don't overlook the other fish in there too. Fishing for small mouth, large mouth, big perch, and some MONSTER carp can be loads of fun. I've caught some nice smallmouth and perch (along with small bluegill) off the boat launch docks fishing small black woolly buggers.

[Kent Lufkin]

I live near the NW end of the lake not far from Marymoor. I launched my pontoon boat from Idylwood Park one day a few summers ago, intent on fishing the mouth of the slough for cutts. Instead I picked up two smallies (one over 16" the other about 13") along the docks by the apartments trolling a BH damsel nymph on a sinking line.

The ski boats took great pleasure in making a sharp turns 10 or 20 yards away and sending me rocking in their wakes. Great fun actually, but the main drawback was the very loud music they were playing and the drunken shouts and screaming that carried across the water. Probably better fishing down near the mouth of Issaquah Creek.


"A true gentleman is someone who knows how to play the accordion, but doesn't." ~ Anonymous

[Rob Blomquist]

Both ends of the lake have idiots. What the skiiers are looking for is flat water, and it can be almost anywhere. The south end stinks due to the launch ramp, and the folks running back and forth from it.

If I wanted a place to fish, I would try the SW corner, or the middle of the lake. Or I would fish in the winter or early morning.

[chadk]

Just fish when it is cold and raining. Summer time on the lake is a joke...

[Old Man]

Chad,as I read your earlier post you mentioned using a black wooly bugger. It seems that is about the only fly you use. Am I right. The few times that we fished together you also used that fly. Just asking. And please post that picture of the fish you showed Dave.

Jim

[alpinetrout]

Yeah, the amount of fertilizer in those fish is almost as much as in your average vegetable. Watch out!

[chadk]

LOL - "the black woolly bugger - don't leave home without it!" is my motto for just about any fish. But I use plenty of other flies too. The black woolly tends to get my nod when I just want a general attractor for subsurface fishing. You can dead drift it like a nymph, or stip like crazy right up at the surface, and a mix of things in between. And I don't know of many species of fish around there worth catching that won't take it. Olive green is my next color choice. When lake fishing, green may even be my first choice.

[PeteM]

Cold and raining... that covers 10 months of the year.

Pete}(