High lakes, streams

[TANGLES]

Want to head up in the Cascades this weekend. Any suggestions for lakes that I can hike into with a tube and maybe fish a few streams on the way home? I like the Verlot area but will go from B.C. to Mt. Rainier for some good action.

[Steelie L]

Have you fished Lake 22 near Verlot? It's no zipper-lip -- it gets plenty of hikers and probably its fair share of anglers -- but it's a pretty little lake with decent numbers of smallish rainbows (7" - 12"). I've only fished it from shore, but one of these days I'll make it up there with my float tube. I think it's about a 6-mile roundtrip hike. Also, you need a NW Forest Pass to park at the trailhead. I'd go early to beat the masses. Or make it a late afternoon thing and fish till dusk, then hike back in the dark.

Good luck!

[TANGLES]

Thanks for the reply. Fished it years ago. Actually dragged some flies off the melting ice to some hungry little guys. Actually the Verlot area is one of my favorites. Coal Creek is a nice lake in that area. You drive up a logging road right to the lake. Caught some nice browns. Nothing big.

[Nooksack Mac]

I just read on the Wa. Trails Assn. website a report that Lake Ann, about 1.5 miles south (and uphill!) from Rainy Pass on Hwy. 20 is snowfree. I've had good fishing for cutthroat there in the past. And if you're ambitious, you could combine it with a hike farther uphill to Maple Pass, from which you can gawk at mountain majesty from Rainier to near Canada.:eek

[JANGO]

I HIKED UP TO COPPER LAKE IN THE FOSS LAKES AREA FOR A THREE DAY FISHING TRIP. THE HIKE IS TREMENDOUSLY EXHAUSTING BUT WORTH IT. WE HAD A GREAT TIME WITH THE BROOKIES AND BOWS.I HAVE ONLY ONE QUESTION,WHATS UP WITH THE BATS? I WAS ATTACKED BY TONS OF BATS.NOT TO MENTION I COULDN'T TELL IF I WAS GETTING STRIKES OR IF THE BATS WERE ATTACKING MY LINE.THEY WERE LITTERALLY DROPPING DOWN AND PICKING UP MY LINE. IT WAS INTERESTING AT FIST BUT THEY GOT A LITTLE TO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. OTHER THAT THAT I HAD A PRETTY GOOD TIME. THERE WERE A FEW SNOW PACKS LEFT BUT IT WAS REALLY WARM OUT. THE WATER WAS REALLY WARMING UP AS WELL. I RECOMEND HEADING TO THE FAR END OF THE LAKE WHERE THE WATER FALLS ARE. THAT IS WHERE MOST OF THE FISH SEEM TO BE HANGING OUT.FOR FLIES I USED BLACK AND RED ANTS,AS WELL AS FLYING ANTS.ALSO USED PARACHUTE ADAMS AND OLIVE BUGGERS.