anyone have any good ideas for an alpine lake with some decent fishing off of the mt loop highway? i'm trying to take my brother on a little trip while he's in town and he's excited to try fly fishing. Also, while we're on the subject, what's some go to flies or tactics for an alpine lake? we will be stuck wading only btw so that might make a difference on lake selection. thanks
Go up the Loop Hwy, about 1/2 mile past the Big Four Ice Caves. On the left you will see Coal Lake Road. Dirt road. You drive up about 3.5 miles. There is a small parking area. The lake is about 150' through the woods. Beautiful small, very clear water, alpine lake. The fish are all brookies, not large but plentiful. You will see them coming at you. If you go up the road another couple hundred feet there is a trailhead to a very short hike in lake, haven't done that hike though. If you continue another 1/4 mile the road ends in a large parking area. Trailhead there is to Independance lake. This is a short 3/4 mile easy hike in lake. I've carried my tube and all the trimmings in here. Some years I've caught 12-14" fat trout. Other years I've caught a sunburn. They're both beautiful water, and the first lake is a guranteed fish. Also look up Lake 22, along the Mt. Loop, I think Heather lake is off of there if I'm not mistaken. Both are longer hikes though.
Also try Boardman and lake Evan. You can almost drive to Evan, but they screwed up the parking so there is a little hiking involved. I know I haven't been up in there for a lllooonnnggg time. I don't even know if the road is passable anymore.
Lake 22 is the one I would hit. The water is crystal clear though, but the fish seem hungry. I haven't fly fished there, but I've seen bait fishers there have lots of luck.
I've fished Boardman, lake Evan and coal lake. Evan is one of my favorite lakes and it has good sized cutthroat that like to fight, but it has almost no shore access. You can follow the trail almost another mile up to Boardman which has decent shore fishing but all the fish I've caught there were under 12 inches. coal lake was the prettiest of the three, crystal clear water and you can see to the bottom pretty much all of the lake. And I didn't see a single fish...didn't catch any either. Would love to go back but when I went the forest service gate was closed so I had to hike my tube and gear in. long walk to get skunked. Id try Boardman as you catch pull in those little guys all day long.
Another great thread. I'm going to drop off the kid a grandma's house in Lake Stevens and then take the wife hiking/fishing. It'll be her first time fly fishing so catching will be a must. The ability to keep a few for dinner will also be key. The lake with brookies sounds great.
If anyone knows anything about island lake, right behind Boardman, I sure would appreciate a post. Also if anyone knows if the gate to coal lake is open.
Regarding the gate to Coal lake.... Yes, it is open. It was only gated a couple years ago because the road washed out. It had been repaired last summer when I went. And Coal lake was loaded with hungry brookies. Independance lake which the trail head is at the end of Coal lake road, gave up some hits, but did not touch any fish. In the past it held bigger fish for me. And I can't say enough about Evans lake, assuming you mean the one up behind the town of Skykomish. Also have to mention I saw my first black bear in the wild in maybe 30 years, up near Evans about 2 years ago. Large adult bear. Good times.
Try Goat lake. I've never been there. But I've talked to people that have. Lots of bugs that bite/sting.
I didn't do well at Goat Lake this June. In fact there is poor shore access and no backcast room unless you climb out on the logs at the outlet. Waders would help, but my pack was already heavy. Ken
I'm looking at doing an overnighter on mountain loop with a friend I talked into buying a float tube and waders, proclaiming the joys fishing mountain lakes. Couple Weeks ago I took him to Boardman, Evan, and coal. He want too impressed with Brookie finding abilities. So ok thinking about camping at coal cause its close to the road making camp part easy, then hiking into pass and independence lakes. Really thinking about hiking up to north lake above independence as well. Any feedback would be appreciated, fish populations, trail conditions, unforeseeable roadblocks as I am sort of a newbie. Also any suggestions on websites for trail, map, trailhead locations. I'm trying to do the research but can't seem to find any real good sites.
