[MNguyendc]

Hey all!

My first real time trying lake fishing. Been a river fishing man but an opportunity presents itself and so now I need to learn about lake fishing! I'll be on a pontoon for just 2.5 days next week. Going to head to Davis lake, fly fish only lake. Any tips? Heard there is trout and bass...all i have is a floating line and poly leaders for sink, no intermediate line. Any tips would help! I pulled up a map with contours of the lake where deepest holes lie and steep troughs.

Thanks in advance

Mike

 

[Olive bugger]

Hey all!

My first real time trying lake fishing. Been a river fishing man but an opportunity presents itself and so now I need to learn about lake fishing! I'll be on a pontoon for just 2.5 days next week. Going to head to Davis lake, fly fish only lake. Any tips? Heard there is trout and bass...all i have is a floating line and poly leaders for sink, no intermediate line. Any tips would help! I pulled up a map with contours of the lake where deepest holes lie and steep troughs.

Thanks in advance

Mike

Soft Hackles

 

[MNguyendc]

I've only swung soft hackles...would the approach on the lake to dress it and fish it On top?

 

[CrawBugger]

For bass early morning top water I.e poppers, sliders, mouse? During the day a weedless leech in olive, black with a longer leader should do the trick. For trout I would concentrate on or near the mouth of Odell creek. Damsels, chironomids, leeches under an indicator or pulled with the slime line. Reed beds and tules will hold your bass. There are trout to 20lbs. Swimming in there! Have fun an go get em!

 

[troutpocket]

Is hiring a guide an option? The only lake I've ever fished with a guide was neighboring Crane Prairie. It was absolutely worth it for the experience of how to find fish on big water. Those are challenging lakes and a guide will greatly shorten the learning curve.

 

[Tom Bowden]

I fished Davis back in the early 2000's. I had a great afternoon, with lots of rainbows 14-16". When I got back to camp, everyone was complaining about the small fish. A few years before, it was common to catch 10-15 lb. trout on flies. I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

As I understand it, fishing in Davis Lake depends on the water level. In drought years, the lake warms up when the sun hits all the volcanic rock around the lake, and it becomes great bass habitat. With a couple years of high water, it cools off and becomes a productive trout lake.

In any case, it's a beautiful area and well worth the trip.

Tom

 

[racermo]

Try black leach patterns on your poly leader, about a size 8. Back in the day a size 12 yellow tied down caddis was killer.

 

[Sagebrush]

That area is filled with many good opportunities. Davis lake is a beautiful lake with great views of the Mt Bachelor and the sisters. Some really nice camp sites on Odell creek. Trout fishing is not what it used to be but there are some large fish that can be had. I would stay out in the Odell channel near where the lake opens up. Crane Prairie is only 15 minutes from Davis lake, and you have a chance at some really nice fish at Crane, the Quinn River campground is a good launch site. If you get tired of lake fishing there are the Fall and Deschutes rivers nearby.

 

[the central oregonian]

I havent been in a few years. I used to fish it religiously for bass....Besides spring/early summer i would not pay too much attention to the trout. Water temps get pretty hot in the summer there. The trout hunker down at the mouth of the creek soaking up the cooler water. If temps are ok then go for just be aware that it may be a issue. I don't know what the bass population looks like now. But it was possibly the best large mouth fishing in the northwest at one point not too long ago...

 

[CrawBugger]

It's still that way, large schools of bass in the 6 and 7 pound range. ODFW nets bass from Davis to put into other warm water fisheries.

 

[MNguyendc]

Just got back from there and we didn't do great. Saw tons of small rises and few big ones at the mouth where Odell creek is. The reed bed was thick near the volcano side so we had a tough time for bass there but picked off 1 good size one off the rocks with a crawdad looking guy under intermediate line. Talked with a few guys who supposedly say they fish there tons and we launched in early early and saw his trailer and he slept in. Spoke with him later and he said bass fishing is not what it use to be so he didn't put in the effort to wake up as early as we did. He said odfw came and picked off bass with electrodes over the years, thinking it had a endless supply of bass.

The one bass I did get in there was nice but 1 out of 2 days was a lot of work! Probably also my lack of skills as a newbie. But thanks for all the input! I'll have to try it again in the very near future.

 

[PezVela]

Davis use to be a "trophy Trout" lake until the bass boys planted...well.. bass in there. Still is fly fishing only, but great fun with the bass in the spring when they are on the spawn. Think I got 6-7 about this size in two days of fishing using a 6" white rabbit leech...

 

[MNguyendc]

Pezvela - was that recently? Yeah the one I caught was over by rocks as well. Didn't do well over in the reeds. Maybe too hot? Unsure.

 

[PezVela]

Sorry for the slow response... that was a few years back on the bass. I haven't been over there since, but may try it again next Spring. I fished the leech just like you would a plastic worm.. bouncing off the bottom, and it drove the bass nuts. Used an 8wt, and had to hold on to it... the takes were violent!

 

[SilverFly]

Fished Davis a few years ago and got mostly small bass working the the edges of the reeds. Got one about half that size on a leech at the lava dam.

BTW, nice albie in your avatar. I'm currently trying to put some tuna charters together if you're interested.

 

[PezVela]

Fished Davis a few years ago and got mostly small bass working the the edges of the reeds. Got one about half that size on a leech at the lava dam.

BTW, nice albie in your avatar. I'm currently trying to put some tuna charters together if you're interested.

Thanks... and nice bonefish on yours! We usually fish albies out of Garibaldi, and have a good gang I fish with.... just waiting for some good reports. Chumming them up with anchovies and tossing a fly is about as much fun as you can have! Let me know when you're heading over.

 

[SilverFly]

Thanks... and nice bonefish on yours! We usually fish albies out of Garibaldi, and have a good gang I fish with.... just waiting for some good reports. Chumming them up with anchovies and tossing a fly is about as much fun as you can have! Let me know when you're heading over.

Thanks. I usually fish out of Garibaldi myself. I'll let you know when we get out.