Yale Lake ???

Has anyone fished at Yale Lake this year? Is it open all year like Merwin?

Thanks Kokonuts/////thumbsup

Yale Reservoir is open year round, with a daily limit of 16 Kokanee. I haven't fished it this year, but remember, the fish are smaller than those in Merwin. Might be a good place to give a try to some of those special lures you makethumbsup

I fished it last July with some success and am wondering how the water levels are this time of year. Hey... maybe we should look at this for the KFF BBQ site this summer. Two camps on the lake and three access points.

After I switch out the lower unit oil it'll be time to explore.

The fish generallyare smaller but they are native compared to hatchery, and fight better than their hand fed cousins at Merwin. My biggest from Yale last year was 16".

Yale Lake

Thanks for the info,I am going to try it soon maybe this week!

Mack, I think it would be nice to have a get together there, the park at Couger is really nice & has plenty of parking!

thumbsup....Kokonuts......

I heard that last year the fish were running every bit as big as the one's in Merwin. I didn't know that you were allowed 16 fish but that makes it more worthwhile of the long drive up there. Somehow, a 5 fish limit just almost doesn't seem to quite make it worth a two or three hour drive to me. Of course, if they were 20 incher's it might go a long way to making up for the lack of numbers.

I am thinking of giving Yale a try this spring too. And it does sound like it might be a good place for the KFF BBQ. Kokonuts, let us know how you do, I might be able to give it a try this month myself, we'll see. Too much time and so little to do... strike that...reverse itlaugh hyst

this may be the year for Yale koke fishing.
with the large fast draw down of Merwin, many of the young kokes may be swept over the damn and down stream to disappear in the Lewis River.

time will tell. i'm headed to Lk Wallowa in Or. end of May for a week. would go earlier but can't take the cold anymore.

Yale Park would make a great group picnic area, no overnite camping but swimming area and good boat launch. lots of parking.
gets crowded but not as crazy as the Saddle Dam

Yale in the am

Well, looks like the fog is going to be bad on the big river in the am and I don't want to get burned out on springers this early, so my son and our are heading up to Yale to shake some cobwebs out of the boat and maybe catch a kokanee or two? If anyone is going to be around be sure to say "hi". I'll be in a white Northriver with "Get'n Jiggy" on the side, and hopefully a 5 yr old reeling in a few fish!!!!!
Matt

That is really awesome, Jiggy! My Dad took the time to teach me to fish when I was very young and I will cherish that always. Yes, it is the primary reason why I am forever poor, but it is also a whole lot of memories that I will have to last me as long as I still have my mind. It has also been a great way for my father and I to stay close and have a great father and son relationship. You'll have to let us know how you do up there. I'm just going to head up to Hagg for the opener and we've never been able to talk them into putting koke's in there, and believe me, we've tried. They seemed to think that koke's would do too well in there and overpopulate in spite of the lake's proximaty to Portland. What can you do when you are up against a bureaucracy of fools. Now go start jiggin'!

Yale water level at Cougar Camp Ground?

Does anyone know what the water level is at Cougar Camp?
Is the lagoon accesable using a boat or is the water level too low?
I'll be there this coming weekend.
Thanks, Mark

The Lake is Full Now, at least on Sat.it was!

Full Pool

I drove up to Yale tonight to check the water level and campsite tent pad size. Ok I really went to see how many tents we could pack into the campsites.

Water is about as full as I've seen it except when it was up to the campground road and I've been going to Cougar for 44 years.
Lots of water which should make it easier to launch and pick up the other members in our party.

Thanks for all the information. See you all on the lake over the 4th.

Red Alumaweld Intruder.... Mark