Deadwood Conditions

[AkAngler]

I have never been to Deadwood but looking to take my family up there in a couple days to do some camping and Koke fishing. Does anyone have any recent info on road conditions or how the fishing has been? I was planning to go in through Warm Lake road as I have heard that could be best route towing a boat. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Physion]

road, camping, and fishing

I took my 14 foot boat in on a trailer last Tuesday. The road was typical Deadwood. Rough, but ok if you go slowly. There are 25 miles of dirt road. I went in through Warm Lake and Landmark. You do have to watch out for a few who feel as if they own the road and drive 40 or 50 on blind curves. I would prefer to car top if my small Evinrude were working. There were several bigger boats on the reservoir. I don't know the route they used.

The camping is primitive. There are outhouses in some areas, but make sure you bring water. There is a spring that is probably safe that is on the west side of the road, opposite the river, shortly after you cross one of the last bridges just above the reservoir. I don't remember which bridge for sure. The water is flowing out of a small pipe, but you have to look closely to see it as you drive by.

The fishing was ok. Some were doing better than we did. We just stayed for the day. We caught 7 kokanee and 3 rainbow. We didn't keep the rainbow. The kokanee were in the 14-15 inch range. We were 20 -25 feet down and between the islands and the east shore. We spent part of the day exploring different parts of the reservoir before we started catching fish. If I go again I'll stay east of the islands and move closer or away from the islands until I find fish.

Good luck.

Physion

 

[AkAngler]

Thanks for the info! I'm sure I'll find the kokes but will start looking/fishing where you said. I've heard most people choose that northern route but the route up Scott Mountain Rd looks much shorter from the Boise area. Is that road that bad or why not go up that way?

 

[Physion]

I've never taken the Scott Mountain road. I've been told by some that it's not a good idea, and I've believed them. We have a travel trailer in the Donnelly area, so the Warm Lake route is reasonable. I have also gone in from the Lowman-Stanley road. If I were traveling from home I would consider that route. That road can be very nice (for a mountain road) or it can be lined with ruts and rough. Part of the road conditions depend on when the road was last graded and how it was treated last fall and early this year. Wet dirt roads and lots of traffic are not a good mix. Spring runoff doesn't help either. We live in Idaho. Rough roads are part of what keeps the back country from being overwhelmed and make it an enjoyable, rewarding adventure for those willing to pay the price.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[GrimReaper]

We just spent weekend up there, we drove in from Lowman/bear valley road, out via warm lake (for detailed directions see deadwood outfitters website). Folks at Deadwood outfitters told us Scott mountain route still not open, I've never driven that way but have heard very rough and not good for towing at all - from everything I've heard...avoid Scott mountain route.

Both routes we drove this weekend were a bit wash board in areas, but overall pretty decent. I'd recommend warm lake route if this is your first drive in. No matter what these are not the type of roads you travel fast and make good time on.

As mentioned previously, bring plenty of water and whatever else you need, there are no resources/stores nearby.

Now for fishing, it was slower than I've experience past years, but size was up - we had slow morning but finally found some kokanee from the dam and west in front of cozy cove camp out in 90-120 feet of water scattered from 20-40 feet down. 25-35 feet down seemed best action. we kept 15 koke and 3 trout.

 

[hooknhunter]

I was up there over the weekend as well. We arrived at the lake around midnight on Wednesday night. If you were camped on the north end and we woke you with our lights and the noise of launching the boat, I guess I'm sorry (sort of).

It was amazing how much the Warm Lake route degraded between coming in and going out on Saturday midday. The washboard was noticeably worse after only a couple days of wear and tear.

The fishing was pretty good for us. 2 guys, 2 full days fishing, plus about 5 hours on the last day. We brought home roughly 90 kokes averaging a fat 14-15 inches, a few rainbows, a cut, and a few bonus chinook. It was really cold Friday night/Saturday morning. We had ice on the outside of our cooler on Saturday morning until the sun came up. It was a great trip.

 

[Skipjack24]

any size to the chinook?

I was up there over the weekend as well. We arrived at the lake around midnight on Wednesday night. If you were camped on the north end and we woke you with out lights the noise of launching the boat, I guess I'm sorry (sort of).

It was amazing how much the Warm Lake route degraded between coming in and going out on Saturday midday. The washboard was noticeably worse.

The fishing was pretty good for us. 2 guys, 2 full days fishing, plus about 5 hours on the last day. We brought home roughly 90 kokes averaging a fat 14-15 inches, a few rainbows, a cut, and a few bonus chinook. It was really cold Friday night/Saturday morning. We had ice on the outside of our cooler on Saturday morning until the sun came up. It was a great trip.

 

[hooknhunter]

No. Our best was about 17 inches or so. Hooked a couple of BIG fish, but they didn't stay hooked up long enough to get a look.

 

[Skipjack24]

Way cool man! Little shocked people keep the baby chinook tho...

 

[hooknhunter]

Little shocked people keep the baby chinook tho...

I guess it depends on how you think about it and how you go about releasing them.

For me, they go absolutely ballistic when they get near the boat. If you net them, then they get wrapped up in the net tangling hooks and prolonging the time out of the water. All the mean while they are beating their own scales off a tenderizing themselves at the same time.

We did release a few that seemed like they'd live cause they were relatively calm and didn't get wrapped up in the net and weren't out of the water long; but if we felt like there was any chance they'd die anyway, we kept. Seems like the right thing to do, IMHO.

It just doesn't make sense to let every fish go. For instance, let's say you catch a fish that is not big enough to be "legal" but is gill hooked and bleeding severely before you even pull it out of the water (I've had it happen several times). Does it make sense to throw that fish back? Not to me. But I do it because it is "the law". I still think it is wrong. Even for bass it doesn't make sense to me sometimes, regardless of the size restrictions. If it is clearly going to die anyway are you still supposed to throw it back? Doesn't make any sense to me.

So back to keeping small chinook. We through back as least as many as we kept, but throwing them all back isn't necessarily the right thing to do either. That's how I look at it, anyway.

Respectfully.

 

[hooknhunter]

I took my 14 foot boat in on a trailer last Tuesday. The road was typical Deadwood. Rough, but ok if you go slowly. There are 25 miles of dirt road. I went in through Warm Lake and Landmark. You do have to watch out for a few who feel as if they own the road and drive 40 or 50 on blind curves. I would prefer to car top if my small Evinrude were working. There were several bigger boats on the reservoir. I don't know the route they used.

The camping is primitive. There are outhouses in some areas, but make sure you bring water. There is a spring that is probably safe that is on the west side of the road, opposite the river, shortly after you cross one of the last bridges just above the reservoir. I don't remember which bridge for sure. The water is flowing out of a small pipe, but you have to look closely to see it as you drive by.

The fishing was ok. Some were doing better than we did. We just stayed for the day. We caught 7 kokanee and 3 rainbow. We didn't keep the rainbow. The kokanee were in the 14-15 inch range. We were 20 -25 feet down and between the islands and the east shore. We spent part of the day exploring different parts of the reservoir before we started catching fish. If I go again I'll stay east of the islands and move closer or away from the islands until I find fish.

Good luck.

Physion

The key for us was drop offs. Seemed like the fish wanted to stack up near shallow water but were about 35-40 feet down but over 70+ FOW. Wished I'd had a good contour maps so I could've followed the contour. 2 weeks prior they were 50-60 feet down in the main body of the lake in water 90+ FOW. Funny how things seem to change pretty quickly too.

 

[Skipjack24]

Good point when there bleeding from the gills! When I worked the sawtooth hatchery in Stanley a couple summers it was amazing to me how the small smolt were resiliant to being handled by net and hands, sometimes getting dropped out of tanks from going crazy but they would all bounce back. Sometimes a little dazed & confused but they oxgenate the gills fast when resting in still water just let them sit there a few minutes they always bounce back. It just doesn't make any sense at all to keep a fish under 20-24in that grows to 30in+ after 2.5yrs. All good tho I know everyone on this forum likes to "catch & fley", maybe when guys start complaining about slower fishing that will change.


Tight lines!

I guess it depends on how you think about it and how you go about releasing them.

For me, they go absolutely ballistic when they get near the boat. If you net them, then they get wrapped up in the net tangling hooks and prolonging the time out of the water. All the mean while they are beating their own scales off a tenderizing themselves at the same time.

We did release a few that seemed like they'd live cause they were relatively calm and didn't get wrapped up in the net and weren't out of the water long; but if we felt like there was any chance they'd die anyway, we kept. Seems like the right thing to do, IMHO.

It just doesn't make sense to let every fish go. For instance, let's say you catch a fish that is not big enough to be "legal" but is gill hooked and bleeding severely before you even pull it out of the water (I've had it happen several times). Does it make sense to throw that fish back? Not to me. But I do it because it is "the law". I still think it is wrong. Even for bass it doesn't make sense to me sometimes, regardless of the size restrictions. If it is clearly going to die anyway are you still supposed to throw it back? Doesn't make any sense to me.

So back to keeping small chinook. We through back as least as many as we kept, but throwing them all back isn't necessarily the right thing to do either. That's how I look at it, anyway.

Respectfully.

 

[hooknhunter]

Good point when there bleeding from the gills! When I worked the sawtooth hatchery in Stanley a couple summers it was amazing to me how the small smolt were resiliant to being handled by net and hands, sometimes getting dropped out of tanks from going crazy but they would all bounce back. Sometimes a little dazed & confused but they oxgenate the gills fast when resting in still water just let them sit there a few minutes they always bounce back. It just doesn't make any sense at all to keep a fish under 20-24in that grows to 30in+ after 2.5yrs. All good tho I know everyone on this forum likes to "catch & fley", maybe when guys start complaining about slower fishing that will change.


Tight lines!

I admit that my experience with LL salmon is very minimal. I guess I think of them as being like Rainbows and Cutthroat trout which I'm convinced you can kill just by looking at them cross-eyed. Perhaps the LL's are tougher than I think.

I do know that I'd rather take it home and eat it than have it go to waste on the bottom of the lake or become a handout for the fish hawk and seagulls. I also agree that the Chins should go back to get big whenever possible.

 

[Skipjack24]

Cool man! Ya they'll get big, 40plus inches for a 5-6yr old is very common. 30-40in for 3-5yr old, when they swim away after reviving in the water they will live!

I admit that my experience with LL salmon is very minimal. I guess I think of them as being like Rainbows and Cutthroat trout which I'm convinced you can kill just by looking at them cross-eyed. Perhaps the LL's are tougher than I think.

I do know that I'd rather take it home and eat it than have it go to waste on the bottom of the lake or become a handout for the fish hawk and seagulls. I also agree that the Chins should go back to get big whenever possible.

 

[lilbluyota]

Cool man! Ya they'll get big, 40plus inches for a 5-6yr old is very common. 30-40in for 3-5yr old, when they swim away after reviving in the water they will live!

So true. Why keep small Chinook. I think egos get in the way and people want to say that they caught one without realizing these fish will get much bigger.

 

[hooknhunter]

I can't speak for others, but that's not it for me. I've caught at least a dozen up there. Kept the first couple just cause I could. Been throwing back any I thought would live. Actually, the small Chins don't eat well at all compared to the Kokes. Pale meat.........

 

[FirstTimer]

I was at deadwood last weekend. We went in threw warm lake. Road was average. Fishing was great. A cold front knocked it down for a little friday and saturday morning. I couldn't keep the kokanee off my lines. Herring style pink dodgers seemed to work the best. Caught lots of cut throat, some rainbow, 4 chinook 2-7" 1-9" 1-22".

 

[Bassmeet]

Little help for a newbie

I'm brand new to Kokanee fishing and have never been to deadwood, but we are headed up this weekend. Not sure how to contact you directly without jamming up the page. But I'd like to pick your brain on roads, camping, kokes.
Thank you

I was at deadwood last weekend. We went in threw warm lake. Road was average. Fishing was great. A cold front knocked it down for a little friday and saturday morning. I couldn't keep the kokanee off my lines. Herring style pink dodgers seemed to work the best. Caught lots of cut throat, some rainbow, 4 chinook 2-7" 1-9" 1-22".

 

[rem40xb1]

I'm brand new to Kokanee fishing and have never been to deadwood, but we are headed up this weekend. Not sure how to contact you directly without jamming up the page. But I'd like to pick your brain on roads, camping, kokes.
Thank you

They are closing most of the roads to deadwood because of the Buck fire--Scott mtn is open

 

[Bassmeet]

They are closing most of the roads to deadwood because of the Buck fire--Scott mtn is open

Thanks for the info. I'm towning a 21 foot jet boat. From what I have been reading, that would be a bad idea on Scott Mountain road... Any suggestions?