Lake Cavenaugh

[lowe1648mt]

I fished Lake Cavenaugh today.I started at 11:30 a.m. The air temp. was 25 The water temp was 39.5 Mostly sunny , no wind to start. As I left the launch ramp I saw fish hitting on the suface. I put out I pole with a 0000 dodger and a red wedding ring. The other pole with a Willow leaf gang troll in chrome and a pink wedding ring. On advice of a freindly local at the ramp, I put pink fire corn on both rigs. I trolled on the surface at 1.2 mph.
After 1/2 hour with no hits, I put one rig on a DR at 5 feet and the other at 10 feet. Still no hits I went back to the surface. I then changed the red wedding ring to white shoe peg corn. I had an immediate hit. Changed the other rig to WSPC and had three more fish in the boat. I caught and released several 6 to 9 inch cutts. I kept 4 koks 10.25 to 10.75 inches.
I quit fishing at 4:30 and the temp was again below freezing. high for the day on the lake was mid 30s.
All fish were caught on WSPC. 3 of the 4 koks were caught on the red wedding ring. one was caught on the pink. Of the cutts, al were caught on WSPC, and evenly split between W.R. colors.

 

[eenakoK]

Thanks for sharing the report! I can't wait to get out there again!

 

[smokin' Kokes]

thanks for the report

any campgrounds on or near the lake?

where's the boat launches at?

interested in camping and fishing it this spring

 

[lowe1648mt]

The launch site is on the south east side of the lake. As far as camping goes, I don't think there are any on the lake. Near bby is annother thing. I'm not sure. I'd Google the county (Skagit) for camping. It is a medium drive for me (60 miles) so I haven't paid attention to camping.

 

[lowe1648mt]

Lake Cavenaugh Camping

I Googled Skagit County camping. The Closest campground to Lake Cavenaugh is a Nudist colony about 15 miles from the lake. Don't suppose you'd stay there?

 

[smokin' Kokes]

thanks for the info.

got a free nudist camp here in Lk Merwin. the water skiers and those 70 mph Mooba boats blowing their clothes off
scares the hell out of the kokes

 

[Kokanee Katcher]

The nudist camp probably isn't too busy this time of year!

I too tried to find a camping spot and after a lot of effort, the only one I found is Squire Creek County Park, just west of Darington. Neat little park if it isn't too far from the lake for you.

 

[Wood2turn]

Koke Report

Thanks for the great report!

I've never been Koke fishing (this is my 1st yr to try). I've been reading a lot about what to use. But where on this lake were you from the ramp?
I live a lot closer than you (I think) so it's much less of a chore for me to get there.
I've been looking for other lakes closer to me with Koke's in them.

I don't have a dr on my pontoon (still looking)...is it a necessity? I could rig the old butt section of a broken rod with an old reel I needed to until I find dr I guess.

What about using flies? Could you recommend a pattern to use?

Thanks and please ...keep reporting,
Terry B.

 

[lowe1648mt]

I used a wedding ring .Red or pink behind a gang troll. I tipped the first hook of the double hook rig with white shoe peg corn. I trolled with out down riggers about 100 feet behind the boat at 1.2 to1.5 miles per hour.
As far as where on the lake , most fish were caught down the middle of the lake, from the islands to almost infront of the fishing site.
If you go to flies or tip your hook with a worm, you are likely to catch a cutthroat.

 

[Kokanee Katcher]

I fish out of a 12' boat with an electric motor and I don't use a downrigger. To start with, I put on a 2oz banana weight minus the lure and used my GPS to troll at about 1mph. Using my depth finder,I trolled at a given depth (30', 40') and let out line until I bumped the bottom. This gave me a reference point and it has worked for me well. My speed varies between .8 and 1.2 mph with occasional turns to entice the fish. To make putting the line out at a known length, I have gone to a thin braided line that is marked in 10' increments.

I don't know of anyone that uses flies much since the Wedding Ring and Hoochies work so well.

Good luck on your new fishing experience.

 

[yimmee]

Is this lake about 45 min N.E. of everett(sp)?, if so my family and a house on it. mabie now i can get my wife up there 101idea101.ok so i did a google surch, it is. does this lake a good kokeanee population? adn if so what time of year is best for them.

 

[lowe1648mt]

Cavenaugh

Yimmee, You are spot on. That is the lake. The koks are Lake Whatcom plants. The biggest I caught last year was 15" . Most were from 10 "to 13 ".
Nice lake to have a cabin on. As far as when to catch them, looks like almost any time. Don't advise trying just after a front goes the front goes thru. The bite is almost dead at that time. Seems best just before the front goes thru.
Types of fish- bass, cutthroat,croppie(crappie if from down south),koks, and I don't know what else.

 

[yimmee]

awsome, awesomereport . thanks for the info. last time i was up there i got a couple of rainbows , and 1 bass from the cabin dock. i need to get back up there.

 

[smokin' Kokes]

you guys gotta quit talking about this naked nudist koke lake or the wife won't let me go chase naked kokes.

this is too hard on an old man

millions of kokes caught before the downrigger was even invented.
it's a flat line no weight or less than an ounce in the spring and early summer before the water warms up anyway. 100' to 150' behind the boat to mask the noise and 1' to 10' deep.
use more weight at water warms up. August, probably too deep to reach without downrigger but then switch to jigging.

leave some for me, nude ones are fine with me

 

[drsca]

Never been nude koke fishn?

 

[lowe1648mt]

Nude Fishing

Welcome to The Forum. Too cold up here for nude fishing. Besides Most people object when I take my clothes off.
Have to give Lake Stevens a try also.

 

[lowe1648mt]

Tried to fish Cavenaugh today. Found 2 feet of snow on the ramp and a 4 foot pile of snow left by the plow blocking the lot. NW end of the lake was frozen and ice chunks the size of boats were floating around the lake.
Long drive to look at snow. Maybe in two weeks or so.

 

[saltyseadog]

that really sucks, im waiting for some nice weather before i make the trek

Tried to fish Cavenaugh today. Found 2 feet of snow on the ramp and a 4 foot pile of snow left by the plow blocking the lot. NW end of the lake was frozen and ice chunks the size of boats were floating around the lake.
Long drive to look at snow. Maybe in two weeks or so.

 

[saltyseadog]

forgot to say as of marcch 12th therewas still about a foot of snowthat really sucks, im waiting for some nice weather before i make the trek

Tried to fish Cavenaugh today. Found 2 feet of snow on the ramp and a 4 foot pile of snow left by the plow blocking the lot. NW end of the lake was frozen and ice chunks the size of boats were floating around the lake.
Long drive to look at snow. Maybe in two weeks or so.

 

[lowe1648mt]

Cavanaugh

Thanks for the heads up on current snow depth. I was thinking another week anyway.That just confirms it. I don't care what the weather is, just don't want lots of wind.