Merwin "2015 "

[kokaguy1]

I forgot to mention when using plain ol tuna oil right out of the can........................ I can then make my self a sandwich out of the tuna .... so it serves double duty...haha
Thanks for the feed back, good info!

 

[downriggeral]

Sometimes we take two cans and mix the oil from two into one can of tuna for salmon fishing. That leaves one to make sandwiches for lunch. Great plan for sure!101idea101

 

[kokaguy1]

better yet downrigger
al haha

 

[plugs]

Spent the day with a good friend up at Merwin. It was tuff right off the bat with fishfinder taking a dump. (Thanks to team Wildchild for telling me how deep the fish were) We scratched out 17 before calling it a day

 

[Mudinchev]

Spent the day with a good friend up at Merwin. It was tuff right off the bat with fishfinder taking a dump. (Thanks to team Wildchild for telling me how deep the fish were) We scratched out 17 before calling it a day

Glad you found em!! thumbsup We were marking fish from 10-50 feet but the only ones that seemed to want to play later in the morning were the ones in the 30' range.

Kind of funny, Shawn was asking me if I knew who you were and "How do they know my name ??"

 

[Strike Zone]

Scott: Last Friday we were sucessfull at 49 feet deep on the downrigger.
GET THE NET

 

[Koka]

I don't get to troll much since i don't have a boat, but I do fish off the bank quite a bit this time of year. This year has been a little better for kokanee than the last 2 or 3 years as I have actually caught a few along with the trout and other species. Then on Friday 5/15/15, I hit the jackpot!! A school of kokanee came in and boy, were they aggressive......in a span of 45 minutes, I landed 2 nice trout, both over 16 inches, and limited on the kokanee. Amazingly, they were the same 12-14 inch fish that I have been catching the few times I got to go trolling this year.
The funny thing is, I ran out of worms after the 3rd kokanee, so I started just throwing out white corn on my hook under a bobber (6-7 feet depth) and they still bit it literally within seconds of it hitting the water. I realize this was probably a fluke incident, and I was extremely lucky to have been at the right place at the right time, but it was definitely an experience I will never forget.

 

[Koka]

Oh, and then on Sunday, I got to go trolling with my buddy, and we were able to pick up both our limits down close to the dam. We don't have downriggers, so we were using 2oz at 50-60 feet back with red wedding ring spinners and plain white corn or pink corn. They were all pretty nice fattys too.

 

[Koka]

Has anyone been having success near Speelyai? I have a buddy that only has a small motor on his boat, and doesn't want to venture too far from the launch. I haven't been fishing close to the bay, so I don't know.

 

[Mudinchev]

Has anyone been having success near Speelyai? I have a buddy that only has a small motor on his boat, and doesn't want to venture too far from the launch. I haven't been fishing close to the bay, so I don't know.

There are fish there, we scratched out 3 limits running mainly between Speelyai and Campers Hideaway on the 17th. I also know of another boat that starts dropping lines in before they even get out of the bay. This weekend we fished down by the dam mainly to try to avoid the crowds but the fishing seemed to be a bit better as well. For some strange reason the fish seem to be more toward the surface than deep right now. In years past when the water was this warm we were starting to have to go deep to find them, but the last two trips everything has come in from the surface down to 20'.

 

[Koka]

Thank you for the information!! My buddy will be happy that he has a fighting chance to get some Kokanee and still stay close to the launch....at least until he gets his bigger motor and can venture farther. thumbsup

 

[Mudinchev]

I am afraid this is going to be a hot topic this year, here is some useful information about lake levels and what the minimum is for launching, I don't know for sure but it seems like Merwin's figures are a bit exaggerated so don't shoot the messenger if you go and find you cant launch. Oh and don't plan on having a dock to use at those levels either.

http://tdn.com/lifestyles/drought-t...cle_54e7c7f6-f7e8-5f79-b3e2-dc3721429644.html

ARIEL — The drought is putting a squeeze on PacifiCorp, as the utility juggles competing uses for the streamflow of the North Fork of the Lewis River.

The snowpack in the drainage is only 10 percent to 20 percent of normal, according to Frank Shrier, principal scientist for PacifiCorp, at May’s meeting of the Lewis River Aquatic Coordination Committee.

“We’re looking at really poor conditions unless we get a cool, wet summer,’’ he said. “By July, the inflows are only expected to be 650 cubic feet per second.’’

PacifiCorp has to balance between:

Keeping winter steelhead spawning nests downstream of Merwin Dam covered until the young fish emerge from the gravel in mid-July.
Having enough streamflow for the big population of wild fall chinook to spawn during autumn.
Keeping enough water in Merwin, Yale and Swift reservoirs to keep at least one boat ramp functional.

The federal license calls for a minimum flow of 2,700 cubic feet per second at Merwin Dam through June 30.

However, the Lewis River Flow Coordination Committee and Washington Department of Ecology agreed in April to reduce the flow at Merwin to 2,300 cubic feet per second.

The committee includes NOAA Fisheries, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife among others.

“The (dam) operators have asked to drop flows even more and we’ve said ‘no,’’’ Shrier said. “Those steelhead redds barely have enough water now…We can’t drop the flows until the steelhead are done.’’

Merwin Reservoir is 9 feet below full pool. Yale Reservoir is down 10 feet. Swift Reservoir is within 2 feet of full.

“The reservoirs are dropping and will continue to drop,’’ Shrier said. “We’re losing about half a foot a day in the reservoirs.’’

There’s about 20 to 25 feet of drawdown left between the three reservoirs before boat launching will not be possible on at least one of them.

The boat ramp at Swift Forest Camp is usable to about 25 feet below full pool.

Yale Reservoir has four ramps. Yale Park can be used as low as 21 feet below full pool. Saddle Dam is dry at 15 feet below full pool.

Merwin Reservoir has two public ramps. Speelyai Bay can be used as low as 25.6 feet down. Cresap Bay can be used at 29.6 feet below full pool, but there are times of the year when the park must be closed due to overwintering of elk or elk calving season.

But the most valuable of the resources of the North Lewis may be neither the wild steelhead nor summer boating and fishing.

The North Fork of the Lewis River is home of the largest population of wild-spawning fall chinook salmon in the lower Columbia basin.

In 2014, 25,800 wild spawning fall chinook returned to lower Columbia tributaries, with the majority in the Lewis downstream of Merwin Dam.

The forecast for 2015 is 19,300.

Without sufficient flows in the fall, the area for those fish to spawn is reduced.

The settlement agreement for the North Fork of the Lewis River hydroelectric dams requires 2,500 cubic feet per second from Oct. 16-31, then 4,200 cubic feet per second in November and the first half of December.

“I’m still hoping for the historic pattern where we have a cool, wet summer with El Nino,’’ Shrier said. “But if we keep going at this rate we could dry up all the ramps unless we can get some relief on the minimum flows. This drought is possibly a far different condition than the normal patterns we see.’’

 

[STLHDR]

Well with it being a 2+ hour drive for me, how is it launching wise? PM's welcomed

 

[Koka]

Anyone doing any good lately as the water keeps getting lower and lower?

 

[rkridgefield]

Good near dam. 65'. LJ silver dodger with added stripes of melon UV tape and glow tape on both sides. Red snubber in front of dodger. Both 1-1/2" UV Needlefish with melon UV tape on bottom and 1-1/2 silver Apex with melon UV tape on bottom were catchers. Many squawfish (I caught more than a dozen) on South side that get bait before kokanee. Large kokanee and some just starting to turn red. 6-9 AM is good. I fish alone so I need help retrieving my boat on my no-drive-on trailer due to the low water.

 

[STLHDR]

Going to be there Tuesday through Thursday this week, will give some reports of my first time fishing here. Should be interesting since my partner will not be able to make it.

Open seat!!!! Hit me up with a PM...

Jim Sr.

 

[rkridgefield]

20 July 2015. Slow at Dam, and was told it was slow on the 19th. but caught 2 nice ones at 50'. Later caught 7 more from Spellyai West along North shore also at 50'. As usual using a 2"Needlefish with UV tape on bottom and single factory hook replaced with double Gama #4.

 

[STLHDR]

Well here is my report for the 22nd & 23rd at Merwin. Well all I can say about Merwin Lake is..... WOW!!!! It is a top notch fishing destination for anyone who wants to catch fish, it's so easy even a Caveman can do it!!! I stopped in the evening before I intended to fish (takes me a bit to do things by myself anymore) just to make sure I was at the right place. Speelyai ramp, check, talk to some old timers to get the dope on the area & tackle, check, spent the last remaining minuets till the loss of consciousness pondering the thought of if they (the two old timers) were pulling my leg because I slipped up and told them it was my first time here, check....

I always go with my gut when it comes to fishing, no matter the species so I did not make a bee line it to the dam (sorry guys) but ran till I saw a boat "HOOK UP". I know, but honestly I did not technically "LOW HOLE" the guy....... 1/4 mile is safe distance so deployed the tried and true KokaneeJim offering (my creation from experienced outings) on the Port DR at 43' and another rig which I'll call the "Sad Smily" in blue, hence the name sad at 51'.... I did adjust the electric DR to the depth of the fish finder was showing both days & WHAMMO!!!!! Trolled for 5 mins and the Starboard rigger rod started acting up and sure enough it was a pike minnow... Re thinking my stopping point to fish choice I stayed nad 3 mins later anothe pole dancer on the starboard side, 10" Koke this time. In the next hour and 1/2 it was pretty consistent for the 10-12" fish on the starboard side, then NOTHING!!!!! 2 hours of trolling the Honey Hole with no success I was trolling back towards the ramp in hopes of picking up 3 for the limit and got bit 3 more times by the linebacker school.... 3, 14"rs came to my net within 20 minutes around the point before Spellyai bay.

Thursday I knew better than to go back to the same place that I had had success the day before, but I did & wasted 2 hours for 2 10"rs..... Went to the point and it was "LIGHTS OUT FISHIN" that ended around 12:30 with another limit. I had two back to back doubles and landed them all, it must have been a scene out of an old comedy movie for the spectators trolling by & cheering me on. Look he already has 3 fish in the net & is going to net another one!!!!

The totals were 31 fish hooked, 3 seagull food and 20 landed for the two days, not too bad for my first time...

Two epic days of fishing a new lake and having success has lifted my spirits as far as putting meat in the freezer and memories that no camera can do justice. SO, maybe the next time I post an open seat, some of you might think of calling in sick for a day or two.....

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[Kokapaw]

Good for you ,STLHDR wish I could have been there, just dodging too many curve balls right now to venture that far
at this time. Tight lines Kokapaw out.

 

[washingtonlakes]

congrats on a successful trip, nice when a plan works. We'll be back in mid-August while everyone else up here are chasing pink salmon. Looking forward to it!