Palmer Lake

[okanogan sagerat]

Started picking up fish in the late AM and then the Wind come up about noon and never quit. We beached the boat after fighting the wind and relaxed in the warm sunshine as the rollers and whitecaps gently lapped at our toes for a couple of hours. Seen several people try to manuever in the wind give it up. We were gonna wait it out. About 2:00 PM decided to head to Split Rocks in the boat for calmer waters, we hoped. Gently cruising fast enough to not take on breakers over the bow, we made it up-wind and turned around so the wind was at our backs heading North. Wind pushed us about 2.6 - 2.9 and had some monsterous hits on crawlers but couldn't connect. I assume these were big Rainbows. Got back to the Kokanee schools about 4:00 PM and started picking up fish on both DR's and long line. Wind was really beating us up, but we were stubborn and tried keeping our footing. Got our limits by 7:00 but it was boat combat fishing against mother nature at it's finest. All fish were nice and fat, running between 14" to 19". Persistance paid off, but it was good to get my feet on dry land that didn't have 2 foot swells!

 

[eenakoK]

awesomereport
Thanks for the great report! I am glad to hear that persistance paid off!! Any pics of the fish?

 

[smokin' Kokes]

nice report O. Sagerat,

miss the smell of a piece of fresh sagebrush in my camper while on a fishing trip.
interesting to see the E. side kokes go on the bite early in the season.
must have been an early ice out there at Palmer and good feed.

can't wait to try some more of the E. side koke fishing that's mixed in with big rainbows.

where on Palmer is the main trolling activity for kokes? does still jigging work there? anyone ice fish for kokes on Palmer?

fished it years ago for rainbows. be over eastside in June for kokes, rainbows and walleyes.

 

[MackPrince]

Great report. Even though it sounds like rough weather it sure beats working.101goodpost101

 

[okanogan sagerat]

Sorry, no pictures. If you were on the boat you would understand, and it was dark thirty when we quit. I have an eighteen foot center-console, deep-V Sterling bay boat, and I gotta tell ya, a rough ocean would have been comparable, except here it was faster and choppier. Be careful what you try in a smaller boat. You really need to keep your bow heading straight into the wind and chop, or the exact opposite. When you turn around you better have your act together and your lines in. I am going to get a couple of drift socks now, but after thinking about it, they would have worked against us and we would have taken water over the port or starboard. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time, but I'm obsessed with fishing and it was really work tolerating the elements. I hated it so bad I'm renting a cabin there next to the campground for Friday and Saturday. The fish were holding in front of the boat ramp at the North end, in 50 to 60 feet only, and then South maybe 200 yards in the evening. A small area actually. I think it is a better early morning bite because they were close-mouthed from 11 AM to about 6 PM. This was the second time I fished it, so I am still learning. They catch Huge Burbot here at night when it's frozen, as I have seen some nice pictures. I have not heard of Ice fishing for kokes and doubt one could find them and stay on them if they did. I also don't jig for them cause I gotta keep moving and don't have the patience. I do hear the fish are deep in June, although 80 feet is the deepest I found on the lake. Chelan is starting up and Roosevelt is always available. There will be blood!fencing

 

[smokin' Kokes]

thanks O. sagerat

we have several of the deep canyon reservoir lakes here on the W. side also. same weather wind scenario
high pressure one direction and low the other, guarenteed big blow through the canyon. seen Merwin with 3 ft close wind chop on it, will put even a larger boat down.
last June on Rufus Woods, thunder storm came blowing over the hills. winds went from 0 to 40 mph+. had to tow 2 yahoos on steelhead pontoon floats back up the lake to the state park BL, the typhoon was taking them to the dam float even with their electrics going full bore. they were drowned rats with the waves breaking over them.

i watch the long range weather forecasts like a hawk before I go, doubly necessary since i fish alone often.

your are totally right, safety first fish second.

 

[Troopof3]

My buddy and I fished Palmer on April 22. First thing in the morning we caught two 10" koks then the wind came up. I saw a center console boat still on the water when we left in the afternoon.

 

[HereDuckyDucky]

What are the camping options on Palmer? I want to take my nephew up there next weekend, but we'd like to stay a couple nights.

RW