Just trying to get back into fly fishing and wondering if there is a place close to Vancouver(Hazel Dell area) where I can fly fish and learn the techniques involved again. I have waders and wading boots with felt soles. I know what I need to learn will take an eternity,(reading the water, choosing the correct fly, when and where to fish at a lake,etc.)I guess what I need to do the most is OBSERVE my surroundings when I fish. I would just like to find a place where I can catch fish that's easy to get to and close to home. Any and all info woyld be great appreciated. Thanks for helping a beginner.(beginning again at 53 yrs. old) Gary

Hey Gary,

I work with Fish and Wildlife and deal with all the resident fish issues in southwest Washington including warmwater fish. If you are interested in bass fishing we have a couple of lakes in Clark County - Vancouver Lake and Lacamas Lake that are fair regarding bass.

Battle Ground Lake has bass, Klineline Pond has some as well.

We really don't have any particular water that is specific to bass in the Vancouver area. Just waters that have fair populations.

I know that a lot of people like going to Klineline Pond when they are learning to fly fish because the shoreline areas are very open.

If you have a tube or boat - Lacamas and Battle Ground would be great areas to learn to fish on as well.

If you are willing to travel, Silver Lake in Cowlitz County is a great water for bass and pan fish. Kress Lake located just north of the city of Kalama has bass, channel catfish and pan fish.

If you need more specific info or would like a packet with information on lakes in southwest Washington you can call my work number: 360-906-6706 or email me at kelsyslk@dfw.wa.gov and I can send out a nice packet with all sorts of info for our area.

Good luck and let me know if there is anything I can do.

stace
Inland Fish Program
Region 5

I hear stories about big bass in Lake Sacajawea (within the city limits of Longview Washington) and Vancouver Lake.

I've checked out Vancouver Lake but didn't fish because it just seemed to large and intimidating. Maybe I'll head back and try it again next February or March.

The thing about Vancouver is, it's so darn shallow. It can go from 4 ft. to 1 ft. in a matter of seconds. You have to be really careful boating around the lake.

Lake Sacajawea is great for bass - especially toward the end where the park begins (the far eastern end). That's where we've sampled several large sized bass.

stace

Thanks Stacie.

Shallow water isn't a problem for me because I'm usually fishing from a small boat that I row.

But as I recall the park is on the south end of the lake. There is a boat ramp on the east end but you have to drive down a long, narrow, and isolated road to get there. And the one time I went to check it out there were some scuzzy transients hanging around. Not a place I would want to leave my vehicle unattended for any length of time.

There's a nice park further west but it doesn't have a ramp. Boat would need to be drug 50 yards or so across the grass to the beach area. But, as I recall, there was a lot of shoreline with fishy looking overhanging shrubbery stretching eastward from this park.

If you say there's bass in there then I know they are there. I'll definitely be giving it a try next spring.

I use the Felida ramp to launch the shock boat because it's the only one I can use!

There are white crappie that hang at the south end of the lake - near the burnt bridge creek opening. Starry flounder like the west side of Turtle Island.

The carp, sturgeon, salmon smolts like the area in front of the flushing channel.

Channel catfish hang near the park on the west side of the lake in the summer to spawn.

Bluegill like Lake River.

I think that mostly covers it. We'll be doing more surveys on the lake over the next few months. I'll report back on what I find.



stace

Good info stacie.. thanks..

a quick review of a map reveals that I got some of my directions fouled up though...

the park is "Vancouver Lake Park" and it's on the west end of the lake off of lower river road which is an extension of 4th Plain Boulevard..

I'm assuming that the "area in front of the flushing channel" is on the far northwest end in front of the canal that works it's way up to ridgefield.........

will definitely be interested in a summary of your surveys... gonna be tied up with coho, chum, and winter steelhead fishing for the next few months.. but that form of entertainment usually starts tapering off in late February and Early March and that's when I start watching for a few warm days. Days warm enough to get the bass moving around in the shallows.

The flushing channel is at the very south end of the lake. Lake River comes in (or out depending on how you look at it) at the north end of the lake. Our access site is east of the flushing channel.

Vancouver Park is on the west side of the lake (where the channel's spawn) and of course Turtle Island is the big blob in the northern end - which you have to be VERY careful around - that's where the depth flucuates the most.



stace

OK.. it's making more sense now.


my map isn't very detailed and it doesn't show any islands.....

I'll be looking forward to your survey reports...

If you want, I'll send you a map of the lake with all the spots where I've sampled the different fish. It's a nice sized map that we use for our wildlife area.

Just email me your mailing address (don't post it here!) to:

kelsyslk@dfw.wa.gov

stace

Just got the map today Stacie.. thanks..

You've added a lot of good info..

my map doesn't even show turtle Island..

anyways... I'm looking forward to fishing it next march and april..

will post complete reports...

in the meantime I'll just keep working hoodsport until the satsop drops down near 1500 cfs and then I'll be floating that one... it's a busy time of the year for the dedicated sporty..

We'll be surveying Vancouver in April - if you'd like to join us let me know and I'll put you on board. It's evening electroshocking or you could help with the catfish sampling in late spring - going to try and find out how many blues are actually using the lake now.

stace

sounds like a blast... email me at


littleriver.boats@gmail.com

when you have a firm time and place...