Outing to Upper Klamath Lake

Upper Klamath Lake supports one of the best trophy trout fisheries in the United States. Its fertile waters produce redband trout well in excess of ten pounds. During the summer, as the water in this shallow lake warms, the trout concentrate in the cool springs and tributaries that enter the lake. Pelican Bay, on the northern end of the lake, is fed by several springs and is an area where a lot of trout spend the summer.

The Southern Oregon Fly Fishers will have an outing to Pelican Bay on Wednesday July 13 to fish for these trophy trout. Since some people like to be on the water at first light and others like to make a more leisurely trip over the mountains, participants can head over to fish as early as they like. We will then meet in the parking lot at the Rocky Point boat ramp at 9 AM to share information about locations and techniques for targeting these trout.

Because of the possibility of hooking into a really big trout, a six or seven-weight rod would be a good choice. Casting and stripping flies is the most common way to target these predatory trout, but fishing a balanced leech or midge pattern under an indicator can also be productive. For casting and stripping, a clear intermediate fly line is typically the most useful line while fishing Pelican Bay. Leaders tapering to 3X are usually adequate, but you may need to go lighter if you fish right near the clear springs. Bring the usual assortment of stillwater patterns.  Woolly buggers and leeches are typically go-to patterns on Klamath Lake, but at times, damsel, Callibaetis, or midge patterns can be effective. There is limited opportunity to fish from the bank, so a floating device (anything from a float tube to a powerboat) would be a benefit.

David Haight, Outings Chair