September Outing to Target Big Brown Trout at Miller Lake

Members of the Rogue Flyfishers and Southern Oregon Fly Fishers are invited to attend an outing to Miller Lake from September 15 to 17.  Miller Lake is located in the Winema-Fremont National Forest just east of the crest of the Cascade Mountains near Chemult, and is known for producing large brown trout.  Many consider it to be one of the best brown trout fisheries in Oregon.  It is also stocked with large rainbow trout.  This year, in addition to its usual generous allotment, the lake is also receiving the rainbows that were scheduled to go to Fourmile Lake, which is closed to access this year.  This is making the trout fishing at Miller Lake especially good.  The lake also has kokanee, but their numbers are low due to predation by the big browns.

We plan to camp in the Forest Service campground on the south shore of the lake.  We will meet there for an orientation session at noon on the 15^th.  Just look for the club signs.  The lake and campground are accessed via a decent but usually dusty and washboarded road that heads west off of Hwy 97 just north of Chemult.  In addition to the usual equipment and supplies needed to camp in a typical Forest Service campground, you should bring water in case the water to the campground is shut off by then.

Miller is a deep clear lake, so the brown trout often head into deep water during the day.  Fortunately, it is one of the few lakes where you can fish for trout all night allowing you to target the big browns when they move into the shallows to feed.  Casting large streamers to the structure near the shore during periods of low light can be effective.  Six to seven-weight outfits would be ideal for targeting the brown trout.  Bring a variety of streamers and lines from floating to fast sinking.  The various tackle and techniques typically used to target trout in lakes should work for the rainbows.  Having a boat or other watercraft will make the fishing easier and likely more productive.

Since fire, heavy smoke, forest closures, or other conditions may force a last-minute change of plans, please email me at tmdrhaight@infostructure.net to let me know if you plan to attend.

David Haight, Outings Chair