The species in this lake include Catfish (brown bullhead), Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, and when the Chambers Creek fish trap has met it's quota, and filled up all the food banks, Coho Salmon.
Though lacking sunfish and other "baitfish" like residents, the lake is extremely fertile, producing "hummingbird" sized chironomid activity in the summer and is fed by three slow "seeping" springs. It's so fertile in fact, that when a resident at Western State Hospital continually won awards at state fairs for some impressively sized vegetables in the early 1950's, Scientific American Magazine wrote an article on the amateur farmer and the remarkable natural fertilizer that he pumped from the bottom of this lake. The local history of this area is nothing less than "astounding" for those who are interested.
The lake has access all around it, though thick brush confines you to roughly 1/3 of the it.
It's fairly shallow, being less than 20 ft. the last time I saw it drained in the early to mid 80's.
The Rainbow fishery gets pounded unmercifully during the warm weather seasons, but any fish that survives to see the following year can reach an impressive size.
Night fishing can be productive, especially for the Catfish, though a word of caution: drunk teenagers, wandering mental patients, and the first stop on a bus route carrying newly sprung sexual predators from McNeil Island F.P. dictates large numbers when fishing the twilight hours.
Float tubes are easily launched from any access point on the lake, and truth be known, is probably the best way to exploit the horribly under-fished Largemouth population.
During the fall, if and when the WDFW releases the Coho in here, the fishing is like a dream come true. Imagine sight casting to ever abundant angry Silvers all day with the only thing stopping you is the growing burning in your arm. Zoiks!!!
Anyway, Waughop being adjacent to another lake I regularly fish (Louise) I'll begin reporting on it from time to time.

*Editor's Note: This is an example of a great lake overview submitted by a reader. Thanks Larry!

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