Northwest Fishing Reports

Any one fish for pinks here? How was it? How's the fishing from shore @ cranberry lake? Thanks.

If you fish west of the bridge it can be very good on the out going tide.

Thanks. What about cranberry lake? Any idea what it's like from the shore?

Cranberry Lake offers great fishing opportunities beginning in April after the lake is planted. I have been fishing this lake for 35+ years and love it. This lake receives very little boat fishing pressure and is open year round. From shore you can cast lures or soak power bait to catch fish but fishing from a boat (specifically trolling) in my experience has by far produced the best fishing results. The trout fishing can be very good through about the end of may before it slows down as the water warms up. The lake holds rainbow trout and brown trout up to 6 pounds although I have not caught any trout in this lake over about 18 inches. I believe there are spiny ray species in this lake as well but I have not targeted them. The lake is deepest along the roadway at about 22 to 24 feet. The area near the public dock is shallow at around 5 to 10 feet depending where you are in that section of the lake. As you head west from the dock the depth slowly increases to 14 to 16 feet in the middle. If you drift towards the road, it gets deeper. I fish the middle section of this lake from about the entrance to the camp ground, west about 100 yards in about 14 to 16 feet of water and my wife and I often catch our limits within an hour. I have posted many reports for Cranberry Lake over the last couple years and share what has consistently worked best for me if you are interested.

I have also fished the west beach at the State Park for salmon. Two things that have made it less inviting for me are; cleaning the kelp off the lure after almost every cast which is a nuisance, and the often large crowds that form there when the pink salmon are in. Lots of folks!! It's fun but if you have the luxury of a boat, being out in a boat is by far the best choice, at least for me, in my opinion.

Nearby Pass lake holds very nice trout and is a catch and release fly only lake. Across the street just down the road from the Pass Lake launch is Bowman Bay State Park. There is a dock there to fish from and a nice area to spend time with family. Also in the area are Erie and Heart Lakes, both are considered Blue Ribbon trout waters. Note: Erie is very shallow, and both lakes receive a lot of fishing pressure following the opener. Heart Lake has also been good in October before the lake closes. Campbell lake is also an option and I believe is more known for its bass fishing opportunities but does receive a plant of trout each year if I am not mistaken.

Hope this helps.

Thanks. We hit Cranberry today not much luck without my boat. A couple of small trout but thats about it. We went for salmon for the most part and weren't disapointed. A couple of nice bright pinks around 5 pounds. Crowds were not too bad but I'm used to Bush Point. I'll try Cranberry w/ boat next time. Thanks again.

Happy to help & glad to hear you caught a few pinks. Cranberry is too warm for trout right now in my opinion but it's still fun to be out there giving it a try.
Good luck.

Give the trout lakes a rest until the weather cools down (unless you're going to bonk every fish you catch). When the water gets warm there it doesn't carry enough oxygen so basically after a fight for their life on hook they can't recover and suffocate. No C&R in the warm summer months. Also fishing is best at the coolest part of the day (day break).