Little Pend Oreille Lakes Stevens County
These beautiful little lakes in the pine forests along the Stevens-Pend Oreille County line would be worth visiting even if they were fishless. This is gorgeous country, far away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the world, where lots of folks come just to get away. Luckily the lakes of the upper Little Pend Oreille chain also offer some excellent trout fishing. Cutthroats of 9-13 inches provide the bulk of the angling opportunity, but some of the lakes also have rainbows, some have brookies, and some have all three species. Heritage, Thomas, Gillette, and Sherry Lakes are all connected by narrow channels, while Leo, Frater, and Nile Lakes are just to the northeast. Coffin Lake, located about three miles south of Sherry, is the southernmost lake in the chain and also the smallest.
While the lakes are open to hardware and bait, fly-fishing is a worthwhile possibility on every lake in the chain. It's especially effective for cutthroat during the late spring and summer. If you aren't too good at casting a fly, try trolling a red or green Carey Special tipped with a grub, moving along fast enough to keep the fly just under the surface. Rooster Tails, Super Dupers, and Wedding Rings all are popular here. Anglers who stillfish prefer corn, salmon eggs, marshmallows, and Berkley Power Bait, not necessarily in that order. These lakes all open in late April and close at the end of October.
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Species:
Cutthroat, brook, and rainbow trout.
Facilities:
A private resort on Gillette Lake offers tent and RV sites, boat rentals, fishing docks, and a grocery store. The public access area and boat ramp for several of the lakes is located on Gillette Lake. U.S. Forest Service campgrounds can also be found on Gillette, Thomas, and Leo Lakes. The nearest food, gas, tackle, and lodging are in Ione and Colville.
Directions:
Drive west from Tiger or east from Colville on Highway 20, which runs right along the north or west shores of most of the Little Pend Oreille lakes.
Contact:
Colville Chamber of Commerce, 509-684-5973, www.colville.com.
and the Ocean by Terry Rudnick. Copyright © 2008. Used by arrangement with Avalon Travel,
a member of the Perseus Books Group. Buy Moon Washington Fishing on Amazon.com
