Still Water Fly Fishing

Still water fly fishing means fishing lakes for trout with a fly rod, usually from a float tube, pontoon or small boat. There's no current to carry the fly, so you control depth and movement yourself. Most of the time, lake trout feed below the surface on insects such as chironomids (midges), damselflies, mayflies and caddis, plus leeches and scuds. Get the fly to the right depth and move it the right way, and lakes can produce big trout. Washington's Columbia Basin lakes are some of the best still water fisheries in the West.

What It Is and When It Beats Other Methods

You anchor or drift over productive water, such as shoals, drop-offs and weed edges, and fish flies that match what trout are eating. The two main approaches are:

• Indicator fishing: A fly hung under a strike indicator at a set depth. This is the classic way to fish chironomid pupae, and it works very well in spring.
• Stripping on a sinking line: Cast, count the line down to the depth you want and retrieve a leech, damsel nymph or other fly.

Dry flies work during hatches, too.

Still water fly fishing beats other methods when:

• Insects are hatching. Chironomid hatches in spring put trout on the feed.
• Trout are big but selective. Small, accurate imitations work when lures don't.
• Rivers are blown out. Lakes stay fishable when rivers are high.

Trolling and spinning gear cover more water (see Trolling, Kokanee Trolling and Spoons and Spinners). For moving water, see Swung Flies.

Target Species and Where in Washington

• Rainbow trout: The main target in most lakes.
• Lahontan cutthroat trout: Stocked in some Columbia Basin lakes, notably Lake Lenore.
• Brown trout and tiger trout: In some lakes.

See Trout and Yakima River Trout for river trout fishing.

Well-known Columbia Basin fly fishing lakes include:

• Lenice, Nunnally and Merry lakes: A chain of lakes near the Columbia River, known for rainbows and browns.
• Dry Falls Lake: Below the old Dry Falls cliffs.
• Lake Lenore: Known for Lahontan cutthroat.
• Quail Lake and other smaller lakes.

Many of these lakes have special rules for gear, motors and keeping fish. Check WDFW rules for each lake before you go.

Seasons and Conditions

Best Times, Not Regulations.

• Chironomids: Peak hatches from about mid-March to mid-May in the Columbia Basin.
• Damselflies: Nymphs migrate toward shore from about mid-April through July.
• Callibaetis mayflies: Late spring and summer.
• Caddis: Fall.
• Leeches: All season.
• Summer: Warm water pushes trout deep or slows them. Fish early and late, and handle fish quickly.
• Fall: Cooling water brings trout back to the shallows.

Conditions:

• Wind: A light chop helps hide your line and moves indicator flies. Strong wind is dangerous in float tubes.
• Light: Low light often brings trout shallower.
• Water temperature: Trout are most active in cool water. Warm summer water stresses fish.
• Where to check: WDFW fishing reports and the weather forecast, especially wind.

Rods, Reels, Line and Leader

Flies

• Chironomid pupae: Sizes 12–18. Black, red, olive, maroon and brown, often with a bright bead or white gills.
• Bloodworms: Red larvae, fished near the bottom.
• Leeches: Black, maroon, olive or brown, 1 to 3 inches.
• Damsel nymphs: Olive or tan, slender.
• Scuds: Small olive or gray.
• Woolly Buggers: Versatile.
• Dry flies: Callibaetis, caddis and adult chironomid patterns.

Anchoring Both Ends

Indicator fishing only works if your flies hang still at the depth you set. A boat on one anchor swings with the wind, dragging the flies up and sideways and putting slack in the line.

1. Pick the spot. Find a drop-off or shoal edge with a depth finder or by measuring. Plan to sit in shallower water and cast toward the deeper edge, or the reverse.
2. Drop the upwind anchor first. Let out enough rope for the depth plus extra, so it holds.
3. Drift back and drop the second anchor. Pull both ropes snug so the boat sits still.
4. Set the angle. With two anglers, anchoring sideways to the wind gives each person their own side to cast. In strong wind, anchor bow into the wind instead.
5. Pontoons and float tubes. A small anchor and an anchor-release system help. Without one, slow your drift with your fins, but expect less depth control.
6. Silt check. On soft bottoms, look at how much mud coats the anchor rope when you pull it. That tells you how deep the soft layer is, so you can set the fly above it.

Indicator Chironomid Rigging, Step by Step

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1. Anchor. Anchor both ends of the boat so it doesn't swing. In a float tube or pontoon, anchor too if you can.
2. Tie the leader. Use a leader about 25% longer than the water depth. For example, about 19 feet for 15 feet of water.
3. Add the indicator. Slide on a slip indicator.
4. Add a swivel (optional). Some anglers use a small swivel 18 to 24 inches above the fly to add weight and stop the indicator peg.
5. Tie the fly. Tie a chironomid pupa to the tippet. Some anglers add a second fly where allowed.
6. Measure the depth. Clip a hemostat to the hook bend (lightly, so you don't break the hook) and lower it to the bottom. The line goes slack when it hits.
7. Set the indicator. Move the indicator so the fly hangs about 1 to 2 feet off the bottom, or above the weeds.
8. Remove the hemostat. Then cast.

Fishing the indicator

• Cast. Cast with an open loop to avoid tangles.
• Let it settle. Give the fly time to sink to depth.
• Wait or creep. Many anglers let the wind chop move the indicator, or retrieve very slowly.
• Watch the indicator. Any dip, pause or sideways move is a bite.
• Set quickly. Set with a quick strip and lift.
• Adjust. If there's no bite in 15 to 20 minutes, move the indicator up the leader 6 to 12 inches at a time.

Sinking-Line Technique, Step by Step

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1. Pick the line. Intermediate for shallow water and weed edges; Type 3 to Type 6 for deeper water.
2. Cast. Cast out over the depth you want to fish.
3. Count down. Count as the line sinks. Start with a count and adjust until you find fish or touch weeds.
4. Retrieve.

- Leeches: Slow, long strips with pauses, or a slow hand-twist. - Damsels: Slow, short strips or a hand-twist, with pauses. Damsel nymphs swim slowly and stop often. - Woolly Buggers: Vary between slow and fast.

1. Note the count. When you catch a fish, repeat the count and retrieve.

Following the season

• Early spring (ice-off to April): Fish chironomids under an indicator on shoals in 6 to 20 feet of water. Bloodworms near the bottom early in the day, pupae higher as the hatch builds.
• Late spring (May to June): Chironomids continue. Damsel nymphs start moving toward the shallows and weeds, so fish them slowly on an intermediate line toward shore. Callibaetis mayflies appear over weed beds.
• Summer: Fish early and late. Trout move to deeper, cooler water. Leeches and scuds on sinking lines along drop-offs often work best in midday heat.
• Fall: Trout return to the shoals to feed before winter. Leeches, scuds, Woolly Buggers and caddis patterns all work.

Dry flies

When you see rises and insects on the surface, switch to a floating line and a dry fly that matches the size and color of the insects. Cast ahead of cruising fish rather than at the rings, and let the fly sit. Adult chironomids, Callibaetis and caddis are the main hatches.

Reading a lake

• Shoals: Shallow flats with weeds and insects. Fish them in spring and fall.
• Drop-offs: Edges where shoals fall into deep water. Trout cruise them.
• Weed edges: Insects and cover.
• Inlets: Fresh, cool water.
• Wind lanes: Foam lines on the surface where insects collect.
• Points and bays: Structure and shelter.

The Bite, Hook Set, Fight and Landing

Indicator bites can be a slow sink, a twitch or a sideways move. Set at any change.

Sinking-line bites can be a tug, a heavy feel or a slack line. Strip set.

Avoid breaking off. Don't set too hard on light tippet. A quick strip and lift is enough.

The fight. Keep the rod up and let the fish run. Trout often jump.

Landing. Use a rubber net and keep the fish in the water.

Handling and Release

• Keep fish in the water.
• Wet your hands.
• Use barbless hooks.
• Handle fish briefly, especially in warm water.
• Revive fish facing into a light current or by moving them gently.

Common Mistakes and Fixes

Pro Tips From Guides

• Measure every time you move. Depth changes quickly over shoals.
• Watch for hatches. Chironomid shucks on the water mean pupae are rising.
• Pump the stomach (where allowed). Some guides use a throat pump to see what fish are eating.
• Use electronics. A depth finder helps you find drop-offs and fish.
• Fish downwind. Let the chop move the fly.
• Cover water. Fan casts around the boat.

When It's Slow

1. Depth. Adjust the indicator or count.
2. Fly. Change size or color.
3. Spot. Move to a shoal or drop-off.
4. Method. Switch from indicator to sinking line or back.
5. Time. Wait for evening or a hatch.

Float Tube Safety

• Wear a life jacket.
• Check your tube for leaks before you launch.
• Carry a whistle.
• Stay close to shore when the wind is up.
• Start upwind so the wind brings you back.
• Get off the water if thunder or strong wind builds.
• Watch for cold water in spring and fall.
• Avoid boat lanes and power boats.
• Tell someone your plan.

A Guided Day and What to Ask

Still water guides usually fish from a boat or pontoon. The guide picks the lake, anchors you over productive water, rigs your indicator and helps with depth. Expect a day of waiting and watching, then sudden action.

Questions worth asking:

1. Which lake, and what species?
2. Do we fish from a boat, pontoon or float tube?
3. What's provided: rods, flies and boats?
4. What's the policy for wind?
5. How much experience do I need?
6. What are typical results at this time of year?

Ask your guide for their WDFW guide license number before you book.

Glossary

Chironomid

A midge, the most important lake insect for trout.

Indicator

A float that shows bites.

Slip indicator

An indicator that slides on the leader.

Intermediate line

A slowly sinking line.

Count down

Counting while the line sinks.

Shoal

A shallow area of a lake.

Drop-off

Where a shoal falls into deep water.

Hand-twist retrieve

A slow retrieve by winding line around your fingers.

Wind lane

A foam line on a lake surface.

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