Lake Chelan Area Fishing Report For November

What’s hot is trolling the trench for Lake Trout on Lake Chelan.  Fishing the lower basin of Lake Chelan for rainbows has been a great bonus. 

Working depths of 190 to 245 feet between Minneapolis Beach and Rocky Point at speeds of 1.1 to 1.4 mph within 5 feet of the bottom has been very productive.  Silver Horde’s Needlefish squiddy’s and Mack’s Lures Fat Cat Cha Cha Squidders in glow green rigged with a Mack’s Lures glow Smile Blade and baited with a strip of Northern Pikeminnow have produced numbers of fish off the downrigger rods.  Fish have also come off of Worden Lures T4 Flatfish in GPLF and LUCH off the outrigger rods.  

If you are a rainbow trout aficionado, try all the normal ways to catch the loads of planter rainbows that WDFW was kind enough to plant.  An added bonus is some nice triploid rainbows up to 20 inches.  From the shore, throwing Worden Lures Roostertails or dunking Pautzke’s Firebait on slip sinker rigs will be productive for a while.  From a boat, troll Mack’s Lures Mini Cha Cha Squidders behind their 0000 Double D Dodger. 

Your fishing tip of the week is to stay aware of seasonal changes that will create new opportunities for fishing success.  For Lakers on Lake Chelan this will normally mean that the big spawning lake trout will move off the beds and put on the feed bag.  Historically, this will mean the deep water above the narrows will be getting more productive for those double digit fish that we all love to catch.  This normally happens by mid-December, but can occur as early as Thanksgiving. 

Usually, as we close in on Thanksgiving, WDFW will heavily plant Roses Lake with Rainbow Trout to fuel the winter fishery there.  This is designed to be ice fishing, but as you know, in our area that can be an iffy proposition.  Pay attention to their web site or call down to the Chelan Falls Hatchery to ask when the fish will go in.  It normally provides at least a week or two of open water fishing on Roses Lake, our valley’s little multi-species gem. 

The kid’s and safety tip of the week is annual admonition about dressing in layers.  Depending on temperature, dress in layers of fleece or wool with a weather proof shell to keep the kids (and adults) cozy as we move into winter.  Also, an extra set of clothes in the event someone gets wet can help prevent a miserable or even dangerous situation.

Upper picture of Lucy Mills of Cashmere with a nice 20" Chelan Rainbow caught on 11/15/13.

Lower Picture of Jessie Klasing of Spokane with Dad Ed Klasing of Houston, TX with a nice morning laker catch on 11/13/12.

Thank you to Anton Jones of Darrell & Dad's Family Guide Service for the Report.  If you are wanting an oustanding Lake Chelan area experience Anton and his crew are the guys to go with.