How would you fish this lake?

[dwh4784]

This is Fan Lake in Washington. It's a small little lake, but very deep in spots. Just curious what some of the experts here would do. It's a no motor lake so the pressure is light. It gets very limited rainbow trout plants. There's literally ONE dock on the entire lake. I don't count the area around the YMCA camp, I'm not going to go fish in there (that's my imaginary yellow line). I caught two bass off of that one dock actually including the one in my avatar. It has a small island in the deep area, and a narrow channel that leads to a second section that is very shallow and weedy. Most of the fishing reports are for LM bass, but some from a few years back mention catching nice smallies in there as well. I circled in red the spots where I caught fish my only time out there. In blue I circled the island and a bay with a small stream coming into it that just seems like it should hold fish but what do I know. In the middle of that bay in ~20' of water is a large tree trunk cut off flush about 5' below the surface, no electronics so I'm not sure what else lurks below.

 

Also here is a link to the topographic map. http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/washington/409/

My bad, this link doesn't go directly to the topo map, but if you click the "Mapping" button it takes you there.

[WRB]

The Google sat image appears to be taken during ice out? The straight line if ice appears to be a dam or abrupt depth change?

This lake is so small it shouldn't take more than a day to figure it out. Very little anyone can offer without knowing the topography of the underwater terrain.

Why put the YMCA area off limits if it isn't a closed to fishing area?

Tom

[dwh4784]

Yeah the picture is weird, not sure what the line is all about. I think it is two different pictures, one windy day one calm. Edit: Yeah definitely different days you can see it in the grass on the shore, weird.

 

If you click the link I posted there is a button on the right that says Mapping, it goes to topography. I thought I linked directly to it, but it apparently doesn't work like that. The YMCA area is not necessarily closed to fishing, but IMO not going to do it. It's a summer camp, kids all around, paddle boats etc. Still a lake I can kayak fish without boat wakes makes me want to explore it more this year.

[mixel]

If you use google earth (desktop version), you can select VIEW (menu) at the top, and select HISTORICAL IMAGERY (from the drop down) for the lake. A slider will appear in the upper left of the map. Use the slider to view different satellite images of the same area. Some images can have more detail than others, and with lakes, sometimes you can get images of the lake when it's not as full, allowing you to see some features that perhaps are normally covered. Although it appears this lake is always around the same level.

 

There is a power pole in the background of one of the images here, and also a temp dock in another. Maybe those are good spots. Maybe you can garner some clues as to where/how people are fishing from the reports.

 

http://www.northwestfishingreports.com/ReportList.aspx?id=383&t=1

 

The edges of the lake look like prime territory for bass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dwh4784]

I've read all those reports, in fact I'm active on that site and the only Fan lake report from 2016 was from yours truly. That lake just doesn't see much action. It's right next to one of our more well known bass lakes, Eloika lake. But Eloika is shallow and weedy and heavily fished. I grew up fishing shallow weedy lakes, this deeper rocky drop off stuff is brand new for me. I tried some lipless cranks in it and didn't find anything. I hit the narrow spot pretty hard, and the island, finally went back into the shallow weedy shorelines and caught a few fish where I'm comfortable. But they should be elsewhere at least at some point I have to believe.

["hamma"]

Try  fishing the area with the hump (top blue circle), to the shallow weedy area with a jig and pig, and continue right on into that weedy area.

 By what I could see from the map, these areas look to be the best shot at changes from the norm. The shorelines of course, drop off sharply and could hold fish as well but the mapping I could navigate didnt really show much, or dictate which way was north. Leaving me to think that the shore "could" be good as well, if you just continued around the lake pounding the shoreline.

 If the shallow weedy area is pointing north then thats where Id camp out, and fish a variety of presentations from its "opening" or "compression area" to the back of it. The drop into the main lake from that shallow area, may produce the smallies you mentioned as well, even some decent largemouth too.

  These are just guesses, as I dont have a bearing on due north, or any "knowledge" of prevalent forage. Water clarity, etc, etc. Im assuming crayfish are present, and would give the jig and pig a good soaking throughout this lake. If the lake is unpressured this bait should produce well. At least,... thats what I find over here on lightly pressured waters. 

[scaleface]

Its difficult to find the topo map but I found it . Hit " mapping "  in the upper right hand corner .

 

That hump on the north end looks like the best spot on the lake .I would hammer it every time out .The  rest of the lake is rather featureless . There is a small point at the boy scout camp , I  dont know why it is off limits . That shallow weedy  area  you speak of is 10 foot deep . Id be hitting it too .

 

[Hawkeye21]

Here's a screen grab from my map app. 

I zoomed in a little more for detail. 

[Fishes in trees]

You're fishing that lake from a kayak and you don't have any electronics?  Step A would be to get some electronics.   If you have to sell or trade off a child to get some decent electronics, that is a good trade in the long run.

 

Step B - not knowing the lake, just guessing, the whole shore line screams "NED RIG".  The back, shallow/weedy part, I'd start by 

bubba up a ned rig and throw a tx rigged senko or senior imitator on 30 lb braid with a 20 lb or so fluorocarbon leader.

 

 

 

[WRB]

This natural lake is so small and bowl shaped you don't a sonar unit to fish it with a kayak.

Fish all around island area, the entire narrows, the bay,  the point by the Y camp would good areas. Just fish the perimeter down to about 15' to 20'.

Tom

[dwh4784]

I did (and will continue to) fish that point by the camp, I really just meant that I won't go back in their bay. There was quite a bit of activity there when I was there, just would be strange to get too up in their business. 

 

Thanks for the tips everyone. Of all the lakes I checked out last year this one had the most drastically different features, but was nice to fish with no boat traffic so hopefully I can figure it out better this year.