A while later I was off like a shot, with a
familiar feeling riding with me—even after
fishing all over the world, exploring new
fishing areas in my home state still ignites a
fire in me. It’s a sensation that brings back
memories of all those early mornings and
late nights I’ve spent with good friends on
and around the water. And, as I headed
north out of O mak I also thought about
my father taking me on so many fishing
trips early in life—it made me the fanatical
angler I am today.
You have to be a little fanatical to fish
Chopaka. That’s because the road leading
to the lake is a little intimidating—it’s dirt
and winds up a very steep grade. During
spring and again in fall it can be deeply
rutted. If you visit during or after a heavy
rain your knuckles might turn white. If you
pull a trailer to the lake the fun-factor only
increases. Fortunately, the road was in
great shape when I visited. A note: there
are some forks in the road that lead to
private property, so make sure you get
accurate directions at North 40 before you
head out for Chopaka.
My first sight of the lake was jaw-dropping.
Chopaka is nestled between two high
ridges and surrounded by sage and pine.
Beautiful. But I couldn’t believe all of the
pontoon boats, dories, and driftboats
on the lake. And I couldn’t believe all of
the flyfishers up there camping, in large
trailers, small trailers and tents. The two
campgrounds, which are located next to
each other and separated by a fence, were
full . . . on a Tuesday. To camp in one of
the areas requires the Washington State
Discovery Pass; the second camp is on
Bureau of Land Management property and
doesn’t require a pass. Both campgrounds
have bathrooms.
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I found a small patch of ground to pull over
on and set up my gear. I was excited to
get on the water in my lake boat of choice:
the NuCanoe. The lake had about a 5-to
10 mile an hour wind on it, which made
some ideal chop for fishing a TFP balanced
leech. The fish were plentiful and easy to
find. There were lots of them right off of
the campground, but I made quick time
paddling into the wind and across the lake
in the NuCanoe. The fish were in post-
spawn mode and their redds (where they
attempt to spawn) were easily seen. I found
fish cruising a narrow lane between weeds
in about six feet of water and dropped the
anchor. I started with that black/red TFP
Balanced Leech, then eventually switched
to an olive TFP Balanced Leech. The olive
color was the key and that light surface
chop jigged the fly perfectly under its
bobber/indicator (Reference Bobber vs.
Indicator blog here). I ended up fishing for
three or four hours and brought 18-to 20
fish to hand, all measuring between 14 and
18 inches. I hooked a few that may have
been bigger, but did not land them. The
wind died that evening and I switched to a
black carpenter ant pattern. I had a several
fish look at the bug and managed a few
takes.
My takeaway from Chopaka? I’ll be back
to that lake with my family, hopefully
when the Callibaetis come off, which they
typically do in good numbers during late
summer and early fall. This lake is great for
beginners and seasoned anglers. And the
fishing vibe up there is great—everyone
is extremely nice and there is a laid-back
pace of life.
You have to be a little
fanatical to fish Chopaka.
That’s because the road
leading to the lake is a
little intimidating -- it’s
dirt and winds up a very
steep grade.
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