Salmon And Steelhead Of Drano Lake
Timing is everything when fishing Drano Lake and any of the mouths of the many rivers that enter the Columbia above Bonneville and The Dalles Dam.
Typically, the peak season for both salmon and steelhead in Drano Lake starts in early August and builds to a crescendo by late in the month and extends well into September and even October with steady action available for about 2 and half months.
The draw to lakes like Drano, as well as the many river mouths along the Columbia, is the cooler water. Steelhead and salmon bound for upriver destinations pull off into these cooler backwater areas, making for excellent action as tens of thousands of fish migrate upriver and over the dams.
The techniques for catching these wonderful fish are very straightforward. Using downriggers, run your plug about 50’ off the downrigger ball and set your depth at between 13’ and 17’. The most productive plug we used was Yakima Bait’s new Timber Tiger in a black finish with silver speckles. This particular color seems to be the most popular among local anglers and guides.
We used a shrimp oil or herring oil scent product every time we pulled our plugs in and checked them for debris.
Optimum trolling speed was anywhere from 1.5 to 2 mph.
When the fish are in and the weather’s stable expect fast action.
| Show#: |
3007 |
| Host: |
Trey Carskadon |
| Guide: |
Special Guest: Rob Phillips. Marketing Director for Yakima Bait Company |
| Email: |
omg@aojtv.com |
| Location: |
Drano Lake. Located East of the small town of Stevenson near Bonneville Dam on the lower Columbia River. |
| Species: |
Salmon & Steelhead |
| Date: |
11/6/99 |
| Equipment: |
Equipment: ·7’ Lamiglas fiberglas plug rod ·South Bend Oreno Casting Reel ·Trilene 15 lb. XT line ·Black / Silver Yakima Bait Timber Tiger Plug |
| Environment Conditions: |
Time of Year: Late August Weather: Variable sunny to downpours. Heavy cold and rain fronts moved through steadily nearly the entire time we fished. |
| Tips: |
For more information on this fishery contact the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Licenses, tackle and bait are available in Stevenson, Washington. |
