Manzanita Lake?

[Ben J]

Hey everyone, it looks like I will have the opportunity to fish Manzanita Lake a lot this summer, which has me excited. I don't have any experience on the lake and would really appreciate any feedback from those in the know! Not looking for everyone's top secrets, just some general flies and techniques that might help me have some success on this famous stillwater. Thanks for anyone willing to share and PMs work too!

[Rossflyguy]

I fished it once last year. It snowed when I was there but since its early spring I believe the carpenter ants will be out and if that happens I was told the whole lake will be blowing up. Also, I've read that people have caught large brownies on rainbow imitations so maybe a streamer. But the go to is either callibaetis or midges with long leaders. Think bonefish on sand bars but trout instead.

[JohnD]

Be sure to have some damsels - both nymphs and adults too. I've caught fish picking damsels off the reeds.

[TonyMuljat]

My own experience has been wooly buggers on an intermediate line with a callibaetis dropper. But keep an eye out for surface feeding trout. I've used parachute adams there to some success. Float tubing. Some of the most beautifully colored rainbows I have ever caught came out of Manzanita, and once saw an osprey (I believe) come down and pick a good size fish right out of the water right in front of me. Unbelievable.

[Fly Guy Dave]

I've found the best way to fish it is from a canoe or a pontoon, but you can slowly cruise the shore for most of the lake and sometimes pick up some nice fish in some pretty skinny water, but stealth is the key. I've caught some really nice calibaetis hatches there and when the fishing is hot, that lake is a real kick in the @$$.

[TigerLilly]

Ants. Big black ones early in the season and black or red ones #18-20 later in the summer. Lots of springs in the lake. Mid day especially trout will congregate near them. Toss a weighted nymph and let it sit on the mud near a spring. When a fish comes by give it a small twitch.

[Ben J]

Thanks for the replies, sounds like I need to save up for a float tube!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

You can edge wade it a little.

Anything small to float in is good.

I remember that in June it had a good callibaetis mayfly hatch at around 1:00 PM.

We also like to fish little weedy McCumber Reservoir, which is back on hwy 44.