First time at Crane Prairie

[jdycols]

Catching fish in this lake is really a very pleasing and I'm sure that really enjoy it. Though, I'm too a little opposing to the free thing but as far as you and your wife are comfortable with it, it's good. It seems that you did have a memorable fishing experience.

 

[drewshane12]

I half to say that Crane Prairie has to be my favorite place to fish in central Oregon.

Why....BIG FISH!

Crane was the first place i have ever hooked into a huge bow on a fly. Thanks to the help of Scott Cook from Fly and Field Outfitters.

I'm sure all of you either know of or own the book "Fishing Central Oregon and Beyond" That book was a huge help.

And even better were the DVDs Volume I, and II I learned such great techniques from those DVD's and they helped me catch big trout for sure!

From which flies to use to how to use them, the DVDs had it all.... HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM!

 

[bigfootfish]

Cultus Creek & Cultus River

Cultus Creek & Cultus River

I haven't fished Crane in quite awhile, but the last time I was there my wife and I rented these cool little fiberglass boats from the marina, boats that had fins on them that reminded me of a '57 Ford Fairlane. We motored over to the North side of Crane and chased big trout up the Cultus River. Cultus Creek flows out of Cultus Lake upstream but Cultus River is spring fed. Great fun!!! Deer Creek flows in to Crane to the far West then towards the East in order is Cultus Creek, Cultus River, the Deschutes then Snow Creek. It's that stretch of the Deschutes where it flows into Crane Prairie near Cow Camp that the State Record Brook Trout(over 9:shock: pounds!!!) was caught.

Resources: Fishing - Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

BFF

 

[DirectDrive]

Yep, Crane is a magic place.
The first time I saw it was in April 1985 as we motored out at first light.
The image of the low fog and bleached, dead timber is forever etched in memory.

The fishing was epic, too.

 

[MustangBill]

Crane Prairie

Crane Prairie

I went to Crane Prairie on Sunday and feed my outboard propeller to some rock fish. The morning started nice and placid. I launched at the resort and poked around the snags for awhile but not much was biting so I headed to the west side of the lake. I guess a front came through because the wind kicked up to 35 mph and the wind waves on the water were 3 to 4 feet with white caps on top. :shock: After hitting one of those waves my propeller hit a rock on the bottom. That made for a slow and wet trip back to the resort. It is sad when people paddling a kayak passed my boat with its 50hp motor wide open. This is not an adventure I would recommend to anyone. I did not catch a single fish either dang it. Next time...

 

[bigfootfish]

That's a heck of a day you had there, MB. Hey anyone, since there isn't a listing, yet, for Cultus Lake, I'd like to ask anyone who knows Crane Prairie what Cultus is like. And has anyone ever heard of Deer Lake by Cultus?

BFF

 

[crabtruck]

Back in June I hiked to Deer Lake from Little Cultus, fished for just a bit as the mosquitoes were plentiful and super hungry (my 96% DEET didn't seem to deter them at all). Anyway it is a nice hike and a pretty lake.

 

[bigfootfish]

Must have been those snowmelt skeeters. They get big, don't they? A friend of mine told me that his Dad hiked into Deer and did real good in July. We do need a listing for a bunch of those lakes over there, don't we?

BFF