Heading to Detroit Lake this weekend

[Subacca]

Going to Detroit Lake Friday night and staying until Sunday. Should have the entire Saturday to try fishing around the lake. Last time I was there I saw some very large fish in what i believe is called Big Cliff reservoir right before getting to the lake which I later learned were white fish. Anybody know how the fishing for them would be about now? I hear they have small mouths so use small bait (fish the surface or bottom?). I'm bank fishing and unless i can get shore access next to the dam will probably try to avoid fishing off of it but will be targeting trout as well. Any tips let me know!

More I read through the forum, the more I think i might just drive back a ways and fish the Santiam...try to get a steelhead if I can find a good bank spot to throw a spinner.

 

[mikeredding]

I have never been to Detroit so I know nothing about it but I can tell you, yes white fish have very small mouths and you can catch them at any level in the water but bottom is generally best. Good luck!

 

[troutdude]

At Big Cliff, there are also some big trout. Find a rock point, or an inlet, and float a worm OFF the bottom (inject it w/ air with a syringe). Good luck.

 

[18406ej]

PM sent.

 

[brandon4455]

definitely try worms on the bottom. also try some black rosster tails in more shallow areas. and crawdad tails for the big boys

 

[Subacca]

Thanks for all the tips! I'm going to have to try those crawdad tails as thats not the first time i've read that and I remember at Hagg Lake one day when everybody was getting skunked one person was pulling in nice sized trout using bright colored prawn tails or something like that so that type of bait generally seems to have some merit for bigger trout. If I can't find a syringe today for worms I might try dropshoting if the location suits. Going to pick up the extra tag needed to try for steelhead too in case I find a spot along the santiam. I grew up fishing for salmon and halibut in Alaska so farmed trout lakes and river fishing are a bit new to me as is the locations to do so.

 

[brandon4455]

another way to use the worms is just use a regular bottom rig with a quarter ounce sinker,snap swivel and a snelled hook. i did great on that last year. just fling it out and wait. but keep an eye on your rod ive had some tackle buster bites out there before tight lines





brandon

 

[Hawk]

Try using a 3/16" sliding sinker & 18" leader. Piece of nitecrawler.

Best of Luck.

 

[capblack]

ill be at big cliff bright and early, maybe ill see you, good luck!! p.s the big fish in big cliff arent whitefish, at least not the ones i target

 

[Subacca]

I'm sure you will capblack! Lake is sure low and Big Cliff is looking like a funner spot to try. Also, right below "Big Cliff dam?" there is a spot of river with trails going down to it and the river movement doesn't look to bad in a couple places. I'm thinking of trying there as well. I picked up a few suggestions from here such as the Black Rooster Tail to add to my arsenal. Staying in Detroit and will have a nice full day tomorrow and possibly Sunday morning to give it a go.

 

[brandon4455]

good luck out there. and fish those roostertails close to tribuataries for the best results!





brandon

 

[Subacca]

So one fish is all I caught and a small one at that out of the river at Kimmel Park. So I don't have to say I was skunked. The lake was so low I didn't even bother though I I'm sure I could have found a few trout if I tried. No luck at Big Cliff either but I know know they are out there. From what i'm reading it sounds like North Santiam is probably not the best place to try and catch a fish right now but the weather was actually great and I had a great time. I'll be heaing out next weekend as well though probably someplace closer like Hagg Lake. Looking forward to doing some more river fishing though, i'm determined to catch something other than stocked trout this year.

 

[troutdude]

Uh...isn't the North Santiam closed right now?

 

[Subacca]

Uh...isn't the North Santiam closed right now?

I took a peak at the Willamette zone fishing regulations before leaving and as far as I could tell there was a stretch closed between the highway bridge in Mill City upstream a ways and another such spot around packsaddle or so which I never fished at. Kimmel Park is before that bridge and is legal though somebody correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[18406ej]

Sounds like you had a good time. Sorry you didn't have better luck.

 

[capblack]

Uh...isn't the North Santiam closed right now?

in his first post, he was talking about fishing the river for steelhead. trout is closed, but steelhead is open. hopefully he was fishing for steel!

 

[Subacca]

Yes, fishing for steelhead. Used larger lures/hooks to try and avoid the smaller fish. I will keep trying, I'm sure I will find a steel, springer, or even a coho sometime this year. Even in alaska I've been skunked before its no big deal.