Cranberry Lake - Whidbey

[Theron]

I have an elderly neighbor, more elderly than me anyway, who wants to go fishing. He is not a fly fisher so I thought Cranberry Lake might be a good option. He has a boat with an electric motor. I think the length is about 16 feet. I will probably fly fish with sinking line or try some indicator fishing. Is anyone familiar with what type of fish we should target? I have had some luck there catching trout, but I understand there is also bass and perch in the lake. What type of lures, technique, open water or shoreline?

 

[Porter2]

Hi

I have fished that lake several times. For a while we camped there every year when the kids were younger. I have caught RB, Brown trout, perch, and yes it has bass but to say I caught any would be stretching it, I have had them on but have lost them. I have fished gear and fly (mostly fly)

My experience at this time of the year is of little value. I have mostly fished this lake in Late May thru August. Some methods and all have had some success.

1. Power bait and or pautzke eggs (easy for the kids but it was effective for the planters)
2. Rapala flat fish lures in frog colors (troll near shoreline and the lilly pads.
3. Cast or troll rooster tails once again in frog like or fishy patterned colors.
4. Green/black/brown leeches on Sink Tip line or longer leader and a heavy weighted leech type fly (cast towards the pads and retrieve back….change tempo of retrieve) … and cast/retrieve or troll adjacent to pads.
5. Not much of a deep little fly guy but I know some have success doing that…. I have had luck for trout in the evening fishing dries…think along the lines of Adam’s and caddis in light with white.

……and reverse spiders if you decide to hit the salt.

Sure others can offer more and better advice. I have not fished there the last 3 years.

Have fun.

 

[M_D]

I’ve only fished for trout there….maybe 6 times total…stripping leeches….so I’m no help with the other fishies.

A bathymetric chart can be helpful. I think it gets down to 20-25 feet in one area not far from the boat launch.

And have a pair of foam ear plugs in case the flyboys from Whidbey are doing low level stuff over the lake. It can be amazingly loud but doesn’t seem to bother the fish.

Have fun

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

If you're not 100% set on Cranberry, PM me there's another lake near there that would be better IMO if you don't mind waiting until the general opener.

My only experience with Cranberry has been at night for browns in late summer/early fall, can't really speak to how it fishes during the day.

 

[Stonedfish]

They also put in a new dock. If you don’t feel like dragging the boat there, you both could fish off the dock. Not sure how crowded it is but a chironomid or leech under an indicator fished off docks has worked well for me in the past.
SF

 

[Theron]

I’ve only fished for trout there….maybe 6 times total…stripping leeches….so I’m no help with the other fishies.

A bathymetric chart can be helpful. I think it gets down to 20-25 feet in one area not far from the boat launch.

And have a pair of foam ear plugs in case the flyboys from Whidbey are doing low level stuff over the lake. It can be amazingly loud but doesn’t seem to bother the fish.

Have fun

Been there when the Growlers are flying. It is LOUD!

 

[Jim in Anacortes]

I've fished the lake from a float tube. A sinking line trolling a leech mostly. Nice Rainbows and apparently some nice Browns as well. It actually gets quite a bit of attention from Bass fisherman, and right now it might be worth a try throwing a weedless, weightless Senko (green pumpkinseed) into the thickest reeds and lily pads you can find.

 

[Theron]

I've fished the lake from a float tube. A sinking line trolling a leech mostly. Nice Rainbows and apparently some nice Browns as well. It actually gets quite a bit of attention from Bass fisherman, and right now it might be worth a try throwing a weedless, weightless Senko (green pumpkinseed) into the thickest reeds and lily pads you can find.

I've fished the lake in float tube several times. Leeches seem to work the best like you said. I have caught some perch in the weed beds, Trout seem to be in deeper water.

 

[Theron]

Hi

I have fished that lake several times. For a while we camped there every year when the kids were younger. I have caught RB, Brown trout, perch, and yes it has bass but to say I caught any would be stretching it, I have had them on but have lost them. I have fished gear and fly (mostly fly)

My experience at this time of the year is of little value. I have mostly fished this lake in Late May thru August. Some methods and all have had some success.

1. Power bait and or pautzke eggs (easy for the kids but it was effective for the planters)
2. Rapala flat fish lures in frog colors (troll near shoreline and the lilly pads.
3. Cast or troll rooster tails once again in frog like or fishy patterned colors.
4. Green/black/brown leeches on Sink Tip line or longer leader and a heavy weighted leech type fly (cast towards the pads and retrieve back….change tempo of retrieve) … and cast/retrieve or troll adjacent to pads.
5. Not much of a deep little fly guy but I know some have success doing that…. I have had luck for trout in the evening fishing dries…think along the lines of Adam’s and caddis in light with white.

……and reverse spiders if you decide to hit the salt.

Sure others can offer more and better advice. I have not fished there the last 3 years.

Have fun.

I have wondered if dry flies might work in this lake especially along the shore vegetation. I may give it a try on my next float tube venture.

 

[Jim in Anacortes]

Theron I agree that the deeper water seemed best for trout. Trolling a leech smack dab in the middle of the lake, I hooked on to something very big. Could have been a big Brown or maybe a trophy size Bass, but my tackle (that routinely lands 20" trout) was, simply, no match for this fish. It towed me around for awhile and then just bolted. This small lake IMHO holds some top notch fishing opportunities for those that look beyond the campers fishing power bait from the shore.

 

[Jim in Anacortes]

As you drive toward the beach and look across the lake (to your left) you will see the area that has floating vegetation. For a guy that likes to throw a weedless frog lure with a modern Bass rod and reel...it does not get much better than that. Throw that frog in the thickest stuff you can find. Move the frog just a tiny bit. You will be entertained by simply experiencing how it is possible to fish in the thick floating vegetation. And then, when you least expect it...the surface explodes, you feel the heft of a large fish..and she spits the hook...You are now (possibly) addicted to this fishing method. Actually landing the fish is nice, but the thrill of the explosion and the quest to imitate a frog is most of the fun. Pop that little frog lure off a Lilly pad into open water, and watch it get inhaled....Right there at Cranberry Lake.

 

[Chris Johnson]

When I was a kid we used to camp there often and we would go down to the lake with our rods and a few strips of raw bacon and catch crawdads by the bucket full. Bass like crawdads too.