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Here, Little Fishy What would you say to a place in the lower 48 where salmon fishing is free — not even a license is required — the fish are plentiful, the crowds are manageable, and there is no limit to how many fish you can keep? Brain gone "kittywonker," right? Wrong!
Every year I go to Crater Lake, Ore., where you'll find the deepest lake (1,932 feet) in the United States. No streams feed the lake — only rainfall and snowmelt keep it filled. It holds "the world's record for lake clarity," according to Lauren Becker, ranger interpreter. After a 30-yard cast, you can easily follow your lure moving beneath the surface. You can watch fish charge at your spinner and see the strike from afar. I love this place! Last year, my salmon low-level light was glowing amber a bit early — mid-April to be exact. I worried there might be ice or snow on the trail that winds down about 700 feet into the crater. My wife, in an effort to help, called to find out if the trail was open. Did she call the ranger station? Nah, what do rangers know? She called the gift shop! That's where you find out the real skinny, no? No.
"Sally" answered the phone. "Is the trail into the crater open?" my sweetie asked. "Just a sec," Sally replied. "Yup, it's open. Looks good to me, and I'm seeing it right out the window." More than 700 miles later, as I drove into the gift-shop parking lot, I screamed, "Blinking blizzard! What window?" The gift shop was under a 20-foot snowbank! We settled for four 10-inch trout from the Rogue River on the way home (license required). But trust me, the fish are at Crater Lake and ready to be caught — in the summer. Here are the rules: 1. Call the ranger station (not the gift shop) at Crater Lake National Park, (541) 594-2211, or log on to Crater Lake's Web site via TROA's links page, www.troa.org/magazine/links.asp, to find out when the rim road opens (it varies from year to year, but the park is open year-round). It is 11 miles around the rim to Cleetwood Trail, the only route visitors are allowed to use to descend to the lake. Better yet, wait until the road opens and boat-tour season begins, usually in late June or early July through mid-September. 2. Fishing is allowed inside the crater, including on Wizard Island, but no live bait is permitted — only spinners, lures, and flies. 3. You must keep all the fish you catch regardless of size, and there is no limit to the number of salmon or trout you can take. Why? Trout and salmon were introduced by miners in the 19th century, and the park service is trying to lower the number of fish in the lake (which current estimates place at 250,000). Trust me, that mission will never be accomplished. 4. Boat tours of Crater Lake depart from Cleetwood Cove several times a day and last about an hour and 45 minutes. Travelers may hang out at Wizard Island and take a later boat back to the dock. Hint: The salmon seem to congregate around Wizard Island, but the well-maintained trail to the boats is a fairly steep, three-quarter-mile hike. Bring water, a jacket, your camera, and fishing gear. Call (541) 830-8700 for information. |
