General Info:
"Gods Country". That's what you will be thinking after hiking into the marvelous high lakes of the Wallowa mountains. Starting at 6 miles all the way up to 15 there is a lake for all ages. However don't let all this beauty take your attention to long for there is fish to be caught.
The "High Lakes" in the Eagle Cap Wilderness are full of some of the best brook trout around, with some rainbows to be found. Plan on eating them - nothing better. Take a selection of flies, including some small sz 16/18 dries and nymphs, wooly buggers of all varieties are also a sure bet. Some lakes have so many fish that a wide variety of larger flies will also work.
The high lakes hold some of the best brook trout around, with some rainbows to be found. If your willing to put in the work, there are astonishing numbers of fish to be had. Nothing beats a brook trout dinner in the Eagle Cap Wilderness after a long day.
High Lakes / Wilderness Fishing Reports:
9/19/23: Fresh report from last week. Glacier Lake appears to have been best - “not real picky.” Mirror Lake - “better have a spinning rod.” Fish were all in the middle of the lake.
8/7/23: GENERALLY FISHING BETTER THIS YEAR THAN RECENT YEARS. BEST FISHING MORNINGS AND EVENINGS. IF YOU ARE COUNTING ON EATING FISH, YOU MIGHT CONSIDER A SMALL COLLAPSIBLE SPINNING ROD TO CAST SMALL LURES FURTHER OUT INTO THE LAKE.
7/13/23: ANAROID AND ICE LAKE FISHING VERY GOOD - AND PROBABLY OTHERS, BUT NEED REPORTS.
7/5/23: YESTERDAY, TWO HIKERS CAME OUT OF THE LAKE BASIN VIA THE WEST FORK TRAIL - AFTER GOING IN BY HURRICANE CREEK. THEY HIKED OVER SNOW GOING IN. THEY ONLY HAD A TENKARA ROD, BUT SAID BROOK TROUT WERE AGRESSIVELY FEEDING ON THE SURFACE, AND THEY CAUGHT NUMEROUS FISH AT DOUGLAS LAKE AND SOME OTHER LAKES. THEY SAID HORSESHOE LAKE HAD ALOT OF CAMPERS AND THE WEST FORK TRAIL WAS SNOW FREE. A NICE PERSON AT THE GO-CART TRACKS SHUTTLED THEM BACK TO THEIR CAR AT THE HURRICANE CREEK TRAIL HEAD (WOW THAT WAS NICE!)
7/3/23: TODAY A HIKER REPORTED THEY WENT INTO ICE LAKE. THE LAKE WAS ICE FREE AND FISH WERE JUMPING. THEY DID NOT FISH. STILL SNOW ON MIRROR LAKE TRAIL.
6/30/23: JUST GOT REPORT YESTERDAY FROM THE FOREST SERVICE - TRAIL TO MINAM LAKE STILL BLOCKED WITH SNOW. WILL TRY TO GET A REPORT FOR ANERIOD AND MAXWELL LAKES, ETC.
10/13/22: Just spoke with a couple who spent a week fly fishing the Lake Basin. They said fishing was poor - unlike much of the summer. Very few fish were rising and some algae was starting to form. If anyone has a different, recent, report please let me know.
9/1/22: We have had some reports of better High Lake fishing this year compared to recent years. No idea why - big snow pack, late spring, warm summer (?). Fish also a bit larger than normal.
Some of the better lake reports include: Aneroid, Frazier, Glacier (were I saw a picture of a very fat 18” Brook Trout - something I have never experienced in the 60 years I have fished the High Lakes), Ice, Francis, and Maxwell, and probably a few others. In the heart of the Lake basin, Minam, Mirror, Douglas, Horse Shoe, some fish were also being caught.
A number of fires are currently burning in the Wilderness, so check before you plan.
7/20/22: Aneroid and Ice Lake fishing well. Lake Basin just opened as snow melts - waiting reports.
7/7/22: still quit a lot of snow in the Lake Basin - but melting rapidly. Will try to pass on reports of specific lakes as I get them
8/4/21: NO ONLINE REPORTS FOR A WHILE (Rob will be out of the shop until Aug. 20th). PLEASE CALL THE SHOP AT: 541-432-4343. THANKS
8/1/21: We are getting some better fishing reports this year compared to last year, but numerous lakes still fishing tough. Some of the better lakes appear to include: Anaroid, Francis, Frazier, Cresent, Raze, Ice, possibly Glacier - and probably more if we had more reports. Some of the more difficult lakes appear to be: Maxwell, Chimney, and the heart of the Lake Basin lakes
7/2/21: lakes are open to fishing - but numerous lakes have been tough fishing the past two years. If you need to eat fish, try fishing the streams flowing into and out , or between, the lakes. Remember a couple plump 6” brookies, with pancakes, and a quarter pound of bacon can make a decent breakfast. I will try to report the best fishing lakes as I get reports.
6/9/21: Still mucho snow (4’-5’ near Anaroid).
4/15/21: Plenty of snow this year - 125%+ of normal. The Lake Basin trails may be late to open this year - mid July or who knows. Forest Service may have more info. High Lake fishing was generally poor last year with a few exceptions - ask.
9/28/20: New snow in the high country.
9/6 PS just had a fisher report “good Brookie fishing - enough to eat each day” at Aneroid and Glacier Lakes on Adams.
9/6/20: Wow - this is troubling. As I get more reports, the High Lakes seem to have some of the poorest fishing in years. The ODFW thinks there was winter kill in 2018 and 2019, However, I have fished the Eagle Cap for over sixty years, (first as a Boy Scout in the late fifties) and we had many severe winters throughout those years. This year even our best lakes (Ice, Anaroid, Frazier, etc) are fishing poor to mediocre - at best. Even the streams above Two Pan have fewer small trout in them. Maybe the switch from stocking Brooke Trout to Rainbows has something to do with it.
8/15/20: Just came down from a four day trip with my pack horses. We ate trout each day, fried in bacon grease, but had to work for them. ODFW says they believe the hard winter (2018/19) may have killed some fish. Anyway, the Lake Basin proper may be difficult to catch dinner on flies. The better bet would be to fish Frazier, Ice, Aneroid, Franscis, perhaps Glacier, Razz or Unit and probably others I am forgetting.
7/28/20: Still snow at the highest locations (pass from Basin to Glacier said to be blocked for stock). Some of the better lakes: Frazier, Ice, Francis, Chimney, Aneroid. Heavier than normal trafic to the Lake Basin. For dinner or breakfast consider fishing the streams into and out of lakes - you can eat plump 5” - 7” brookies.
7/16/20: Just had a good report for Frazier Lake. Little brookies - great eating.
7/14/20: Apparently most of the trails/lakes accessible (we had a big snow pack) - at least below 7,000 feet. Aneroid, Ice Lake and Francis Lake are some of the lakes that always fish well.
06/27/20: I need to check “Ranger Report” when I have a minute for lake access/ice melt.
06/01/20: we will see how the snow melts, but it is often that lakes are not accessible until July
9/13/19: Looks like we will have a beautiful Indian Summer. The trees are starting to turn red and yellow. Cool nights and sunny days.
8/16/19: Mostly small brookies (feel free to keep plump little 5” trout for breakfast AND for dinner). Some of the better lakes are Anaroid, Ice, Razz, Fraizer, and others.
ODFW has also stocked Rainbows in some lakes (preferably lakes without brook trout). After several years some of these Bows have reached 16” or more and several pounds. The list they gave me includes: Francis, Legore, Hawk, Swamp, Prospect, Unit, and Hobo. Some of these lakes are very difficult to reach, and even more difficult to find on Google Maps.
7/29/19: We believe all the lakes are free of snow and ice. Plan to eat the small brook trout you catch (plump 5” trout - upwards). Also fish the streams in and out of the lakes. Carry a few small #18 parachute adams - if they are being fussy.
7/10/19: WE have but a few reports, but someone reported hiking into Ice Lake and said the lake had finally thawed (some ice near the edge. We need reports from the Lake Basin.
6/24/19: We need a report on snow/trail conditions - please.
9/1/18: Fall fishing has really turned on in the high lakes - expected to continue until the snow flies.
7/26/18: Fishing quality will depend on the lake. Brookies are great eating (5" plump fish are fair game - cook in bacon grease with a pinch of Mediterranian lawry's salt). Pick huckleberries on the way up to put in your pancakes. Note: fry your bacon, cook your pancakes, then fry your fish - in that order.
Some of the better high lakes for fish include: Aneroid, Ice, Francis, Frazier, Razz, Chimney & nearby Hobo, Moccasin (east end OR down the steep canyon stream below) - and others I think of in the moment.
And then if you are a mule/mountain goat cross, ODFW have stocked the following lakes with rainbow that have gotten quite large: Legore, Hawk, Swamp, Prospect, Unit, (note mules cannot get to a number of these lakes - and good luck finding them)!
6/6/18. Still pretty early for High Lake trails to be open - check with USFS. One hiker did cross some snow last week and reach Ice Lake. He reported the ice was starting to break-up and a few fish were dimpling the surface.