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Headed to Conconully for a camping and fishing trip with old friends and their 2 boys ages 4 and 7. Pulled into the state park and was able to secure a campsite with a view of the reservoir at one of the walk-in sites. The main campground is more of a wide open city park but we were very pleased with our roomy site.

We fished the reservoir Thursday evening and kept 7 Kokes in the 11 in range. Water was no deeper than 40 ft and more like 30 ft in most spots.

The next 3 mornings were spent on the upper lake and fishing was awesome. We put 44 Kokes in the cooler most in the 13.5-14 in range. Beautiful fish! No copepods and awesome meat quality. Good fighting fish too with hard bites, some releasing the downrigger clip. Probably lost a dozen more. Also caught a few rainbows and for the first time caught 2 smallmouth on kokanee gear!

Wedding rings outfished hoochies with Melissa's homemade version in green and white with shiny silver smile blade the top lure. Lots of different dodgers produced, not sure it made much difference. Bloody tuna oil and gel combo with some anise spray on the dodgers. Fished 35-40 ft deep in 60-100 f.o.w.

I've fished several lakes for Kokanee this year and Conconully was my favorite. 51 fish in 3.5 short days of trolling. Ramp on the upper lake is nice. Ramp on the reservoir is primitive and may require 4wd as the gravel is loose and its a bit steep. Cute little town with a general store that got plenty of business from me as my way of saying thanks.

Fish were not turning color but definitely sexually mature with some of the fattest egg sacks I've seen.

Had time for some tubing in the afternoon when the winds picked up. Saw eagles, osprey, fed deer fruit by hand and even saw a rattler swimming in the lake. Amazing trip!

cobrar543

8/31/2016 9:15:00 AM

Its nice that we took Mikes advice and went. I will go here a few times a year now for all the same reasons you like it. I had a deer stick its head up to my tent at 3am checking out the inside. Set the alarm dog off at high whine bark for ten minutes.

downriggeral

8/31/2016 9:40:00 AM

Looks like you had a great time! The kids must have had a blast! Priceless!! The snake in the water looks like a rattler, wanna give those room!
Thanks for sharing - Alan

Blind Squirrel

8/31/2016 11:51:00 AM

Thanks for sharing. That photo of your boys on the tube is amazing, great timing. Professional quality! Looks like they, (and you) had a blast.

Mike Carey

8/31/2016 4:24:00 PM

Awesome! What great pictures and memories for you and your family. Thumbs Up Big Time! This is why I love running this site.

Rocketvet

8/31/2016 7:13:00 PM

Thanks for the nice comments. Just to clarify the kids belong to some old friends of mine from school. All my kids have 4 legs. I think those boys will remember that trip for a long time though. I felt like a pretty good "uncle Paul"!

Bent hook pontoon

8/31/2016 8:35:00 PM

Great report thanks for sharing

DjButler

9/1/2016 9:12:00 AM

dude thats crazy, never seen a rattle snake in the lake before

Rocketvet

9/1/2016 10:44:00 AM

Yeah D.J. I honestly didn't even know they were swimmers. Kept my eyes peeled when we were swimming after that but didn't keep the kids from wanting to tube!

Rocketvet

9/1/2016 10:54:00 AM

Then I read this:

"Never grab “sticks” or “branches” while swimming in lakes and rivers. Rattlesnakes can swim."

dwh4784

9/1/2016 6:07:00 PM

Just have to echo everyone else, what a great spread of pictures you got there. Looks like a great time was had by all.

SnoKing

9/4/2016 11:59:00 AM

We've seen rattlers down where the Palouse dumps into the Snake. In fact they've come right by the dock at the KOA launch twice!
Does anyone know if the RV/Cabin resort at Upper Lake Conconully is back open yet? We've taken our rv there for years and the Bureau of Reclamation jerked the lease on the poor guy that took care of the place leaving us without any place to stay up there. (and him out on the street) Very inconvenient shuttling back and forth every morning and night.

Bent hook pontoon

9/10/2016 8:47:00 AM

The B.O.R. is overhauling the rv sites this year should have camping there next year.

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