Hog Canyon, Fourth of July, and Sprague reports: 12/28/08

[Ty]

Hog canyon the gate was locked and your in for a real long walk to get to the lake. A walk my buddies and I had no intention of making in 2+ feet of snow so Im not sure on the ice there.

Fourth of July was very very slushy and the ice was varying in depth from 2-4 inches. We fished it at the first narrow bend for a few hours with only one bite. I would classify the lake as very dangerous. Driving down there took a bit of guts but you should be fine in a 4x4. We had no chains or studs, just keep it moving.

Sprague had loads of ice and is prolly ATV safe with 8+ inches of ice. Caught one 18 inch rainbow that was nice and fat after an hour or so and missed another one. I was just passed halfway to the island and close to the little island to the east of the public launch. I missed another one that came off the hook while I was pulling it through the ice, it was halfway out when it came off, was about the same or a bit bigger maybe.

The depth that worked at sprague was just off the bottom with a lot of movment then stop for a min, than alot of movement than stop for a min.....

We were using swedish pimples tipped with maggots. The one that was working for me was all white with a red flutter dot on it, not sure what its called. My friend was using a silver with a red stripe and the other guy was using silver with green.

There were two asians coming off the ice at fourth of july that were absolutely amazed we drove down in our american truck while their nissan sat up at the main raid =). They had no luck at all but by the looks of their tracks they were to scared of the ice to go to far.

There were two other guys on sprague that had no luck while we were there, not sure if they got anything at all but it didnt look like it.

Anyway, good luck folks and be careful on fourth of july, hopefully we get another good freeze. =)

[Anglinarcher]

Thanks for the info. Was there much snow on Sprague? Be careful on Sprague, it sounds like you were near the public launch/access area, and there are not many, if any, springs in that area, but..............................

At the other end, there is a resort and a pay-for-access as well. Assuming it is open, because I have not fished it since the Walleye were killed off, there are a lot of springs here. I found one several years ago where there was a hole out there about the size of a kitchen table, with 8+ inches of ice all around it. I found several of those "holes" that were the size of basket balls, and who knows how thick the ice was around them.

The end with the springs is also the best ice fishing, well normally anyway. The springs keep the oxygen content elevated, actually warm the water a little, and concentrate the fish. We use to watch the Russians take 5 gallon buckets of Crappie and Perch out of that area, and a few trout and walleye. With trout the major, if not only, game on the lake, this is the place to check out.

[Kfedka]

Thanks for the info. Was there much snow on Sprague? Be careful on Sprague, it sounds like you were near the public launch/access area, and there are not many, if any, springs in that area, but..............................

At the other end, there is a resort and a pay-for-access as well. Assuming it is open, because I have not fished it since the Walleye were killed off, there are a lot of springs here. I found one several years ago where there was a hole out there about the size of a kitchen table, with 8+ inches of ice all around it. I found several of those "holes" that were the size of basket balls, and who knows how thick the ice was around them.

The end with the springs is also the best ice fishing, well normally anyway. The springs keep the oxygen content elevated, actually warm the water a little, and concentrate the fish. We use to watch the Russians take 5 gallon buckets of Crappie and Perch out of that area, and a few trout and walleye. With trout the major, if not only, game on the lake, this is the place to check out.

Are you referring to the location where you put in your fee for parking inside a box on a pole or the location where campground just at the start of the lake when you would be coming in from Sprague town?

[Anglinarcher]

Thanks for the info. Was there much snow on Sprague? Be careful on Sprague, it sounds like you were near the public launch/access area, and there are not many, if any, springs in that area, but..............................

At the other end, there is a resort and a pay-for-access as well. Assuming it is open, because I have not fished it since the Walleye were killed off, there are a lot of springs here. I found one several years ago where there was a hole out there about the size of a kitchen table, with 8+ inches of ice all around it. I found several of those "holes" that were the size of basket balls, and who knows how thick the ice was around them.

The end with the springs is also the best ice fishing, well normally anyway. The springs keep the oxygen content elevated, actually warm the water a little, and concentrate the fish. We use to watch the Russians take 5 gallon buckets of Crappie and Perch out of that area, and a few trout and walleye. With trout the major, if not only, game on the lake, this is the place to check out.

Are you referring to the location where you put in your fee for parking inside a box on a pole or the location where campground just at the start of the lake when you would be coming in from Sprague town?

The two are just across the bay, one the end as you get to the lake, one just down the road. Normally I put my fee in the pole, but I have also paid at the resort just as you come on the lake (if they are still open in the winter).