North 40 Fly Shop eMagazine April 2016 | Page 49

APRIL MEANS THE OPENING OF THE lowland lakes in the area. This year our lowland lake opener is April 23rd. The last grip of winter for the most part has slipped away. The hills are greening up with new growth and hungry trout are ready to give the angler a wakeup call. At the top of the list of the Fly Fishing only lakes is a gem tucked away in the north county. Chopaka Lake is located northeast of Loomis. The lake elevation is a little over 2900 ft. This is a moderate size lake of about 150 surface acers and its deepest point is around 70 ft. The lake contains rainbow trout up to 18"+. Fishing at the lake can be a stillwater anglers dream, with a steady hook-up of fish all day, but like fishing sometimes can go, it can be just the opposite of that. The lake is surrounded by grassed and treed hills that will be green with new springtime growth, making it quite picturesque. Since this is a Fly Fishing only lake, no motors are allowed, they cannot even be on your boat. Most anglers use a pontoon boat, float tube or a small pram. Weather at this time of year can change very quickly. In the morning, you can have blue bird skies, only to have it change to rain and or snow with winds. So make sure to keep an eye on the weather. Like most spring time weather, you want to make sure you dress properly. I would recommend a 4 wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle to get you to the lake. The road can be a little fickle getting to the lake. At the time of this writing, the road on top leading to the lake is still not clear of snow.