contested by a rattlesnake. As the lake level can
become low late in the season during some years,
we recommend that you hit Dry Falls in the spring,
before the desert sun becomes too much to bear.
One of Dry Falls’ biggest attractions is an early
opening date—almost a month before the general
opener. As spring and early summer progress, Dry
Falls becomes a haven for fly fishers enjoying the
one-fish retention and selective gear rules. Then,
the heatwaves hit and most angling is put on hold
until fall. In addition to an early opener, Dry Falls
also stays open a month longer than most other
lakes in the state, not closing until November 1.
This allows anglers a solid shot at some big, well
fed trout as the water cools. By that time, the weeds
have receded and anglers can fish the entire lake.
Early in the season, meaning all of April,
chironomids are a good call, as other aquatic
insects haven’t arrived yet, and the trout key on that
diminutive bug. Eventually, damselfly imitations,
especially nymphs, become your bread-and-butter
flies at Dry Falls. Remember, though, these trout
aren’t dumb and you may need to go small to
entice a strike, perhaps with midge pupae down to
a size 18. Though picky, large fish can sometimes
be suckers for a really huge meal so, also bring
along your articulated fly selection. Fast stripping
big articulated streamers on sinking lines can be
a blast at Dry Falls, especially at dusk. So can
popping a mouse imitation on the surface along the
shoreline near structure. Tie it on a decent tippet,
say 3X minimum, and hang on.
10. GREEN LAKES
Green and Little Green lakes, which are located just
off the Conconully Highway in Okanogan County, are
a year-round rodeo ground for rainbow wrangling.
Although a few misguided “bucket biologists”
attempted to start up a bass fishery a couple years
back, fish managers have now regained the upper
hand, and trout fishing is again excellent.
Green (45 acres) and Little Green (10 acres)
are nestled one after another in a fjord-like canyon,
at relatively low elevation (1,560 feet). These
Cowpie Beach on Lake Omak
scenic lakes are open year-round and are among
the fist lakes to explore during ice off in eastern
Washington.
Though these Green lakes are open for bait
fishing during the ice-fishing season, they shift to
catch-and-release, selective regulations (single,
barbless hooks, no bait) on March 1. If there is
any open water, anglers in the know can be found
wading along the shoreline, during one of the
numerous early season midge hatches.
“Early” is the key word when concerning
these lakes. As the summer progresses, the water
becomes a tad warm for good trout fishing. And,
these lakes are taken over by ski boats and the
accompanying crew. But early on, hard-fighting
carryovers in the 15-16-inch range, as well as the
10-11-inch class, really attack flies. Later, during
mayfly and flying ant hatches, the water is pock-
marked with rising fish, and even sight-fishing to
cruisers becomes a possibility.
In fact, in our humble opinion, the Greens are
probably the best place in the state to take beginning
fly casters and have a reasonable expectation of
hitching onto a rainbow.
Some of the flies to fling at the Greens include
the Parachute Adams, Purple Haze and the Hi-
Vis Flying Ant in black. Best nymphs include
chironomids, such as Rowley’s Sno-Cones in
various colors. Also, Rickard’s Stillwater Nymph in
olive, or his Callibaetis nymph, work well off of-full
sinking lines, slowly stripped near the bottom over
shelves and along drop-offs at the north end of
the lake. Matching the hatch at the Greens doesn’t
seem so important as at other waters so don’t rule
out attractor patterns, such as the Carey Special or
the Bloody Mary. Both have worked well at these
lakes.
Well, it’s already time to hitch up the pram and
get on the road. We hope you find this Guide to
Washington’s Stillwaters helpful and inspiring. And
please don’t hesitate to send us your feedback on
these lakes after your next trip. Good luck and best
of fishing to you, from all of us at the North 40 Fly
Shop, Omak. w