Lookout Flats

Water Conditions:  No Generation to one unit, up to one foot up........

Layout:  Gravel bottom thoughout.  At the top there is a gravel point off the south side with a fairly deep channel running along the point.  The channel continues down the south side to the top of the island where it shallows up to a short riffle.  There is a sunken log in the middle of the channel.  The north side of this area is flat and averages two feet and in some spots is less than one foot.  Below the riffle, the lake gradually deepens to the bottom of the island where it's alomost 6 feet deep.  Always current in this area- slow moving.

What to look for:  Trout will midge this area almost all the time.  The gravel holds midge larva, sow bugs and other aquatic life.  Midge hatches occur generally in the evenings here making fishing red hot.  Trout hold all through this area.  During mid-day, trout will hold down in deeper water and come up to the shallows if there's cloud cover or in the morning and evenings.  Look for trout actively feeding on the surface.

How to:  Fly Fishing...... Use medium to light tippet, 5x to 8x (4.5 to 1 pound), and long leader- 12 to 14 feet.  Size of tippet depends on light and water clarity.  Very light tippet is needed if there's no wind and the sun is bright.  Start at the top of the shallow area and work down.  Use #14 to #18 size emergers, red, green, white, yellow or black.  Try both weighted emergers or nonweighted.  Cast at rising trout- or anywhere- and strip fast and very short, stopping every 5 strips.  Let the fly swing in the current.  You will see the strike most of the time, depending how high the fly stays in the current.  You'll also see strikes as it sinks when pausing so keep track of your slacke in the line.  Lift the rod sharply but gently if using light tippet.  Drift nymphs- squirrel tail, hares ear, pheasant tail, sow bugs, brassies - from a 90 degree cast swinging downstream.  Strip very slowly if at all.  Hold when directly downstream for a few seconds.  Strikes will be generally hard so hold rod to absorb the hit.  Use an indicator and fish them 1 to 4 feet deep and drift them either on the flats or in the deeper channel.  Use a small indicator so as not to spook fish in such shallow water.  Strip woolies through this area in windy weather or rain.  Use 4x to 7x tippet and a long leader.  Good colors are gray, olive, brown, yellow and black in sizes #8's to #14.  Cast across to downstream- 45 degrees best and try all kinds of retrieves- fast, slow, jerky, pausing.  Alot of times when you pause, the trout will take the fly.  Big muddlers tied with rabbit hair worked close if not on the bottom can be deadly.  Use the rod and the strip to work the fly up and down across the bottom.  Trout will pick it off the gravel bottom.  This is a great technique to fish for trout you can see- throw to and catch.

Spin fishing - Jig and float or just throwing jigs without a float is the best way to fish this area.  Because it's mostly shallow water, lighter weighted jigs work well- 1/32 - 1/64 if throwing without a float and 1/80 - 1/265 if throwing with a float.  Use as small of weight as possible so as not to disturb the holding trout when you cast.  Watch for the slightest movement of the float, indicating a strike and need for a quick hook set.  Colors- black, brown, white, pink, ginger, black/yellow, olive, gray, brown/orange.  Overall best is brown or olive.  Small spinners or crank baits can work well also when trout are feeding aggressively.  Remember - no bait!

Best Conditions:  Low light and slight/moderate wind.