Crane Prairie-
The water temps on Crane are definitely starting to rise. Fishing early in the morning and late in the afternoon can be effective in the shallows. If not, fishing the channels during the heat of the day will be your best into getting into some fish. Make sure you check the weather report before heading out! Getting stuck out on Crane during lightning and thunder can happen quickly, given the size and openness of the reservoir. If you are fishing in the channels, we recommend being about a foot to a foot and a half off the bottom of the channel. Chironomids are fishing a bit better than callibaetis, however, we are still fishing callibaetis nymphs and dries whenever possible. With the algae bloom cleared, the water is clear. This means it is time to taper down your tippets and leaders. We recommend 5x fluorocarbon. Get the fish in quick and released safely with warm water temps!
East Lake-
The callibaetis are still going off. Cripples in the midday are fishing better than dries. If we get some cloud cover on the lake, the dry fly fishing could improve. Fishing midges and chironomids(red/black, sz 18-20 midges, sz 16-18 chironomids) off the hump in the morning has proven effective in producing some nice brown trout. If you are looking to fish on top, terrestrials such as ants and peacock parachute caddis.
Wickiup Reservoir-
The reservoir is starting to drop quickly and Sheeps Bridge is coming into shape. There is few kokanee beginning to move in however, it is a bit early for the kokanee spawn. We are fishing leeches, buggers, a few egg patterns. If you are out on the lake, we are still seeing a decent callibaetis hatch. Unfortunately, with so much water being drawn out, the fish are a bit more difficult to find as they are moving fast. Not a ton of spots with consistent fish in there at all times.
Hosmer-
Hosmer has been fishing decent in the morning and evenings. The water temps in the lake are a bit high throughout the heat of the day. We are still struggling with the “paddlers hatch” on most days during the summer. If you fish it, fish it early and late because of the temps and a number of people that can be on the water during the middle of the day. The skeetering sedge (Goddard caddis) are coming off in the evening. This can be an effective dry fly method. Casting out and strip that goddard caddis back to you. Damsels are just about done and the callibaetis are still hanging around a bit. If you make it out mid-day, you should fish the channel under an indicator with chironomids and midges.
Lava Lakes-
Big Lava Lake tends to be a better Spring and Fall fishery. If you really want to head up to Big Lava, we recommend a type 3 sinking line with a 10-12 foot fluorocarbon leader. Try to get down and fish slow.
Little Lave can be a lot of fun this time of year as brook trout begin to move out of the river into the lake. If you can get to the campground, you can have some fun walking the river and fishing in the lake!