Part of our series on fishing locally in the Hood River/Columbia Gorge area. Species: Rainbow, brown, brook trout, kokanee salmon Seasons: ...
Species: Rainbow, brown, brook trout, kokanee salmon
Seasons: Year-round, but snow...
Location: 15 miles Southwest of Hood River
Links: Lost Lake Resort Homepage, Forest Service Information
Lost Lake is one of the most photographed, iconic lakes in the country. There is a good reason for that. Mt Hood dominates the scenery, at least from a good chunk of the lake. The lake can be extremely busy during the summer, but there is a good reason for that too. Cold, clear water, good views, good fishing and the amenities of a resort allow the entire family to have a fun, safe day at the lake.
The fishing on the lake is pretty darn good despite the crowds. Luckily, most folks are not fishing, and most that are fishing are throwing spinners from the shore at the camp area. This means that there are not too many folks out in float tubes or rafts throwing flies in the right spots. Boat rentals are available at the resort as well if you need a watercraft to access the lake.
The lake is stocked with rainbow and brown trout. Rainbow trout are stocked several times per year, and enough browns are planted that there is a real chance at catching a trophy. Beyond that, there are wild brook trout as well as kokanee salmon that are both rarely caught. Rainbow trout make up the majority of the catch. I personally have not seen anything caught besides a rainbow at Lost Lake, but I must be in the minority, as several locals have caught big browns in recent years.
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| Working a dry fly on a nice day |
Access seems to be the big issue around the Columbia Gorge. It is no different at Lost Lake. While the resort provides easy, safe access with paved parking lots, heated restrooms and a store to buy snacks, this brings in folks from all over the region on a nice summer day. The parking lot can completely fill up. This can happen any day of the summer, not just weekends. It can also happen early in the day. During our 113 degree "heat dome" in June 2021, the resort was turning people away by 11 am on a Monday. So be prepared that you may not be able to get to the lake if the weather is hot.
The lake is pretty easy to figure out the fishing, especially in a small boat or float tube. A rocky, steep shoreline can produce some nice fish, while at other times, fish are found more in the shallow muddy area where the lake drains into the outgoing creek. Other times, fish can be found near the resort where the ingoing creek dumps water into the lake. This is especially true in the fall when the kokanee are running up the creek and trout like to sit near the mouth hoping for an egg or a chunk of dead kokanee to wash downstream into the lake.
The biggest complaint that anglers have about Lost Lake is the other people. It can be so busy on the lake that you cannot cast without hitting someone on a paddleboard. My observation is that many of the folks on paddleboards will paddle right over your line or right into your backcasting area without paying any attention. This can be extremely frustrating. Throw a dry on a fish that is working an area only to have someone on a paddleboard cruise right over the area and say something like "wow, that was a big fish, you should try to catch him..."
Lost Lake has its moments of serenity though. Early morning sunrises are unreal. Mt Hood glows in the morning and few others are on the water. Late and early season are fantastic too. The lake is open year-round, but the resort only allows vehicle access from late May (or June or when the snow is cleared) to October. The gate is closed the rest of the year. Access to the lake is possible when the gate is closed. October is the best month to fish Lost Lake. Anglers can walk in with a float tube or small raft. It is about a half mile on a paved road, but that walk means that you will likely have the lake to yourself. April can be a pretty darn good month too if the road is cleared to the gate and the gate is still closed. I believe the gate opened in mid-April in 2021.
Access through the gate was $10 per car in 2021. A season pass is available (not sure on the price), which includes a summer's worth of access to Lost Lake, Laurance Lake and the mountain lakes like Rainy that are managed by Lost Lake Resort.
Lost Lake is a wonderful place to spend a day and is often the best place to go fishing in the area. This is especially true if you have a family that will need to stay busy while you fish. Even if you are flying solo, this is still a great spot to spend a day on the water.
