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Author Topic: Sprague Lake  (Read 3929 times)

Offline Dhoey07

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Sprague Lake
« on: January 05, 2012, 09:10:35 AM »
Anybody been out to sprague lately?  Looking for an ice report.  I know it's been pretty dang warm lately and i don't want to go out on unsafe ice.  Thanks in advance, Danny

Offline JLS

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2012, 09:33:17 AM »
Lots of open water on the north end of the lake.  Don't know how sound the ice is on the south end, but it's been in the upper 40's for a few days with some high winds.
Matthew 7:13-14

Offline goosegetter79

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2012, 09:41:07 AM »
Back on the 27th when I came back from the wetside there were a couple guys out there ice fishing but that was over a week ago so it may be alot different now with these warmer temps.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" -Edmund Burke

Offline DoubleJ

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2012, 10:13:11 AM »
Sorry, haven't been back since they nuked the lake a few years ago

Offline oldleclercrd

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2012, 12:51:43 PM »
Sorry, haven't been back since they nuked the lake a few years ago

That was the best thing they could have done to the lake though. Its been great fishing ever since.
Aim small, miss small.

Offline DoubleJ

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2012, 01:01:41 PM »
Any walleye left?

Offline Dhoey07

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2012, 01:24:44 PM »
Any walleye left?

Nope, killed everything and have only planted trout and some bass back.  I heard that they will eventually add more species to it but i kinda doubt they will add walleye because they seem to eat everything

Offline DoubleJ

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2012, 01:26:31 PM »
Any walleye left?

Nope, killed everything and have only planted trout and some bass back.  I heard that they will eventually add more species to it but i kinda doubt they will add walleye because they seem to eat everything

Yup, kinda what I thought.  No reason to go back then.  The walleye fishing there was really pretty good, especially for a guy with a small boat and kids that like to catch a lot of fish.  I can catch trout and bass all over western Wa.  No reason to make a trip back to Sprague for that.

Offline Maverick

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #8 on: January 05, 2012, 04:56:51 PM »
They killed 400,000 walleye in there. There were way to many, they ate everything and most were the size of perch with no enough to eat. I heard the trout fishing is awesome in there and the smallmouth too. For you guys wanting to catch walleye its better in scootney, pot holes, and moses lake.

Offline oldleclercrd

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #9 on: January 05, 2012, 10:01:44 PM »
They planted the trout for something for us to fish for while the other fish are growing. Before they killed off all the fish they shocked the fish and kept some good size largemouth and catfish that they later released in the lake when the waters became habitable again. The spiny rays have been growing ever since they planted them, and this summer there should be 1-4 lb bass and 1 lb bluegill. They have largemouth bass, rainbow trout, bluegill, catfish, and supposedly they planted cutthroat trout but havent ever seen any yet. Not sure if they planted perch or not. That lake can produce some damn big fish in a hurry. The average depth of the lake is 8 feet and so it gets pretty warm and the bugs flourish, and in turn so do the fish. They let go some 8-9 inch trout in the winter and the next fall they were 16 inches if that tells you anything. The first triploid trout they planted are now 25" 7lb fish. Anyways, you might not want to over look this lake in my opinion.
Aim small, miss small.

Offline rotty33

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #10 on: January 08, 2012, 02:49:39 PM »
They should have just planted trout in there. It was dynamite fishing about two years ago, now the spiny rays are coming on and the Trout fishing stinks! Bad call by the biologists! 

Offline DoubleJ

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #11 on: January 08, 2012, 03:27:43 PM »
They killed 400,000 walleye in there. There were way to many, they ate everything and most were the size of perch with no enough to eat. I heard the trout fishing is awesome in there and the smallmouth too. For you guys wanting to catch walleye its better in scootney, pot holes, and moses lake.

News to me.  I used to walk the railroad to the old shack on the north side after work when I was stationed at Fairchild.  I'd get there about 7pm and be home by 10pm with a limit.  I'd go almost nightly from early summer til it iced over.  This was in 1998-2000 when the size limit wasn't slotted and was an 18" min.  Sure, there were a ton of walleye in there but, I didn't have the perch size fish you're talking about

Offline DoubleJ

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #12 on: January 08, 2012, 03:29:54 PM »
How bad did doing that hurt the local economy and campgrounds?  Are they surviving/thriving like they used to?  I wonder because, all of the fish that are currently in Sprague, I can catch within 20 miles of my Western Washington house.  I came to sprague for the walleye.

Offline huntnnw

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #13 on: January 08, 2012, 10:49:39 PM »
there are some huge cats in there, they saved a bunch of big cats and let them go. My uncle has caught 10-15 lbs cats

Offline JJB11B

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #14 on: January 08, 2012, 11:33:11 PM »
I used to love Ice fishing there when I was a kid. Also cought some nice walleyes there. Walleyes are the best eating freshwater white meat
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Offline huntnnw

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #15 on: January 08, 2012, 11:45:41 PM »
2 years ago in early June we went out and fished it and caught a bunch of 2-5lb bows it was a blast...the only lake where I have caught lake bows that fight like these. unreal

Offline jechicdr

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #16 on: January 09, 2012, 10:36:06 AM »
Caught a 20 lb cat as well as a bunch of 10 lb catfish before they rotenoned it.  It took some effort to get them, so I haven't been back figuring that they probably killed a large number of the catfish, even if they put some of them back.  If they can tell me they put most of them back, it might be worth pursuing.

Offline Dhoey07

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #17 on: January 09, 2012, 11:16:12 AM »
I used to love Ice fishing there when I was a kid. Also cought some nice walleyes there. Walleyes are the best eating freshwater white meat

Ever had burbot?

Offline JLS

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #18 on: January 09, 2012, 11:23:24 AM »
Yes, and it gives walleye a good run for the money.
Matthew 7:13-14

Offline oldleclercrd

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #19 on: January 09, 2012, 11:41:16 AM »
Yeah I agree, they put up quite a fight! If people try to icefish this lake just be aware that it is fed by underwater springs. You might think your secure on a solid 6" of ice and then drill a new hole a ways off and realize your standing on only a couple inches. Just be careful, but yeah the ice fishing can be great if you can fit those big ones through the hole  :chuckle:
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Offline magnanimous_j

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #20 on: January 09, 2012, 01:21:52 PM »
Walleyes are the best eating freshwater white meat

Would have to agree. Ate a lot of walleye from Lake Superior, myself

Offline DoubleJ

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #21 on: January 09, 2012, 01:35:37 PM »
Saugers and saugeye's aint bad either

Offline Maverick

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #22 on: January 09, 2012, 05:47:48 PM »
Anyone got any pics to share from this lake?

Offline huntnnw

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #23 on: January 09, 2012, 10:15:34 PM »
my uncle was catching the big cats the first summer after the kill off

Offline Dhoey07

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Re: Sprague Lake
« Reply #24 on: January 10, 2012, 07:44:04 AM »
This was from two years ago, it was the last time i ice fished Sprague

 


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