Where to Fish in the Hood River area - Goose Lake

Species:  Brown, rainbow, brook, cutthroat trout
Season:  Open year-round, but snow...  Think Memorial Day through October.
Links:  Goose Lake Campground, Goose Lake Boat Launch
Location:  About 15 miles west of Trout Lake, WA or about 25 miles Northeast of Carson, WA

Goose Lake is one of the locals' favorites.  It is also a favorite of anglers that live far away.  This little lake buried up in the forest between Mt Adams and Mt St Helens really has it all. 

While planted rainbow trout make up the majority of the catch, there are some healthy brown trout well over 20" to chase.  If you want to catch cutthroat trout, you can do that too.  You can throw in a brook trout and get a grand slam in one location.  The brown and brook are the two hardest to find, but a patient angler trying multiple techniques can get it done in a day fairly easily.

The fishing is usually great from the first day you can get in to the last.  The lake receives several plants of trout annually, but the lake is deep enough and healthy enough to hold fish over a winter and grow some big ones.  Fishing is still great right into October.  Water levels get really low in the fall, and the crowds completely disappear in the fall, but the fishing is still excellent, especially for brown trout.

There is a campground, boat ramp and bathroom at the lake.  There is also plenty of dispersed camping in the area as well as several other quieter campgrounds within a few miles of the lake.  (Forlorn lakes are my favorite quiet campground in the area)

This lake has great structure, varying depths and a couple of creeks flowing into it, leading to being able to use a smorgasbord of techniques to chase whatever species of trout you want to catch.   Cutties on dries, brookies eating streamers near the bottom, browns chasing big baitfish patterns, its all available.

The drive is the biggest deterrent for many.  It doesn't look that far, but it is well over an hour from Hood River, closer to 90 minutes. It is also surprisingly high in altitude.  I fished it the week before Memorial Day this last year and was blocked by snow almost everywhere except for the direct path to the lake that someone else had plowed out. 

It is typically inaccessible due to snow until Memorial Day almost every year, and well into June on bigger snow years. 

The scenery isn't anything special; there are no mountain views to gape at.  The campground is not particularly great either.  It is on a slope and the sites are stacked on top of each other so that people will generally walk through other sites to get down to the lake or bathroom.  It is a popular place for families and not a quiet campground.  The fantastic fishing is what makes it such a popular place.