Where to Fish in the Hood River area - Mt Hood Lakes

Several lakes sit high up near Mount Hood, Oregon.  These lakes are gorgeous, picturesque locations to catch a trout or just stare at the mountain.  The biggest two are Clear and Timothy Lakes.  Both are reservoirs.  Other smaller, natural lakes also dot the landscape.  Trillium Lake is very popular.  Rock Creek Reservoir and Badger Lake are also quite popular, but a bit further from the mountain than Timothy or Clear.  

There is a Hexagenia hatch at Timothy Lake.  It does only last a couple of days, but it is big.  The North Arm is where most of the action is for the Hex hatch.  It is typically happening in late June or early July.

Fishing is pretty fantastic most of the summer.  Fish can be a little deep, but a sinking line works just fine.  Most evenings will bring fish to the surface for callibaetis.  Fish can grow really big in Timothy Lake, and they love a crayfish pattern too.

The views are outstanding, the camping is great and can vary from big family-friendly campgrounds on the main river to a quiet campground on the North Arm to the dispersed sites that you can boat or hike to.  One famous site is called Meditation Point.  Well worth the effort to get there if no one else is camping there. 

 

Clear Lake is similar to Timothy in size and the quality of fishing.  It is smaller, closer to Hood River, Portland and the Dalles.  One drawback is that it has fewer campgrounds.  One difference is in the dispersed camping.  Timothy is clean and pristine and you cannot camp out of a car on the lake unless you are in a campground.  You can camp all along Clear Lake if you can drive your car there. 

This leads to some predictable results.  Lots of trash, big groups with loud music, and more trash.  I was camping peacefully with friends a few years back.  Around 10:00 pm, a group of 6-7 people pulled in 10 yards from us,.  They proceeded to throw what I can only describe as a rave.  Russian techno music and flashing lights blasted out of a BMW while several loudly people danced and partied until sunrise.  So, fun times camping at the lake.... I have never had a peaceful, quiet night of camping there (outside of pay sites), but maybe I will try again sometimes.  Luckily, it is less than an hour from the house, so I can easily make a day trip out of it.  

I think the fishing is better at Clear Lake than Timothy personally.  It is smaller and seems easier to get a read on it.  It is not very deep, and finding structure and depth changes is easier than it is at Timothy. Clear Lake also has one thing going for it that Timothy doesn't:  big brook trout.  It is not common in Oregon to see brook trout over 14 inches, but they exist in Clear Lake.  Getting through the stocked rainbows during the summer is harder to find them, but fall and spring are good times for brookies.  Just get that fly down to the bottom during summertime and you can find them.  They are often podded up, so find one and there are usually more.

Another thing is that the lake is on a mountain pass and the road to it is closed in the winter.  When the road to the lake is closed, it is possible to ski (or hike) a float tube into it during the spring or late summer.  It is less than a mile from the highway, and a large pullout is usually plowed out and makes enough room for a couple of cars to park.  The biggest fish I have caught there were all in March or April before the road was cleared and the lake was stocked.  After stocking, it is much harder to find those big ones. 

Trillium Lake is a nice little lake near Government Camp.  It is very popular with boaters and swimmers.  It is stocked with jumbo trout and it has the best views of Mt. Hood of any lake in the area. Don't expect solitude or even good fishing.  It is a good place to take the family to enjoy a variety of activities.  The fishing can be excellent in the fall when the crowds are gone and the water has cooled, but mid-summer is not the best time to fish there.

Badger Lake has a small camground and good, quality fishing.  It is often quieter than some other lakes in the area due to the poor road conditions.  4wd and high clearance vehicles are 100% required to access the lake, so that does keep out some of the undesirables.  Its a pretty standard put-and-take lake with nice rainbow trout fishing.  Despite the difficult trek in, it can get really crowded on nice weekends. 

Rock Creek Reservoir is close to Badger Lake, and is popular with locals from The Dalles. You will usually find plenty of anglers bait fishing at Rock Creek.  However the lake is good sized, and it is occasionally planted with jumbo rainbow trout, which is a nice surprise to hook into.  There is also excellent bass fishing, and the bass can reach some nice sizes too.

There are many other lakes in the Mt Hood area.  Those are the 5 most popular for fly fishing, but endless opportunities exist for all sorts of lake fishing.  Hike-in lakes are plentiful, other reservoirs are easily accessible.  Pick a lake and get on it!