Catch Trophy Bull Trout in Oregon's Lake Billy Chinook

In the shadow of the snow-capped Cascades, three of Oregon's great fishing rivers -- the Deschutes, the Metolius, and the Crooked Rivers -- converge into Lake Billy Chinook. Eagles and Osprey soar overhead, deer and wild horses graze the rugged shoreline and below, silver shoals of Kokanee Salmon are hunted by massive Bull Trout. The junction of these three famed rivers creates a unique habitat that nurtures one of the last healthy fisheries of the famed Bull Trout, complete with an abundance of Kokanee Salmon to feed on, good spawning areas and a steady supply of cool pure water that comes in from the glacial, spring-fed Metolius.

Bull Trout are large predatory Char that are as muscular, pound for pound, as a King Salmon. They can reach sizes of 20 lbs. and better but are, unfortunately, a marker species, heavily dependant on pure cool water. Habitat loss has placed them on the threatened species list throughout most of their Northwestern North American Range. That's what makes the Lake Billy Chinook fishery so special. Carefully managed by the State of Oregon and the stewardship of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, fishermen are allowed to harvest 1 bull trout over 24" per day. Unsurprisingly, much of the fishery is catch and release. Most of the Bull Trout fishing occurs in late winter and early spring, depending on the weather. Once May hits, the lake comes alive with water sports enthusiasts and the big trout seekers go looking for Brown Trout or Lake Trout (Mackinaw Trout) in other nearby lakes that ice out later in the season.

Bull Trout feed primarily on the plentiful Kokanee Salmon and are therefore usually found in the same areas as the Kokanee. The most common technique for catching them is trolling, but they can occasionally be caught on spinning gear or streamer flies. To catch Bull Trout, you'll need a kicker motor or a trolling plate that will allow you to get your trolling speed down to roughly 2 miles an hour. Flat-line trolling with a 4" to 6" salmon type diving plug along the steep shore drop-off has been productive for us. We've had even more luck using a downrigger with a 12 lb cannonball weight to get down to depth. Occasionally our fish finder will show the tell- tale mark of a Bull Trout lurking below a school of Kokanee, waiting for an easy meal. But, as often as not, the fish will come from nowhere to pick up a silver broken-back lure or an Allan Cole (AC) plug. In 2008, the water has been pretty off-color so we switched to lighter and brighter color patterns and have been having better luck.

When a Bull Trout strikes, you will know it. Even with smaller fish in the 16" to 19" range, the line will snap free of the downrigger and the rod will bow. Most of the fish we caught this year didn't make any massive runs, but they were obstinate in coming aboard. We had to deal with a number of short, powerful lunges and it was a small struggle to keep them on-line until they wore down enough to be netted. Our best fish this year came in at 31" and 10 lbs: not huge by Bull Trout standards but definitely a fish to inspire awe.

If you are looking for a unique fishing experience, visit Lake Billy Chinook and try your hand at catching a magnificent Bull Trout. There are a number of campgrounds in the area; the nearby towns of Madras and Culver offer all the amenities. You'll need to review the current ODFW regulations, a Warm Springs fishing permit and, of course, a Fishing License. There are a number of guides in the area that would be happy to show you the ropes and help you get comfortable with the fishery.