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Featured Lake Article
LENORE

March 20, 2001

By John Kruse

Lake Lenore is a beautiful eastern Washington lake, surrounded by basalt cliffs, and full of Lahontan Cutthroat trout that can reach gargantuan sizes.

The lake is 1670 acres and over four miles long. It is located between Soap Lake and Coulee City along Highway 17, part of the Sun Lakes chain. Highway 17
can easily be accessed at Moses Lake from I-90 or Highway 2 near Coulee City for anglers traveling from the Seattle or Spokane areas. There are boat launches
at two access points on the east side of the lake right off of Highway 17, but remember that only electric motors are allowed. There are also access points at the north and south end of the lake for anglers.

The fishing is best from mid-March through May, and is reputed to again be good in the Fall. The fishing is catch and release from the opening on March 1st
through May 31st. From June 1st through the end of the season (Nov. 1st) there is a one fish limit. Selective gear rules apply. Check the fishing regulations for further restrictions.

Successful fishermen often target the north and south ends of the lake in the Spring to the point that it gets a little too crowded for comfort. Try going on a weekday or early in the season to avoid these crowds. Fly fishermen have the best success in the spring with small black chironomids under a strike indicator. Hardware fishermen do well at times with spinners or spoons.

This is a great lake to go to for fishermen wanting to catch and release big trout. On a good day you can hook several fish in the course of a few hours. The average fish runs around two to three pounds but fish of six to eight pounds are not uncommon.

From the Desk of the Troutfisherman:

Lake Lenore: Twenty Canadian geese sound like a hundred as their honking echoes from the rocky cliff above the lake. Two snow-white trumpeter swans glide away when I approach the water’s edge. A muskrat silently swims by as I toss a lure into the dark water in hopes of attracting one of Lake Lenore’s premier Lahontan cutthroat trout. Both trips to the lake in the last two weeks yield nothing but "seaweed" fish.

Five and one-half miles long and only 20 feet deep, lake Lenore’s 1670 acres is too alkaline to support fish other than Lahontan cutthroat. A fish kill due to high water temperature in 1998 has slowed the fishing, however the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife expects the lake to recover by next year. Maybe I will have better luck then.

Lahontan cutthroat prefer flies such as scuds or a black leech. Lures like Needlefish and Red Devil spoons also attract fish. Flies and lures must have single barbless hooks. Electric motors are allowed. One fish may be retained from May 31 to November 30. Catch and release only is from the March 1 opener to May 31.

Lake Lenore has four access areas, three with restrooms. The three boat launches are suitable for very small boats and float tubes only because of the shallow shoreline. One of the launches has a Handicap access.

Another attraction near the lake is the Lake Lenore caves. These caves provided temporary shelter for prehistoric man. Seven of the caves are accessible by trail. The caves are located at the south end of Alkali Lake about nine miles north of the town of Soap Lake. Cross the highway to the Lake Lenore access area and view the Lahontan cutthroat swimming up the outlet from Alkali Lake during the spring spawn.
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