Duck Lake Grays Harbor

[fish_4_all]

I have fished Duck Lake like 18 times now and haven't caught a fish. I hear all these reports and see all these fish being caught but I never have any luck. I am thinking about getting out there in the next week or so to give cold water crappie a shot.

Anyone got any pointers for to try? I have tried worms with no weight, a sliding sinker with worm casting to the middle of the open area at the north park, not Chinook. Bobbers and worms, jigs, plugs, spinners, everything I can think of. Only bite I have ever gotten was running a shallow crawdad plug over the weeds and it was a pretty nice sized perch, had it for 1 second and gone.

I was also wondering how the weed kill is effecting the fishing? I talked to someone at city hall there and he said that the fish are really starting to move and that the numbers are up from what they have been seeing in the past few years before starting to kill the weeds.

[Coastfishin]

Since the weedkills last summer the fishing has sucked. Do you have a Boat? You need to fish the deep holes below and above North Bay Park. Jigs or worms are your best bet. Fish slow, try 16 to 18 feet deep. I have done well with white jigs or red/white jigs. Good luck, If you have any other questions I'll try to answer them

[fish_4_all]

I don't have a boat but I have a pontoon boat. Doubt I am gonna haul it out in this weather.

Do you have a map or know of one online? I really want to fish it a lot this spring and summer and try out some of my jigs I have been making. I don't know where anything is except the parks and the bridge. Lots of empty lots I have been tempted to go through to fish but haven't done so yet.

Will definately take my pontoon out this summer sooner or later but until then I am stuck to bank fishing. Casting distance isn't an issue though so any place I can get close to where you are talking about I can probably reach casting.

Also curious, have you ever done well in Duck for Brown Bullhead catfish? I know most people don't target them but I really like the taste when prepared right.

[Coastfishin]

Duck is hard to fish without a boat, the boat launches and docks are only in about 4 to 8' of water.
The only map I have is in my head. If you stop by Coldwell Banker Real Estate and get one of their sales brochures they have a pretty good map of the lake and Canals in it.
When you are at Northbay, looking down the lake you will see the bridge on Overlake way. you can get down to the water at the bridge, cast back towards the park, the water starts getting deeper in that area.
Also, you may try the dock at the end of Grand Canal, next to the Discovery Inn.
I have never caught a bullhead out of Duck lake.
Shoot me a PM before you head out and I will tell you a couple of other spots to try.

[fish_4_all]

Any other colors work well out there or is it just the brighter whites and reds? I don't have any good ones made up but I have the cheap ones. I will have to tie some up so I have them just in case anything else I have doesn't work. I really want to catch something out of there for a change. I have seen boats come back with fish many times, walked down to the docks at Chinook park and seen fish that were caught but I have never landed one there. Is the only lake around here that has ever skunked me after more than 2 trips. Will send you a picture of my jigs and see what you think.

Might have to plan a trip with you this summer.

[fish_4_all]

Anyone have any reoprts on Duck since the first of the year?

I am getting close to being ready to go out and give her a shot in this not so great weather. Have heard that the water has cleared up a bit and that the plant kill has been succesful in bringing the fish into structure instead of hiding in the tons of plant masses that were there. Still trying to get a detailed depth map of the the lake but no such luck yet.

I have tied up a bunch of different colors and sizes of jigs so I am pretty sure I am ready there. If I don't have the color I doubt they sell it. :-"

Well if no one has a reoprt then I will be hopefully going next week and will report if I get out there.

[Coastfishin]

I see that lake everyday and I haven't seen anybody fishing at all. The north end of the lake is pretty stained (brown) but the middle and southern end are pretty clear now. The water level has been dropping and is almost back to normal.
Water temp is still in the low 40's.

[fish_4_all]

That is what I had heard. The one I talked to was the city something or other. The one in charge of the lake and all that is going on I guess. He said that the crappie are being seen along structure and collecting in groups. The bass are looking for larger structure and big weed lines. I would guess that means the cat tails and lily pads if there are any growing. Maybe some of the true shoreline vegetation is providing cover and wasn't killed off too bad. I don't know how much I trust the city dude but it is something.

Keep me up to date coastfishin. Nothing better than first hand from someone who has fished the lake. Since it is still that high I may put my trip off until the middle of the month. I have a feeling we may see an early warm up this year if we get a long stretch of sunshine before our normal June timeline.

[CCAdventurer]

Hhmm... I beginning to think there are no fish in this lake. Last year I didn't catch any fish, but I did see the ducks out there, I guess that is why they call this lake "Duck Lake".

[kevinb]

I might drift over here in a month or so...
Hey Coastfishin...I'll hire you as my guide

[Coastfishin]

It'll cost ya!:cyclopsan

[fish_4_all]

Can I go to! Will trade for jigs.



Think any of them will work?

[fish_4_all]

Is there any activity on Duck lake yet? I am thinking of taking my kids out for spring break and would like to at least have a chance of catching something. I would think that if the water is warmer at all and we get some nice days next week there should be some fish moving into the shallows and the perch should be on the bite if not a few crappie.

[Coastfishin]

Still a little to cold for Bank fishing at Duck,:-({|= we need some warm weather, not snow, rain or wind!

[The Quadfather]

Do you have a map or know of one online?

didn't notice if you were a premium member of WALAKES.COM or not, but if you were, you could look into the lake maps section.... There is a map of Duck lake in there. (at least I think you have to be a premium member to use the map function?)

[BassFanatic]

Coastfishin will be down there by June, Fish 4 all this lake has been productive in the past years but, like coast said after the weed kills it's been horrrrrrible.
Went down last year and landed about ten crappie, one trout and a couple of bass dink's.,That was late in the year,your best bet would be to keep in contact with Coastfishin.

[G-Man]

One can also pull some nice perch out of this lake. I've caught them while hiding from the wind in between the islands using a bobber and jjg/worm.

[fish_4_all]

I don't care what as long as I catch a bunch of them. I don't need or want to keep everything but to really have a nice haul of fish from that lake would make all my past losing cause efforts a little more pallatible.

As for the map, I have the one on here. What is needed is a map of the all the access roads and where someone can get to the lake without going thorugh private property. If you have ever fished a lake with 95% of it private homes you know what I mean.

[maddograby]

The bank fishing is tough right now. The water is still to cold. I was up from Portland this past weekend for the clam digs and my uncle put his boat in. We didnt expect much but we were suprised how good the crappie fishing was at the north section of the lake. We caught 18 crappie over 9 inches, and half of those were in the 10 to 11 inch range. We caught close to a hundred fish between 3 of us during the weekend. We found an area sheltered from the wind and the water was supringly warm. The fish were active and aggressive. The fishing over the last few years has been poor for the size of the fish. But it has been pretty good for the quantity of fish we have been catching. It's tough catching a bunch of 8 inch fish and having to throw them all back. Last August is when we finally started to get some legal size crappie. And this past weekend we caught some more. I'm encouraged by what we are catching.

[fish_4_all]

Anything new on the lake? Still haven't went out because I am stuck to bank fishing. I see that we are supposed to get cold again so I am thinking it will be July before it gets hot but I want to hit soon. Will be all bank fishing for me unless I find someone I can hitch a ride with.

Gonna try North park and Chinook when we go and hopefully I can reach deeper water with my casting bobber and get down deep enough to find them. Hopeful that I will at least be able to find a school of perch if nothing else. I have a hudred jigs to drown and they are gonna dry rot if I don't go fishing soon.

If nothing else hopefully my kids will get a few perch fishing the bottom with worms.