06_2025_REELLIFE_digital - Flipbook - Page 13
Omak Lake received
its first plantings of
Lahontan Cutthroats in
1968, which is noted in
a report “Colville Lakes
Compendium, Limiting
Factors, and Management
Plan” published by John
Arterburn in 2003. These
fish were a cross of rainbow
hybrids from Lake Heenan
in California and Lahontan’s
from Pyramid Lake in
Nevada. The reason why
these fish were put in the
lake was due to its alkalinity.
Back in 1953 a netting of
the lake revealed only chum
suckers lived there. The lake
was stocked with rainbows
from 1950 to 1960, and
in 1956, brook trout were
planted. None of these fish
survived, so in 1968, they
tried the Lahontan’s which
did well in the alkaline
waters with successful
fishing since 1975. A creel
census that the tribes
conducted from 1975 to
2001, over 26 years of data
showed that the average
fish caught weighed just
under 2 ½ pounds, with
most of the fish in the 19
to 20 inch range, but some
fish were recorded over 30
inches, including that state
record of 18 pounds.
You will need a fishing
permit from the tribe. For
non-tribal members, the
cost is $10 for a single-day
use permit, a three-day
permit is $20, a seven-day is
$30, and the yearly permit
is $40. Also, get a copy of
the current regulations as
it will describe the closed
waters, closed shorelines
to all access, and also
give launch sites that can
be used by non-tribal
members. There is some
camping available, but
again, contact the tribe for
more information.
Before going to Omak, you
should contact the Colville
Confederated Tribes Fish
and Wildlife Department
for current regulations and
also where to launch.
The Mission Bay launch was
recently closed, and other
launches are mostly for
small watercraft. A launch
permit is also needed in
addition to a fishing license.
The south end of the lake’s
shoreline is closed to nontribal members, and the
north end is closed to
fishing.
Colville Tribes Fish &
Wildlife Department can be
contacted at:
Front Desk:
(509) 634-2110
Main website:
https://www.cct-fnw.com/
