Northwest Fishing Magazine September 2025 Volume 5 Issue 1 - Flipbook - Page 40
planted. That’s a lot of
kokanee fry planted in
Billy Clapp Lake! With that
information in mind, my
wife JoAnn and I decided to
give Billy Clapp a try in midApril of this year. We fished
hard for two days and
came up with no kokanee.
Despite the poor fishing, I
was heartened by a couple
things. First, the water
temp was cold - 46 to 48
degrees. What this told me
was we were a tad early in
our quest. Second and just
as important, we marked a
lot of kokanee, especially at
the north end of the lake by
the power lines.
This told me the fish were
there, and we were early.
For kokanee anglers willing
to take a chance and
spend a few days exploring
Billy Clapp Reservoir, I
think the potential payoff
could be substantial.
The lake has a history of
producing large kokanee,
that is well documented.
And with a recent heavy
stocking program there
may well be a couple years
of outstanding kokanee
production for anglers
willing to give it a try. The
wild card is what does the
future hold for Billy Clapp
Reservoir?
Will WDFW continue to
plant excess kokanee fry
in Billy Clapp? Will they
support this fishery?
Or will they let it die, to
become another Kokanee
Destination Legend?
Only time will tell. In the
meanwhile, Billy Clapp
could be a sleeper kokanee
destination that may
yield you your next 18-20"
kokanee.
