Join fellow members for an outing up to Winthrop Washington to fish Moccasin Lake. Moccasin Lake is a private 30 acre lake on a working cattle ranch in the Methow Valley. The drive from Portland is around 6.5 hours, but the lake will be available to fish for three full days for those who make the trip. Anglers will need to make their own arrangements for lodging and meals. Ross & Teri Beatty will host lunch on Saturday. A Washington fishing license is not required. This outing is for FCO members only.

Moccasin lake is stocked with rainbow trout, and also contains a few brown trout and tiger trout from prior stocking. The lake is managed as a trophy fishery, catch & release only with barbless hooks. Fish up to 8lbs are a possibility. It is best fished with a 6wt rod (5wt minimum), and both floating and sinking lines. It can be fished from shore in a few areas, but a floating device of some kind is helpful to cover more water. The lake is 50 feet deep at its deepest point, but the North end of the lake has a nice shoal area that is 8-10 feet deep.

The Methow Valley also has quite a few fishing opportunities if you want to explore other possibilities in the area. The Methow River can be a great Steelhead fishery in October, but the WDFW has not opened it for Steelhead the past few years due to low numbers of returning fish.