Cascade Lake Idaho

[finner-duramax]

Myself and 3 good buddies are heading south for some jumbo perch late feb, between the 4 of us we’ve done a bunch of research on the lake, do’s and don’t and what not.

Anyone have some great tip or spot to check out while down there??

We have sleds, flashers, cameras, everything needed to find the jumbos. Thought I’d throw up a thread on it.

Thanks for any info!

[astepanuk]

Definitely a lake trip we want to do sorry no info but best wishes!!

[Esox]

Been there numerous times. We always stay in Donnelly (just north of cascade) and go on the ice at Poison Creek. From there you head south and there's tons of good spots. Really just look for crowds of people. We have fished anywhere from 10 feet to 35 feet. Look for drop offs and feeding flats. Around Sugarloaf island is a good place. The big fish are more like fishing for walleye than perch. They cruise in pairs, 3 or maybe 4 fish pods. I do best with small perch coloured rattle baits worked pretty aggressively. The fish will be all over the water column to. Don't think of it as perch fishing but more walleye fishing and you'll do ok. My biggest is 15.5 but I have seen with my own eyes two that were 16.75 long. Its one of my all time favorite lakes, we have been going down since before it got popular. The locals will look at you like you're an idiot for throwing the big girls back lol.

[MooseRiverTrapper]

Dropper chains seemed to be a favourite down there. We used forage minnows and buckshots with 2” dropper chains. The perch are mostly feeding on bloodworms.

[AlbertanGP]

Brandon (https://www.youtube.com/c/TheFishingDoctorsAdventures/search?query=cascade) has a pile of videos you'll likely find helpful. Jason Mitchell (https://www.youtube.com/c/JasonMitchellOutdoors/search?query=cascade) has been out there as well.

Let us know how you make out. I've been mulling going down there, but I've heard it's not the lake it once was and I'm having a hard time getting motivated to fish for panfish. Good luck. :happy0034:

[Esox]

Brandon (https://www.youtube.com/c/TheFishingDoctorsAdventures/search?query=cascade) has a pile of videos you'll likely find helpful. Jason Mitchell (https://www.youtube.com/c/JasonMitchellOutdoors/search?query=cascade) has been out there as well.

Let us know how you make out. I've been mulling going down there, but I've heard it's not the lake it once was and I'm having a hard time getting motivated to fish for panfish. Good luck. :happy0034:

Its not what it once was but it still better than any other lake in the world and the best chance at a world record. Its insane how big the perch are down there. We have some big ones up here and in sask as well that will be 15 inches, but down there a 15 incher isnt even a monster.

[MooseRiverTrapper]

I wonder how long that lake can sustain the pressure. Having no limit on the perch seems like a bad idea to me…

[Georgias daddy]

How did you make out? I’m planning a trip February 15-22. The Cascade cup is on then I believe.

[Drewski Canuck]

I wonder how long that lake can sustain the pressure. Having no limit on the perch seems like a bad idea to me…


The do not want the perch in Cascade Lake. So no limit is OK. If you fish it out, that is what they want.

Kind of like Sundance Lake in Calgary.

Drewski

[HappyHunter]

The bite ended up being really tough. We had hit a huge low pressure system that was -25c for highs. Add in the moutain winds and it was cold. The perch were sluggish, deep and biting very light. We had met up with a guy from Boise and got some insight from him, but he fished it only once more before calling it for the year. He had 5-8 pushing the 2.9 lb mark that he was planning on doing a mount. The world record was pulled out on the 20/21 season at 3.2 lb. They are still there.
we ended up icing about 40 fish in 2.5 days. 4 were 1.89 to 2.3 lbs. To cross the border its 10 full fish or like 50 kg.
A machine is a must. As for fishing during the tourny they get lots of entrys and all accommodations will be booked already. There also a few springs around sugarloaf.

[fordtruckin]

The do not want the perch in Cascade Lake. So no limit is OK. If you fish it out, that is what they want.

Kind of like Sundance Lake in Calgary.

Drewski

If they don't want the perch in the lake, why did IDF conduct a perch restoration project?

https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/lake-cascade-produces-another-state-record-perch

Lake Cascade has been a bright spot in Fish and Game's fisheries management since it was overhauled in the early 2000s to restore perch populations after they crashed in the 1990s. Fish and Game removed literally tons of predators (mostly northern pikeminnows), and transplanted about 850,000 adult perch to seed the lake. Those initial transplants rejuvenated the lake and restored its famous ice fishing, which has resulted in numerous state and world’s record perch.