Who's Heading To Cascade Lake Idaho?
 

I know more and more are heading south every year. If you're one of them thought you might enjoy this.

Found this footage from last season, decided to put it together since there were a few good moments and nice hook ups on camera despite the wind. Perch almost pulled a rod down hole, two jumbos at once on the jaw jacker, and some slops as usual.

https://youtu.be/CCImbHg14iY

I’m headed down. How much pressure can this lake handle? Still no limit on perch?

You'll see it has hardly any pressure. It has nothing to do with pressure, they think most of the fish are still just going to die of old age. It's a very large body of water. Most people who go have very low catch rates so not having a limit doesnt matter. Most people cant catch more than a handful anyways. Test netting doesnt look promising though. From about 8 to 12 inches there was basically very few fish in the nets. So the big perch are wiping out their offspring. Get out there while it lasts. 2 to 3 more years of jumbos in decent numbers is my estimate. Might go a bit longer with less fish.

Interesting! How many can you bring back?

If you read the boarder crossing info it says 10 per person. But I know people go across with more than that. Just depends what you say, what they ask and how much of a stickler you got. I always have my wife with me and my two kids and I usually don't like bringing so many back. Now I have another babe so 5 of us, but Too much to clean. Usually around 20. I think the most I did was 28.

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Cascade Lake
 

Idaho Fish & Game posted this article on Cascade Lake Dec 19, 2018:

https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/lake-ca...BrEdrF9UFSlE8k

Cascade lake
 

Very good info--I was wondering what the aprox distance--driveing time. If winter time trailer parking close to lake.

Distance and drive time depends on your starting point. Use Google maps and then you'll know. You can park right at the ramps they keep them cleared. Have to pay 5 bucks a day honor system.

Has anyone gone down there in the summertime? I was hoping to get down either this year or next, if so what were you having luck on? I’m used to only catching small little fellas in southern Alberta so I’m not sure how I’d have to change my strategies, I’m assuming the big guys wouldn’t be going for a few maggots or a piece of worm.

We were there last summer, we used some meal worms
And smal minnows of chunk of minnow tail on russian hooks and tungsten jigs absolute smashed the Perch.

I hope to head to Cascade within the next couple of weeks. Driving time south from Spokane apparently is 6 hours ( Google Map) so about 14 hours from Calgary if roads are good.

Question for those who have been there: do we have to have a snowmobile or quad to get around or can we walk from access points? I am assuming from all the videos I have seen that the ice is not safe for a truck.

Is catching a jumbo in Cascade really that rewarding?
Not trying to take anything away from anyone but it almost seems like the high fence hunting of the fishing world.

If you are a jumbo perch junkie it's a no brainer...don't even have to argue the point. Hey Brandon what's the season down there? Maybe shoulda read a little closer I'm sure the info is there but for a guy like me just the chance to raise the bar with an honest 2 lb perch is worth the drive alone.

You can always walk, lots of guys do. If you want to access more remote areas you'll need a quad or snow machine. Take your truck out on the ice and youll be swimming.

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Hahaha are you serious. High fence hunting is for tame, fed, genetically modified deer. Cascade is a completely wild environment. Why wouldn't anyone feel rewarded after driving 10 to 20 hours to get their. You know it's not an easy lake to fish. Many people who go get skunked or dont end up catching big fish. It's no guarantee, it's still fishing. It's the exact same thing anywhere trophy fish are only found in certain lakes. If you go there and catch one why on earth is it a lesser accomplishment than pulling a 2 pound perch out of wizard lake, cause that's never going to happen.

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I would drive 14 hours to Cascade for the same reason I recently spent 25 hours in airplanes and airports to catch 10 lb plus bonefish in the Cook Islands. It is never a guarantee but the pay-off for the quest is a trophy unavailable almost any where else. Devil's Lake ND is another option for big perch but the logistcs are more difficult, it seems so Cascade it is. Also, as Brandonkop mentioned, these trophy-producing situations do not last forever so 5 years from now Cascade might be just a memory. I saw this happen with the Bay Of Quinte in Lake Ontario where 15 lb+ walleye were a possibility in the '80's before the zebra muscles moved in and totally disrupted the base of the food chain.

If your Ukrainian. Yes.

Again its just a question but almost everyone that I have seen go, lands at least one over 14+ inches. A task that is a lot harder to accomplish in Alberta it would seem.

How many trips did it take you to land a 14+ inch perch in Cascade several?
Your video makes it look easy.?

Not ruling it out for myself but a honest question.

Cheers,
Mike

I guess it's all a matter of personal opinion then.

There are many places to fish besides Alberta. If you don't appreciate that it's up to you. I like different experiences and Cascade is one of them.

I don't go there to catch 14 inch perch though. We go to catch a perch that is truly over 2 pounds. My goal is to catch a perch over 16 inches. Biggest so far was 15 3/4" 2 1/4 pounds. In three years there, about 10 days on the ice I've only got a couple over 2 pounds and quite a few 1 pound 15 ounce. I think my brother got three over 2 pounds last year.

Some of my videos make it seem easy to catch fish for all kinds of fishing. That's not always a fair representation of a fishery. Every day we went back to the parking lot people were asking how fishing was and when we told them how we did they looked at us baffled. Then the barrage of questions depth, bait, lure, location all stating they were skunked.

It's a bucket list trip, can't wait to get back every time I leave.

I have always enjoyed your videos and have re-watch a few of them today from Cascade Lake. I got a couple of questions.

I noticed your location from the shoreline. You are a ways out, is the water deep that far out or is it shallow a long ways out before you hit a drop off?

Do you always fish from the town of Cascade or have you tried from further north up the lake? In the past you mention that by the end of February the ice is done and you can not get on the lake. Is that correct?

haha!!

Yeah the best way to understand the lake is to go to this link and take a look at the lay of the land. https://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=e...key=sakoGxancU

We fish the shallower flats like 10-12 feet and sometimes the ridges in the 20 to 30 foot range. Sometimes you are several hundred yards from shore and sometimes 2 miles from shore.

Ice is highly variable and last year they had fishable ice into April and some years it is off in February. I think this year it will last into March at least. I am sure hoping since I'd like to make it down later this year than I usually go.

But at any time of the winter you can fall through since the lake is on a highly geothermal area and warm water is pouring into the lake all the time.

I have never left from Cascade. We usually get on the lake at Poison Creek which is the north west launch.

Best of luck if you head out.

My new wife and I have this trip on our Bucket list and are hoping to go down in February this year. We have heard the stories of many skunked trips there from individuals and locals. We were planning on taking the quad down, if the snow and slush doesn't get too bad on the lake, sounds like the quad is not a good idea with conditions right now. I have also heard that you need to get a sticker from Idaho registries to be able to use a quad or snowmobile from out of state?

I don't know, we have never done that. In all honesty last year my brother had bought is sled in Canada and lives in Montana and the dealer forgot one of the papers so it wasn't even registered or licensed or stickered when we used it. I've never seen law enforcement on the lake. Just say I didn't know you couldn't do that and see how it goes, play the dumb Canuck Mike from Canmore.

It all froze up already. The ice down there is always in a huge state of flux from one day to the next.

Importation allows for 42lbs of fish for consumption.
I just crossed with 20lbs. When asked what I had for fish I said 20lbs, and away I went.

Like you stated, this fishery won't last, age class is all wrong. I say it goes 5 more years though do to lake's size and lack of pressure. Only perch I have ever seen with fat in their guts.

Spruce

You don't need a sticker. Don't bring a quad, or You will most likely be walking. Sled or feet are 100%. Their was 12" of slush last week, I got stuck in my sled...

Spruce

Is there any place where you could set up a winter trailer or wall tent?

There seems to be lots of campgrounds at various places along the lake shore and in town, according to the maps.

They're all closed for winter and the parking lots say no overnight camping. As far as I know I haven't seen anyone camping.

My buddy and I are headed out Sunday for a week. Ice conditions are much improved, apparently. Weather forecast is excellent: not too cold or windy. Will report back in a week...