The secret is out on ice fishing Lake Cascade. People from across the nation flock to Lake Cascade in the winter time to get their chance at catching a 2 lb., 15-inch perch. But what happens when the ice is gone? How does someone go about catching these magnificent perch in open water? Do they even bite during open water? In this write up I’ll go over need to know topics that I use while guiding, throughout the year to catch gigantic Lake Cascade perch.
May and June are my favorite months to catch perch on Lake Cascade. During May, the water is still cold and the perch are usually hitting casting baits like blade baits and small jigs and plastics. You can also catch them trolling crank baits or spinner harnesses. Casting for them is my preferred method. The spawn usually happens late April or early May depending on the water temps. The fish are generally shallow and schooled up which makes shore fishing is a great option if you don’t have access to a boat. In the month of May, it is not uncommon to have days with 50-75 perch, 10-15 inches.
As the calendar turns to June, the water warms, the perch tend to move deeper and switch their bite patterns from casting baits to worms. I’ve also noticed the big perch feeding on small snails. During June I’m usually casting some sort of worm rig on the bottom. I use a full worm rigged on a size 6 octopus hook. The perch usually stay in specific areas until the end of June when the weeds grow up. As June progresses, it gets harder and harder to catch the perch. My theory is that by the end of June some perch move deeper and spread out and some move into the weeds to feed on young of the year.
One thing you will see in July is a large amount of young of the year perch. The perch and small mouth bass you catch start to spit up small, young of the year perch minnows. This also effects the small mouth bite. When the young of the year perch get big enough to eat, everything starts eating them. That generally makes it very tough to catch perch. For guided trips in July and August I am usually targeting small mouth bass and rainbow trout. The trout average 16-24 inches. The weeds grow out to 15 feet of water and there is plenty of cover for the fish to hide. This can make my job difficult at times in the dog days of summer. Summer trips are great for families that just want to get on the water, catch some fish, and have a great time. Clients can expect a mixed bag of bass, trout and perch.
Into late August and early September, the lake has now dropped 10-12 feet. The weeds are now shallow. So shallow that it pushes the fish out of the weeds and into the open. At the same time the big perch are beginning to school up again so finding the fish is easier. I usually start targeting perch again the last week in August. Once we start catching them, the fishing stays consistently good until the end of October. A great day is 15-30 perch in the live well, in the 10-14 inch size range.
Spring, Summer and Fall have one main advantage to winter, It’s not so damn cold. And for that reason, it’s my favorite time to get after the perch. I provide everything for fishing like rods, tackle, bait. I also clean your catch so you can take home a meal for the family. Perch is one of the best eating fish in the world. Aside from the fishing, there are so many other activities that make Cascade great. Morel mushroom picking, hot springs, hiking, biking, kayaking, rafting, ziplining, just to name a few. If you have any questions about traveling to Cascade, I’m always here to help. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you on the water.
Chris Weber – Lake Cascade Guide
920.728.2818
@lake_cascade_guidedfishing
cweb823@gmail.com
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