Antelope Flat Reservoir, September 22, 2005

Well After a couple of years of declining fish catches (big monster rainbow trout) our fall trip finally offered a clue as too why our favorite Oregon high desert lake isn't producing its normal high quality 20 inch trout in normal quantity and catchability. For those of us "in the know" this lake has been a quiet, pleasant alternative to Chickahominy Reservoir which produces the same high quality large fish but lacks the scenic views and pleasant atmosphere of Antelope Flat Reservoir. The nice scenic views and feel of a mountain lake and the "big fish" ecology of a high desert lake make Antelope Flat Reservoir a much better destination for those who split their priorities down the middle between the fishing and camping experience.

In a normal year lures are usually productive all through the fishing season, slowing down later in the summer and picking up a bit in the fall but usually a fisherman won't go home empty handed if he has a selection of "rooster tails" in his gear.

The old staple of a worm on a hook with a marshmallow to float it off the bottom also usually will send a fisherman home with dinner. Fishing with bait and a bobber returns mixed results but is also effective. This lake seems to prefer real baits like worms, shrimp, etc. so don't show up with a jar of eggs and some smelly "Playdoh" thinking all will be well.

The campground has a well (clean drinking water) and two bathrooms, one at either end of the camp and a third bathroom down by the lake in the day use area. this trip in we found the camp ground fee box removed and a sign that said something about limited management after mid Sept which translated into "we stole the handle off the well suckers!". Fortunately for us I have run into this bizarre camp management policy before so I am familiar with how to get water out of the well without the handle but seeing this in "my campground" prompted us to get the tape measure out and take some measurements of the pump so I can make a replacement handle during the winter that can be used on any hand pumped well, it will have to be added to the list of mandatory gear for me since I do much of my fishing early in the spring and late in the fall before many campgrounds are officially open or after they close. (And the water from the lake makes terrible coffee.)

Now for the bad news, All that fishing advice and nice talk about Antelope Flat Reservoir you can just put on the back burner for the near future. This trip we finally, reluctantly put away our lures and changed over to the bait box for some exploratory fishing on the lake and too our surprise everywhere we fished on the bottom we caught catfish! not small catfish fry but nice large catfish, the kind that have been hiding in the mud for at least a couple of years. This certainly explains the decline in the Trout fishery here! ARGH!

A few miles east of Antelope Flat Reservoir on forest service road 16 is Double Cabin campground on the north side of the road and on the south side of the road you will find Double Cabin Reservoir. if you continue east after passing the sign (and turnoff for Double Cabin Campground) a hundred yards or so you will find a road to the right that leads straight to the lake. You can also just turn right instead of left at the campground turnoff and park in the day use area its just a short walk to the lake from there.

I mention Double Cabin Reservoir because it also has Catfish in it and Bass plus a healthy population of Crayfish! Since Double Cabin is spring fed and its very small I believe it can't winter kill in normal conditions. I am also not sure what watershed Double Cabin drains into. If it drains into the Antelope Flat Watershed it's possible that the catfish found their way into Antelope from there either naturally or by human hands. I wouldn't mind the Crayfish finding their way to Antelope though!

Firstly just because the lake is muddy colored doesn't make it a warm water lake, Secondly If Trash fish belonged in the lake someone with an IQ larger than The MPG your old pickup gets would put them there. My advice is, The next time you think about putting catfish in a lake go back to lifting heavy things or flipping burgers or whatever it is you do and leave the thinking to someone.... anyone else.

If I catch you out in the wilds of eastern Oregon fishing with live bait or introducing trash fish to a otherwise great Trout fishery I absolutely promise I will bash you about the head with a large stick until I am satisfied you won't repeat the offence or you are half dead, if you resist this stick to head corrective therapy I will beat you twice as much. Alternately, If you're one of the people who fish with live bait or introduce trash fish into managed fisheries, you can play with an electric toaster the next time your in a shower or take a bath it will save me the effort of beating you about the head.

I'm not saying I don't like inbred halfwits, I'm just saying they really should be supervised and medicated.

I also don't have anything against catfish, if you want to eat Sturgeon bait that's just fine by me but there are already lots of catfish around in other places and antelope produces absolutely perfect tasting Rainbow Trout and it makes them big fast. Antelope is never going to make big Catfish that are better than the Rainbows it produces.

What ODFW does, if anything, about the catfish problem I will report back on at a later date. In the mean time I do hope the owner of the private reservoir downstream likes catfish too, I'm sure it won't take them long to take over that reservoir too.