Long Lake, Ferry County Outing

Long Lake, Ferry County (Republic)

Date: May 31- June 2 

Host: Dave Marshall

Guests are required to sign waiver on site. 

Directions: Access: 7.5 miles south of Republic on Hwy. 21; turn west on paved Road 53/Scatter Creek Road  continue on until you see the Fish Lake/Long Lake sign. Turn left onto unpaved Road 400 for ½ mile. Signs mark the trail head. Trail ends at Road 400. Fishing opportunities exist along the trail ( Fishing is better at long lake).  Note: DO NOT stop at the first lake on road 400 – it is Fish Lake and it is fishless!

Continue on for several hundred more yards until you see the Long Lake campground entrance on your right. The wide rough boat launch is just a bit past the campground

 Boating and Fishing Information: Long Lake has a boat launch. Fly fishing only. No motorized boats are permitted.  This is a small, deep lake that is ideal for novice fly fishers.  The lake has a healthy population of west slope cutthroat.  The fishing locations are varied, with weeded shallows, small flats with gravel/mud bottoms, and sheer drop-offs along scree slides.  Evenings after warmer days can result in wonderful hatches, with fish taking dries merely inches out from the scree shorelines, as well as over the flats.  During the midday hours, trolling small streamers behind a sink-tip or full-sinking line can be productive.  While fishing here I have been visited by loons (which pop up at boatside (making a mockery of the “keep your distance…” sign on shore), beaver, mink, bald eagles, and ospreys.  I’ve also seen bighorn sheep on the mountain sides bordering the lake.  Novices can practice unhindered fly casting on a gravel beach, catching fish while they learn!  A wonderful fishing site, made all the better by the forgiving west slope cutts.  No Flies with lead content are allowed.

Campgrounds & Lodging: Maintained by the US Forest Service, Long Lake’s campgrounds provide hand water pumps, bear-proof trash containers, fire grills, picnic tables, and well-maintained handicap accessible toilets. There are 12 tent and trailer sites available.  For non-  Sign In: Please check in with the host, and make sure you have signed the club’s waiver form.

Group Meals: Republic is a short drive. Great Restaurants. Saturday group lunch has worked on past trips. 

Flies: This is a good lake for the old standards!  Dries:  Elk Hair Caddis, Humpies, Adams, Light Cahills or similar, in sizes 10 – 16.  Wets:  Hare’s Ears, Pheasant Tails, damsel nymphs, Olive Willies, and scud patterns, sizes 10 -14, near the weedy areas.  Streamers: small leeches and woolly buggers in black, olive, and brown.  I tie a woolly with a peacock hurl body, furnace/brown hackle, and a hot-orange marabou tail that is a real taker.  Also, a scud with a fluorescent-pink chenille body and a hurl shellback, has been another taker when there is no apparent activity on the water.

Lake Updates:  Republic Sports Shop, 8 Creamery Rd. (behind hardware store) 509-775-3040 (Gary) has fly fishing gear and info on local lakes.  Sales & Service LLC, 16278 N. Hwy 21, 775-3040 (Gordy) sells some fishing, as well as outdoor gear.

ADVANCED SIGN UP REQUIRED:  Sign up is online. Go to https://spokaneflyfishers.com. Log in.  Go to “Events”. Go down the page to Long Lake Outing and click the image.  Go down to sign up form and sign up.  Don’t forget to sign the online Waiver-Release Form (blue type). You are done.