First impressions can be deceiving. If your concept of Klamath Lake is what you've seen while driving by it on Highway 97, that it's a large, featureless, barren expanse of unproductive mosquito-infested bass water, you are mistaken. While the lower lake resembles the above, upper Klamath Lake (including Agency Lake) is a wonderland of wildlife, scenery and BIG trout. Early morning on the lake is filled with the sights and sounds of a myriad birds, mammals and big trout boiling and splashing while chasing down their breakfast. On any given morning, you’re likely to see otters, muskrats, beavers and especially the birds. These include a wide variety of geese, ducks, swallows, herons, egrets and majestic pelicans with their long slow glides just over the water as they head to their feeding grounds. With the surrounding beauty of the mountains, the mist rising over the marsh, and the sounds of the wildlife, it seems you’re in some far-off adventure that took days to get to.

Klamath Lake is home to the Klamath strain of rainbow trout. It's thought that they are a landlocked strain of steelhead that has adapted to living in the lake. One of the first things you notice about these fish is the size of their teeth, being larger than most trout, more resembling that of a native steelhead. While other strains of rainbows are known for their preference of aquatic insects, the Klamath rainbows are notorious for eating minnows -- another reason they need those big teeth. So much so, that they have been planted in other lakes to help control over-populations of chubs and minnows. Two lakes in point are Davis and Diamond in Central Oregon. Because of this habit and the extremely large population of baitfish in this lake, these fish can grow quickly to incredible size. Fish average 3 to 4 pounds with 6- to 7-pound fish common. A 10-pounder won't raise a lot of eyebrows, either. Fish pushing 20 pounds are taken here every year. If it's big fish you’re after, this is certainly the very best public fishing water in the state to realize your dream.

Next question, how do you go about finding these great Rainbows on a lake with over 90 square miles of water? Answer! The average depth of the upper lake is between 8 and 10 feet. During the summer months the majority of the lake heats up to temperatures too hot for the fish to exist. The trout have to find cooler water to feed and even survive. This cooler water is provided by a number of cold water rivers and creeks that ring the north end of the lake. These include the world famous Williamson and Wood rivers, and Seven Mile, Odessa and Thomas Creeks. Crystal Spring and Recreation creeks feed Pelican Bay.

All provide the cooling water the big fish require and also an excellent place to intercept them. While some of the rainbows ascend the rivers and creeks, the majority stay in the lake around the mouths of these rivers and creeks, and the cool water they provide. Klamath rainbows are highly migratory, here one day and gone the next. Sometimes you have to be mobile to find them. Moving only a few hundred feet can make a huge difference. On one trip, the first day I hooked 5 fish in the morning and didn't hook any under 6 pounds. The next day at the same spot we hooked over 20 but didn't hook one over 5 pounds… darn! My personal favorite spots include the mouth of the Wood River and Pelican Bay.

Upper Klamath Lake is a fertile feeding ground. It has all of the typical still water trout foods -- leaches, mayflies, scuds, dragon and damsel flies -- plus a huge population of baitfish. These include chubs, shiners and sculpins. The staple fly pattern is Denny Rickard’s Seal Bugger. Denny is a well known lake fishing expert and author who guides on the lake. Seal Buggers in black, maroon, brown and olive should be effective. Woolly Buggers and leaches in the same colors will also work. All should be in sizes 4-6-8-10. Other very useful patterns are streamers like the Zonkers, Matukas and Marabou Muddlers. Five- to seven-weight rods married to a matching reel with a smooth drag and at least 50 yards of backing should do the trick. The most important part of your equipment is the fly line. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of using an intermediate sinking fly line. Remember the lake is only 8 feet deep and an intermediate line will put your fly at the proper depth for the full retrieval of your fly, which will maximize your fish catching. I really like the Cortland "Camo" intermediate line. Leaders should be 10 feet or so with a 3x or 4x tippet. Fluorocarbon is highly recommended.

At times there can be an algae bloom on the lake. I really like a light one as I think it helps to make the big fish feel more secure. Remember the algae is only on the first few feet of the surface and the water is clear a couple of feet down. If it's really heavy I run over to Pelican Bay as the creeks over there keep the water clear. Bag limit on the lake is 1 fish, and if you keep one you’re done fishing. Best bet, bring a camera and forget about keeping one; I hear they don't taste that well, anyway.

Logistically, this lake can be a problem. It's usually a long run to where you need to fish. From the boatramp at Petric Park to the mouth of the Wood River is about a mile. From Rocky Point in Pelican Bay to the "Fish Banks" is approximately a half-mile. A power boat is a big advantage to effectively cover the bestfishing locations. One solution we use is to load pontoon boats on the power boats and run them out to thearea where they unloaded for fishing. I don't recommend float tubes.

Other side trips while you’re down here are drifting the Willamsonand Wood Rivers -- which can be done in a kick boat, and Crater Lake is just an hour away.

I really hope you can find time to make a trip to Klamath Lake. I really believe you will find this to be an outstanding adventure, and you’ll have the chance to hook a fish dreams are made of. Remember, first impressions can be deceiving.