Nitinat Lake to outside

[saltydawg]

Anyone here run their boat through Nitinat narrows to fishing grounds on outside?
How good is that beach launch site 1/2 way up lake?
Any place to hole up on outside if weather turns?
Is slack tide the only time you can run narrows?
Going soon. Appreciate any first hand knowledge.

 

[Red Monster]

I was wondering myself how folks get to the ocean side;it seems like a long run from Renfrew?

But from what I've heard, the salmon can stack up pretty good come spawning time on the way to the hatchery.



Remember, it's called "fishing," not "catching."

 

[Deewar25]

If you are talking the campsite just west of windy point, you need a 4x4 for sure (which you'd probably have anyway to travel those roads) - 1 to get through the logging road, 2 to get down the beach. I haven't been to that one for about 7 years, but it was just a decent cobbly launch - stable enough that I didn't spin my wheels. It worked, but it's no marina!

Very little in the way of protection from the elements once you are out in the chuck - cross the narrows at the slack or start of the flood, or do what we did and just follow 'the other guy' <img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle> JK.....I wouldn't get out there with anything smaller than a 16', larger would even be better.

Definitely serious salmon stacking outside the narrows usually in the first few weeks of Sept. Often we had gone and got lucky as they were sitting in the 'pool' on the lake side of things - just make damn sure your engine doesn't die on you as the current is strong.

I was an idiot when I was young (in a 12'!) Respect the area something fierce, unlike myself.

As to fishing now, never heard of people venturing up there for early summer - seems to me there would be wiser places to fish, but I'm not the expert on the year round fishery there.

 

[salmon9]

The August 2004 issue of Pacific Yauchting has an article on running Nitnat narrows. I recall the end of the flood tide would be the best time.

 

[saltydawg]

Thanks for the feedback.
deewar- we're camping there this month and checking it out for later in the summer. Might as well troll a little while I'm there. Any spot you remember that might be good?

 

[Tsquared]

Never run the narrows but we used to duck out of the westerly around the corner at Clo-ose when we would come in from Swiftsure. Only in a westerly though, that anchorage is exposed in anything else.
Tom

 

[frango]

As was mentioned before flood tide only.What happens on an ebb is the out current stacks on the swells at the bar.It is very dangerous.So on a flood just wait at the mouth for a smallish swell and head out.Try and keep to the mid right of opening.When you want to get back into the lake just follow a swell in.Having your engine and kicker in good running order is a must.If you plan on fishing in area 21 don't forget single barbless is the rule.

 

[frango]

As was mentioned before flood tide only.What happens on an ebb is the out current stacks on the swells at the bar.It is very dangerous.So on a flood just wait at the mouth for a smallish swell and head out.Try and keep to the mid right of opening.When you want to get back into the lake just follow a swell in.Having your engine and kicker in good running order is a must.If you plan on fishing in area 21 don't forget single barbless is the rule.