Northwest Fly Anglers upcoming events

Lenice Lake (September 12, 2026)

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Host - Nick Sherman

This float-tube outing to Lenice Lake precedes the outing to Dusty Lake the following day, Sunday, September 13. Each is available individually or as a combined trip (Lenice and Dusty will require separate registrations). Lenice is a 2.5-hour drive from Seattle.

Lenice is a fairly short walk-in of a quarter mile with a 35’ descent. There is no shoreline fishing. Most anglers carry float tubes with shoulder straps or pack them in and inflate them at the lake. A pontoon boat or kayak would be possible if you have wheels (the trail from the lot to the lake is sandy). Club members could help carry a light kayak.

Lenice Lake is a fairly small lake located north of Mattawa. It is very productive and supports medium and large trout, although if it has been stocked, there may be smaller fish as well. Lenice is very popular with fly fishers. On average, Lenice Lake has been among the better-quality waters in District 5 (Grant and Adams Counties). At certain times of the year, Lenice Lake can see very high angler effort. Several fly fishing clubs from across the state hold annual outings at Lenice Lake. Per WDFW, Selective Gear Rules are in effect. Very few areas of shoreline fishing are effective. Last stocked in 2025, but this is a lake where holdovers grow well.

I have had success trolling a leech, micro-leech, or wooly bugger (olive, red, or brown) with a full sinking line. I have cast the same rig to rising trout, which is a lot of fun. Work the weed beds and the deep water at the east end of the lake. I have not used a floating line, but that would probably work well, too. I caught 20 to 40 fish in the 15” range on three trips last September.

There is an outhouse at the Lenice parking lot, but not at the lake. There is no water or anything else. Suffice it to say, Lenice is in the middle of nowhere. Don’t be discouraged by the desolate parking lot - Lenice is a pretty lake set against a basalt ridge.

A Discover Pass or WDFW Parking permit (comes with your fishing license) is required.

Lenice is an easy float tube outing to do on your own after the Lower Yakima Outing.

What to Bring:

The club is not providing food or refreshments. Eat before you come or bring your meal.
Water: Bring water with you to the lake from the parking lot. You won’t want to stop fishing to go back to the car.
Washington State fishing license
Float tube with waders or other backpackable flotation (raft, pontoon boat, kayak). Don’t forget your air pump for inflating, your fins, and your waders. [There are a lot of waterfowl, so waders are needed to protect against swimmer's itch.]
A PFD is always recommended for wading or riding in boats
4-6 weight rods with sinking or sink tip line. You may also use floating, although I have not. I’ve seen people fishing Chironomids, but I have not.
3x tippet will let you cast into weeds without breaking off. The fish are not leader shy.
Net (practice good catch and release methods - keep the fish wet)
Rain gear just in case, although this is the desert.
Warm layer - this is early in the season and the wind can blow here.
Sunglasses and hat
Camera

Getting There (from Puget Sound)

Put Lenice Lake Public Access into your GPS. Note that cell service will die when you get close. [also do this if starting from other locations]
East on I-90
Exit 137 for WA-26E toward Othello/Pullman
Right onto WA-243 S
Left onto Lower Crab Creek Rd SW
4.9 miles to Lenice Lake Public Access

(Participants choosing to go to the outing at Dusty the next day can join other Club members who are booking their own rooms at a nearby hotel (not 4-star) to be identified by the Host or camp at a location near either lake.)

Yakima River - Lower Canyon (September 23, 2026)

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Outing Hosts - Peter Maunsell

The Lower Yakima Canyon, from Wilson Creek to Roza Dam, offers more than 20 miles of relatively easy floating. NFA will set up camp at the Big Pines Campground on the river. Peter Maunsell will get there early and will text you where he is. This is sagebrush country, a basalt-and-desert landscape home to Bighorn sheep, deer, and plentiful insect hatches.

Your primary catch will be trout and whitefish. Almost all of the trout are rainbows. Many in our group will be floating from any of the several launch sites downstream to the Big Pines campground, or from the Big Pines campground down to the Roza impoundment. If you don’t have a boat, there is easy access via numerous pullouts on Canyon Road, which runs alongside the river and state route WA-821. In the spring and at the end of the summer through the fall, wading is not difficult. When the river runs high during the summer due to upstream irrigation releases, wading becomes more difficult.

What to Bring for Fishing:

Washington state fishing license.
Suitable floating devices, including a pontoon boat, raft, or drift boat.
PFDs are always recommended for wading and for riding in boats.
It is very likely to be quite cool during the day and significantly colder at night. Bring clothes that will keep you warm.
Although we are on the “dry” side of the Cascades, it rains here, too. Bring rain gear.
Hat and sunglasses
Camera
4-6 weight rods and floating lines
Net
3x, 4x, and maybe 5x tippet, depending on which flies you use.
Check the local fly shops on what is working, but bring a variety of nymphs, including Stone, Copper Johns, and Bead head Prince Nymphs; streamers, including buggers; and Caddis.
Water bottle and drinking water for when you are on the river
Waders, wading boots, and wading staff

What to Bring for Camping

Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad
Change of clothes (You may get wet)
Rain gear
Flashlight(s)
Folding Chair

NOTE: Your outing fee covers meals. It does not include your campsite. Campsites are $15.00/ night, half price if you have a Golden Age Senior Pass

Food & Beverages:

The outing fee only covers Wednesday and Thursday night dinners and Thursday and Friday morning coffee.
Bring your own food for breakfast and lunch.
Bring your own wine, beer, or hard stuff.

Getting There:

Big Pines Campground directions.

Multi-Day Outing - Three Rivers, Idaho (Selway, Lochsa, Middlefork Clearwater) (October 05, 2026)

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Outing Host - Scott Keenholts

Registration Fee: $50/per person

The Selway River is renowned for its pristine waters and diverse fishing opportunities. Fishing on the Selway River is characterized by stunning natural scenery and minimal fishing pressure. It is a protected river that offers a unique experience for anglers seeking both tranquility and adventure. The Selway River offers excellent fishing, particularly for westslope cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, and bull trout.

What sets the Lochsa River apart isn’t just the quality of the fishing; it’s also the wild, untamed setting. You don’t need to hike miles into the backcountry to find success, either. Pullouts along Highway 12 offer quick access to productive water, and within two steps of the road, you’re casting to wild fish in water so clear you can see the take before you feel it. The Lochsa fisheries include westslope cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, bull trout, and brook trout.

Wading is relatively easy on the Selway. The Lochsa is a bit slipperier. Boats and pontoons can be used on the Clearwater. There are many tributaries worth fishing as well.

Our campground will be in the small town of Lowell, 340 miles east of Seattle at Three Rivers Resort located right where the Lochsa and Selway Rivers converge to form the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River. Just 20 miles west is the convergence of the South and Middle Forks of the Clearwater in the town of Kooskia.

The resort has cabins, RV hookup sites, tent sites, and a group site. Attendees will need to call Three Rivers Resort to make their personal reservations for the type of lodging or site and the days they want (contact info below)

115 Selway Road Kooksia, Idaho 83539
208-926-4430
3RiversResortii@gmail.com

Native cutthroat and bull trout are the primary catch, taking Mayflies, Caddis or Grasshoppers. You need a well-stocked fly box to cover all of these rivers.

Three Rivers Campground has full facilities for comfortable tent camping as well as the RV sites with water, electricity, and a single community septic dump. Gas up in Kooskia before driving 23 miles to Lowell as there are no facilities available in Lowell.

What to Bring for Fishing:

Idaho state fishing license
Bring clothes for warmish daytime temperatures and chilly nights.
Sun screen, a hat, and sunglasses
Waders, wading boots, and wading staff
3-5 weight rods
Net
Floating lines with 4x and 5x leaders. Bring 6x leader material if you want to put on really small flies.

What to Bring for Camping:

Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad
Rain gear
Flashlight(s)
Folding chair
Camera
Water Bottle

Food & Beverages:

I will only be serving dinner on Monday-Thursday.
Attendees are on their own for breakfast and lunch.
Bring your own wine, beer, or hard stuff
You do not need to bring any cooking gear or eating utensils

Directions:

Driving directions
Cancellation Deadline: TBD
Make sure your NFA registration includes an up-to-date email address and cellphone number

Hood Canal (October 17, 2026)

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Outing Host: Tom Quinn

Gather at Tom’s home on the west side of Hood Canal, just south of the Hood Canal Bridge on the Olympic Peninsula side.

From there, we’ll disperse either along the Canal for sea-run cutthroats (and coho, if you are lucky) or to any of a handful of nearby lakes for mid-sized rainbow trout.

Bring your float tube or similar craft for any of the small, peaceful, motorless lakes within about 30 minutes of the Quinn residence, including Teal, Gibbs, Silent, Leland, Tarboo, Horseshoe, and others.

Fishing for sea-run cutthroat can be good on the beaches or from small craft such as canoes or kayaks that can be launched at the Quinn residence or at a number of nearby beaches. Larger boats can be launched less than a mile away at Hicks County Park.

Directions will be sent to those registered three days before the outing. Tom has beach access for launching a kayak or canoe (including a couple available to borrow, which can be rowed).

After fishing the Canal or one or more of the nearby small lakes, we’ll return to Tom’s for a casual meal and enjoy the view from his deck.

From August onward, salmon fishing can be good at nearby Point No Point, Eglon, Shine Tidelands State Park, and in Squamish Harbor.

Food & Beverages

Tom plans to offer tea, coffee, & muffins for our arrival in the morning. For the evening meal, he has a barbecue that we can throw our burgers or dogs, etc. on and has offered to add a salad and some dessert (brownies?!), so within that framework bring whatever you'd like to eat & drink (he’ll have a few beverages) to enjoy for some stories at the end of the fishing day.