FISHING
Anglers come to Winthrop Washington for legendary fishing on the rivers, and plentiful trout fishing in the alpine lakes. Hone your skills with casting classes and guided trips provided by many local outfitters.
Big Twin Lake
The favorite lake of the Evergreen Fly Fishing Club based in Everett, Big Twin has a nice private campground with ample tent and trailer sites (and a boat launch along the shoreline). For those staying elsewhere, the state also offers access with toilets and a good boat launch.
The launches are important because you really need some sort of watercraft to fish the 65-acre lake effectively.
Big Twin is a bug factory, which makes it fun for a fly fisher. There are good hatches of chironomids, damselflies, and callibaetis mayflies starting when the lake opens on the fourth Saturday in April and continuing through June.
Davis Lake
Davis Lake is a long, narrow lake of 40 acres that has a split personality. That means it has two sets of regulations for different times of the year. The rules are posted at the boat launch, but if you use a fly or a man-made lure with a single, barbless hook and release all your fish, you’ll cover the bases for the entire season.
Campbell Lake
A small jewel of a lake, Campbell is located in the Methow Wildlife Area. Because of it’s 10-acre size and because its dirt access road has a tendency to wash out in spring, the lake doesn’t get a lot of fishing pressure.
Special thanks to Mike Benbow.
HUNTING
Vast public lands that climb from a ribbon of river-bottom are home to one of the largest populations of mule deer in the country, attracting the attention of sportsmen from across the West every October. Over 17,000 mule deer inhabit the hills and ranges of the Methow Valley. Grouse (Sept. 1st – 31st..) are abundant here, while pheasant and chukar attract upland bird sportsmen. The Methow is also known for cougar (early August – March) and bear (early August – mid November). Regular deer season usually opens the second weekend of October, with separate seasons for black powder and bow hunting. Guided pack trips available from many qualified, local guiding services.
Camping options are abundant, or if you don’t want to come home with a back ache, the lodging options are ample. For the non-hunting members of the expedition, Winthrop offers fine dining, shopping, art galleries and recreation.
Fishing & Hunting Suppliers:
