Warner Lakes

[Jeff Clough]

Just heard about this area and I *so* want to go now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Lakes

I think a trip to Oregon is in my future.

[Panman]

Jeff. This ain't no Bull!!!!! The lakes in the Warner Basin are dependent on winter snow & spring rains for their water supply. Oregon has been in a drought for the last several years.
Most of the pretty lakes shown in your link are completely dry. Millions of crappie have died while local farmers/ranchers syphoned off what little water was left to grow grass hay.

I was there a couple of months ago and there is ample water in Crump Lake which is on the south end of the lake complex. It has crappie & bass in it but they are really hard to get at as the lake is quite shallow, rocky and really off colored. Visibility is on a couple of inches.

The other major lake, Hart Lake, was really really low. So low that use of any floatation device is about impossible. Also you can't wade out in it as the mud is just too thick. I question whether the crappie will survive this winter - if there are any left alive as I type this.

This is indeed a sad situation for many Oregonians who traveled to the Warner Basin to fish for crappie. In the "good old days" it was common for an angler to fill a large ice chest with 12-14 inch crappie in less than a day. I have fished and hunted the Warner Basin for 20 years and have never seen another fly guy and dang few bird hunters. It will take a couple of wet years for the area to make any kind of a rebound and all we can do is hope for a some wet years.

Tim

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/RR/southeast/