🎣 Fly fish the Cascade Lakes (Sparks, Hosmer, Crane Prairie)

A handful of high-elevation lakes along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway with totally different fishing characters. Hosmer is a classic stillwater, fly-only, with cruising rainbows. Sparks is shallow and weedy with damselfly hatches. Crane Prairie is bigger water with monster cranebow rainbows that grow to 24+ inches.

Good to know

• Species: Rainbow (cranebows on Crane Prairie), brook trout, brown trout (Crane Prairie).
• Best technique: Float tube or pontoon boat. Indicator nymphing with chironomids, damselfly nymphs.
• Hosmer: Fly-only, single barbless. Sight-fish to cruising rainbows.
• Sparks: Damselfly hatches mid-summer; calibaetis mayflies most of season.
• Crane Prairie: Big water — boats helpful. Cranebows feed on chironomids + leeches.
• Best season: Late June through September (snow closes byway in winter).