Solving the mystery at McCall’s Payette Lake: the real lake monster is Mackinaw trout
For decades, rumors of a Payette Lake monster have percolated throughout the McCall region. Local natives long feared an “evil spirit” that dwelt in the dark depths of Payette, and there have been dozens of reported “Sharlie” sightings over the years. Most witnesses describe a serpentine, Loch Ness-type monster in excess of 30 feet!
I love a good mystery, but given Payette Lake’s popularity with recreationalists, it seems unlikely that Sharlie is actually lurking in the depths. At more than 300 feet, those depths are significant, but in the days of cell phone cameras, surely a water skier or angler would have captured hard evidence by now.
Whether or not Sharlie exists, I can confirm the presence of at least one kind of lake monster residing in Payette — the mighty Mackinaw trout. Also known as lake trout, these mysterious creatures have called Payette Lake home for more than 50 years. But given their propensity for deep, cold water, they remain a mystery to all but a handful of anglers.
Over President’s Day weekend, some friends and I decided to take the Mackinaw challenge. The lake had enough ice — barely — to safely fish on, so we loaded up with heavier-than-usual ice fishing gear and trekked out onto snow-covered Payette.
We understood the challenge ahead of us. Mackinaws are constantly on the move, and in a lake the size of Payette, it was likely we’d only encounter a handful fish. And hooking one is only half the battle — these fish can grow to more than 40 inches long, so landing one through the ice was going to be tough.
We set up shop and began jigging in 60 feet of water. Large spoons, tube jigs and Rapala Slab Raps were our lures of choice, and we tipped our offerings with sucker meat.
Just 20 minutes in, I marked a fish 40 feet down on my flasher. I reeled my Slab Rap up to the same level, and it was immediately hammered. Fish on!
The fish put up a decent fight, but it didn’t feel like a big Mackinaw. Sure enough, my catch turned out to be a large pikeminnow — an exciting start, but not what we were after.
Things went quiet for a while, but the excitement resumed when my buddy Tom hooked up. As I went over to help him land the fish, it was obvious we were dealing with a different animal. The fish peeled line off Tom’s reel with ease, and it took us a good five minutes to wrestle it to the surface.
To our delight, Tom’s catch was a Mackinaw! To our surprise, it wasn’t a particularly big one, measuring about 20 inches long, and skinny. After seeing the fight in that fish, I was even more intrigued to see what a big one would do.
The rest of the day followed suit. The bites were few and far between, but most were lake trout. Our young friend Carson landed an 18-incher. Tom — who wasn’t even using a flasher — put a second skinny, 20-inch Mackinaw on the ice. My buddy Caleb was pleasantly surprised by a huge Kokanee salmon. And then, finally, it was my turn for a Mack attack.
Just like the pikeminnow, I marked a fish about halfway up in the water column and reeled up to it. The fish nibbled once and then took, and I set the hook hard.
Using a 40-inch, heavy action ice rod spooled with braided line, I was prepared for a monster. Alas, my fish was on the small side. It was still a fun fight, but nothing like the Mackinaw battle I waged on Lake Michigan a few summers ago.
With Caleb at the ready, I hoisted the fish up through more than two feet of ice and slush. Sadly, just before we could grab it, the hook became lodged in the slush and the fish slipped off. Even though the Mackinaw was in the same class as the ones we’d already landed, it was disappointing not to get my hands on it.
All in all, it was a fun day and a cool learning experience, with four Mackinaws and a few bonus surprises to show for our efforts. I’ll definitely be back — hopefully to wrestle a Sharlie-sized trout from the depths.
Tight lines!
Join me for Trout of This World!
Mackinaw trout will be one of several topics of discussion at my next fishing class, Trout of This World, happening March 31 at the Hilton Garden Inn Boise Spectrum. Only a few spots remain as of this writing.
Learn more and register on my website, www.tightlines208.com.
Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters since he was a teen. Share your fish stories, adventures, tips and tricks with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com or visit www.tightlines208.com.