Wallowa Lake is shown above.

WALLOWA LAKE — We rented a boat at the marina, Number 42, called Lucky. We appreciated the name more when we saw the monikers given to a few of the other boats: Flippy and Oopsi.

Eight-year-old Isaac Flaherty claimed the middle seat, James settled in the front, while I primed old Smoky, the 6-horsepower Evinrude. As we motored away in Lucky, it came out that Isaac had never caught a trout before. He had some bluegill and other finny creatures to his credit, but no trout, no kokanee.

We chased the kokanee hard for two hours because that’s what you do when you go to Wallowa Lake; no bites, no bent rods on the other boats. We eased back up to the head of the lake, to the mouth of the river.

Isaac’s bait hit the water, settled to the bottom, and then it was inhaled by a rainbow. Stung, it raced one way, and then the other, then broke the surface like a rainbow should.

That was when we realized we’d forgotten the net.

The next fish fell to Isaac as well, but by that time I’d settled on a streamer with a red marabou tail, a body of red sparkle chenille and a short CDC collar. Big trout elevated to inspect it while the light was on the water. When the sun slid behind the ridge, the action heated up. I’d lay the line into the current, let it drift around and let the fly sink on a tight line. A couple of twitches and the line would straighten out.

The third trout ripped line off the reel till I thought he’d be into the backing. Five minutes later, I still hadn’t seen him. A lake trout perhaps, or better yet, a bull trout. With one hand on the rod, I pulled out my regulations. Lake trout were legal. Bull trout were not, but they, with the landlocked sockeye, are the native fish of this great lake.

The leader showed above the surface, and moments later the trout elevated. Light speckles against an olive body, its fins rimmed in white. The fish allowed me to guide it in on the 4X leader.

Measured against the rod, it went 23 inches and, thus admired, it slipped out of my hand, gave a hard kick and disappeared into the clean, clear blue water. Wallowa Lake may be capable of turning out world record kokanee, but it can also turn out world-class fishing for other species. I’d glimpsed several rainbows that would have tipped the scales at 3 to 4 pounds or more.

If a busy summer weekend looks too crowded on Wallowa Lake, there are other great options.

The best timing for Anthony Lakes might be late June or early July. Anthony Lakes is a 22-acre lake in the shadow of Angel Peak. The launch is suitable for small boats. Canoes are great here, as are float tubes. The deep water off the shoreline shelves produce fast action for rainbows. A person should also plan to fish nearby Mud, Grande Ronde and Black lakes. There are three campgrounds. If you forget the mosquito repellent, you will be leaving early.

Another one of my favorites is 110-acre Willow Creek Reservoir. Try to fish this one in early June. Look for trout water along the rip-rapped south bank and across the lake along the north shore. The water drops off quickly to a maximum depth of 85 feet at the dam. Good bank fishing access makes this reservoir a safe bet for anglers without a boat. Drive past the boat launch along the south shore and take a gravel road down to a parking lot above a riprap bank. Walk down to the water or fish from the car. A trail along an old roadbed provides plenty of room for fishermen to spread out.

Willow Creek Campground is located high on the western shore, overlooking the dam and the lake. Managed by the city of Heppner (541-676-9618), the camp is open from March 1 into November.

A lot of anglers have stayed home and the fish are getting fatter.

After a crazy spring, a road trip for rainbows sounds good to me. Make sure to put new line on the reels and check the tackle boxes for all the necessaries. This should be a trout season to remember.