Trout Season Could Be A Keeper

If most of the rainbow fry released into a dozen lakes on the Columbia National Refuge last spring survived, fishing could be excellent after the waters are opened to fishing Friday.

The lakes include Upper and Lower Hampton and the 10 in the Pillar-Widgeon chain. They were treated with rotenone in 1994 to kill undesirable species and planted with fry last year. Most of the trout should be 10 to 12 inches long.

Numerous other waters in the Columbia Basin and in southeastern Washington also will be opened to fishing Friday. Unfortunately for anglers who usually fish the impoundments in the southeast corner, the Fish and Wildlife Department has been unable to plant fish as the result of damage to bridges and roads during recent flooding. Trout will be released when planting trucks can reach the impoundments.

Some of the Basin lakes could still be partially covered with ice Friday.

Because they’re being opened for the first time since they were rehabilitated, the Hamptons and the Pillar-Widgeon lakes could, if they’re ice-free, attract hundreds of anglers over the weekend.

Anglers will have a couple of months to fish Cattail, Gadwall, Hourglass, Lemna, Pillar, Poacher, Sago, Shoveler, Snipe and Widgeon. The lakes likely will be closed to fishing at the end of April and then reopened Sept. 1 for 30 more days of fishing. In future years, they’ll be open only in March and September.

Anglers who have had poor fishing at the Hamptons and the Pillar-Widgeon lakes the last few years will be keeping their fingers crossed. Like Fish and Wildlife Department officials, they’ll be hoping most of the trout released last year survived. Survival of trout fry has been poor at many Basin lakes, due in part to predation by cormorants and other predator birds.

The Fish and Wildlife Service, which operates the Columbia refuge, is forcing changes in fishing regulations. Its Environmental Impact Statement for the refuge says that refuge staff observations reinforce the view that “recreational fishing can cause disturbance to resting and breeding waterfowl” and that “Compatibility analysis determined that the current recreational fishing program is not compatible. … with migratory bird use on some areas of the refuge.”

During the last few years, the Pillar-Widgeon lakes have been open to fishing March 1 through July 31. Some biologists, particularly refuge biologists, think fishing could be better if the lakes are open only in March and again in September.

The fact remains, however, trout fishing is being curtailed on the refuge and fishermen will have to live with the decisions. Crab Creek, from Morgan Lake to O’Sullivan Dam, and all marsh unit impoundments, will be closed to fishing the year around to protect waterfowl.

The season for several waters in the south part of the refuge, all of which provide fishing for spiny-rayed species, will be lengthened. The waters, including Bobcat, Coyote and Hays Creek ponds, as well as Morgan, Hutchinson and Shiner lakes, will be open March 1 through Sept. 30. In past years, they’ve been closed July 31.

Extension of the season for the spiny-ray waters won’t make up for the loss of trout fishing on the refuge. The Basin already has a surplus of spiny-ray waters that are under-utilized.

All the refuge changes are subject to approval next month by the state Fish and Wildlife Department.

Warden Lake, stocked with about 75,000 rainbow fry and 10,000 browns last year, is expected to provide good fishing if most of the fish escaped cormorants. South Warden was planted with 12,000 rainbow fry last year; the fish should be 10 to 11 inches now.

Anglers will catch pan-sized trout from several lakes southeast of Ephrata. Upper Caliche holds fat 11-inch rainbows and Lower Caliche, rehabbed last spring to kill carp and other unwanted species, hold 10- to 11-inch rainbows, the first trout in the lake in more than 15 years.

Biologists are predicting that Burke and Quincy lakes in the Quincy Wildlife Area will kick out five-fish limits of 10- to 11-inch rainbows for many anglers. Dusty and Martha have increasing populations of spiny-rayed fish, but they’ll provide fishing for small trout.

Cascade, Cliff, Crystal, Cup, Dot, Scout and Upper and Lower Spring lakes, walk-in lakes west of Burke and Quincy, hold lots of 10-inch rainbows, plus a few carryover trout.

Lenore Lake will be opened to catch-and-release fishing for Lahontan cutthroat and Spectacle in Okanogan County is expected to yield pan-sized rainbows.

The Lahontans should average about 18 inches long, with the spread from 16 to 26 inches. Anglers likely will fish through ice at Spectacle, which is west of Tonasket.

, DataTimes MEMO: You can contact Fenton Roskelley by voice mail at 459-5577, extension 3814.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Fenton Roskelley The Spokesman-Review