Basin comfortable for early outings

Trout anglers fishing for fun in the sun head to the Columbia Basin.

The desert-like landscape is ideal for early-season camping near dozens of fisheries where the angling action heats up as early as March 1.

Savvy anglers know that managed trout lakes usually rise to star status in the second or third year after they have been rehabilitated with rotenone.

The restocked trout have no competing species and they put on weight like pro wrestlers on steroids.

Lakes to note this season include:

Hampton Lakes are in their prime for rainbows after being rehabilitated in 2004.

Widgeon, south of Potholes Reservoir, is a short-walk-in lake rehabbed in 2004. Early season fishing has been very good, with carryover trout up to 17 inches.

Blue, Park and Vic Meyers in the Sun Lakes area south of Coulee City were just rehabbed last fall. The fishing will be good when the season opens April 28 for the catchable-size fish stocked this year. But the great fishing will kick in next season when the fry plants grow to catchable sizes.