Hunting+Fishing

Washington lowland lakes opener

Saturday marks the start of some of the best trout fishing in the region, although this year’s opening-weekend catches may be smaller in size than anglers traditionally expect.

“The trout fry we stocked in these lakes last spring and fall just hasn’t grown as much by now because of our record long, cold and snowy winter,” said WDFW District fish biologist Chris Donley in Spokane. “We’ll still have some very good fishing, but the average size of the fish will be smaller.”

Eastern Washington

Badger, Williams and West Medical lakes in southwest Spokane County and Fishtrap Lake on the Lincoln-Spokane county line should be among the best. Badger’s rainbows and cutthroats average 8-12 inches. This spring 10,000 catchables, 400 14-inch-plus rainbows and 1,000 triploids up to 1.5 pounds each were added. Donley said this will be the best year in the last 10 for big Badger Lake cutthroat.

Williams Lake should be good for limits of 10- to 18-inch trout, mostly from last year’s plants of 40,000 cutthroat fry and 108,000 rainbow fry. Williams also received 10,000 8- to 12-inch rainbows, 400 14-inch-plus rainbows and 1,500 triploids.

West Medical also should be good with more than 180,000 rainbow fry stocked last year.

Fishtrap anglers will still catch lots of 10- to 16-inch trout, including carryovers from the 2006 stocking, but last year’s fry plants may be significantly smaller than usual. Fishtrap received more than 88,000 rainbow fry last year, and this spring the lake received 15,000 8- to 12-inch rainbows, 400 14-inch-plus rainbows and 750 big triploids.

Other trout lakes that will provide decent fishing include Fish and Clear in southwest Spokane County. Both have tiger trout from fry plants last year (Clear received 20,000, Fish received 12,000). Clear also received 75,000 brown trout fry and more than 60,000 rainbow fry last year, plus 10,500 8-12-inch browns, 30,000 same-size rainbows, 400 14-inch-plus rainbows, and 1,000 big triploids this spring. Fish Lake also received about 1,700 14-inch-plus eastern brook trout this spring.

Amber Lake in southwest Spokane County shifts to a harvest season Saturday. Selective-gear rules are still in effect at Amber and only two rainbow or cutthroat trout of at least 14 inches can be retained. Amber rainbows with clipped adipose fins must be released.

Sprague Lake has 160,000 catchable-size rainbows, including about 3,200 triploid rainbows up to 1.5 pounds. Cow Lake received about 6,000 one-third-pound rainbows.

Northeast Washington

Waitts Lake has received 15,000 8- to 12-inch rainbows and 500 hatchery surplus broodstock rainbows. At Jump-Off Joe, the plants are complete – 7,500 8- to 12-inch brown trout and 4,000 rainbows of similar size.

Loon Lake in southern Stevens County has open water and will probably produce the state’s largest mackinaw on opening day. It has received 400 14-inch-plus rainbows and 750 big triploids to boost last year’s 15,000 rainbow fry. The net pen project will be releasing tiger trout.

Deer Lake has received 30,000 8- to 12-inch rainbows, 400 14-inch-plus rainbows and 1,000 triploids. Diamond, Fan and Sacheen lakes have been planted. Hatchery workers said they slipped some big brood stock in under the ice at Diamond this week.

Whenever the fishery gets under way up north, Donley said some of the best bets will be Stevens County’s Starvation Lake, which got 18,000 rainbow fry last year; Rocky Lake, with more than 5,000 rainbow fry; Deep Lake, with more than 75,000 cutthroat fry and more than 10,000 rainbow fry; and Cedar Lake, with more than 20,000 rainbow fry.

Colville Hatchery workers say the following lakes are either frozen, inaccessible or unplanted as of Thursday:

“Stevens County – Meadow, Elbow, Peppoon and Summit;

“Ferry County – Swan, Ferry, Fish, Long, Davis, Trout and Renner;

“Pend Oreille County – Browns, Skookums, Caldwell, Marshall, Muskegon, Petit, Mystic, No-name, Little Lost, Carls, Cooks and Yocum.

Central Washington

The major trout waters, Blue and Park lakes, were rehabilitated two years ago, and 2008 will be the first year for yearling rainbow grown in the lakes. Angling should be excellent, said District fish biologist Jeff Korth, and most anglers should get limits of fat 12-inch rainbow.

Warden Lake was stocked with 80,768 rainbow fingerlings last spring, but they suffer from competition with spiny rays. Many of the March 1 and April 1 openers are still fishing well, especially Quincy and Burke lakes and the Hampton Lakes, and the quality waters Dusty, Lenore and Dry Falls are good to excellent.

Besides the usual 5,000 rainbow fingerlings, an additional 5,000 10- to 12-inch rainbow trout were stocked in Deep Lake.

Perch Lake is among the most consistent waters in the Basin. Limits of 12-inch rainbow are generally the rule.

The Okanogan

Conconully Reservoir should be good for rainbow trout 11-12 inches with carryover fish to 15 inches. Pearrygin Lake will be good for 11-inch rainbows. Alta Lake will be good for rainbows up to 15 inches and Fish Lake near Sinlahekin should be good for yearling rainbows up to 11 inches.

Selective-gear-rule lakes that open Saturday are expected to provide good fishing, including Blue Lake near Sinlahekin for browns and rainbows 12-18 inches; Ell Lake near Tonasket for rainbows up to 15 inches; and Big Twin Lake near Winthrop for 10- to 12-inch rainbows with a few carryover fish to 15 inches.

Fly-fishing-only Aeneas Lake near Tonasket should be good for rainbows 11-13 inches on the Saturday opener. Another fly-fishing-only water, Chopaka Lake, was recently rehabilitated. But spring plants of 10- to 12-inch rainbows should provide decent early-season fishing, along with some larger 14- to 16-inch fish.

Some of the Okanogan County lakes that opened April 1 are also a good bet.

Salmon

The Snake River below Ice Harbor Dam, and the area between Texas Rapids and one mile upstream of Little Goose Dam, has opened for spring/summer chinook fishing.

Some spring chinook are being caught at Wind River and Drano Lake where boat and bank effort is increasing.

Other species

Sturgeon fishing on the Columbia River is excellent. The area immediately below Bonneville Dam will close Thursday, but fishing below the closed waters should continue hot.

Westport will open for halibut Thursday and close when the catch quota of 44,700 pounds is achieved.