Fly fishermen find exclusive waters in select fisheries

A small portion of Washington’s managed fisheries are designated fly-fishing only.

Many high-quality trout lakes, such as Amber Lake in Spokane County, are designated “selective fisheries,” where single-barbless hooks are required, bait is prohibited and catch limits and use of motors are restricted.

But 13 waters are geared especially for fly-fishing in Western Washington along with 11 on the East Side, including a new reservoir that will debut as a fly-fishing only water when the fishing season opens Saturday.

Upper Wheeler Reservoir, 11 miles southwest of Wenatchee, will be the state’s newest addition to the fly-fishing-only waters thanks to access agreements with the Wenatchee Heights Reclamation District and the Wenatchee Valley Fly Fishers.

Anglers will be required to release all trout caught, although other species can be retained.

The reservoir was nearly drained last fall, leaving Washington Fish and Wildlife Department biologists wary that any carryover fish could survive.

“We thought maybe some doom and gloom, but I went in and did some hook and line sampling; fished 15 minutes and caught one fat rainbow about 14 inches long,” said Travis Maitland, district biologist. “Considering that the reservoir was still half-covered with ice and the water was cold, I left optimistic that the population overwintered okay. I expect anglers will catch some nice fish.

“We’re going to wait a month or so and monitor angler reports before we think about stocking more fish in there.”

Other fly-fishing waters in Eastern Washington include:

Long Lake in Ferry County; Bayley and McDowell lakes in Stevens County; Browns Lake and creek in Pend Oreille County; Quail Lake in Adams County; Rocky Ford Creek in Grant County; Aeneas and Chopaka in Okanogan County; Big Four in Columbia County; Leech in Yakima County.

Bayley Lake, in Stevens on the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge, “Should be great, as usual, this spring with fry-plant rainbow and lots of large carryovers,” said Bill Baker, state fisheries biologist in Colville.

McDowell Lake, also on the refuge, was treated with rotenone last fall to rid the lake of tench and re-stocked this spring with jumbo fish. Baker expects good fishing this season, especially late in the season and next year.