I was looking at the forecast for the near future, and it wasn’t pretty.  I am seeing single digits in some areas.  I hope everyone travels safely to their get-togethers with family and friends over the Holidays.  If you plan to go outdoors, better be prepared for some very chilly temperatures.  I guess the good news is that ice fishing season is upon us.
I know I mentioned it earlier, but I wanted to talk about the radical change I made for ice fishing last year.  No, I didn’t get one of those ice fishing shacks, but I admit I am jealous of the folks that have them.  What I did was adapt my auger so I could drill holes in the ice using an electric drill.  I was considering a gas powered unit, but they were pretty pricey.  It appeared that a gas unit would take up a lot of room on my sled and then there was the gas issue. Mixing fuel, carrying fuel and the possibility of it leaking didn’t appeal to me.  Going electric eliminated all of these issues.  I found a good price on a 25 volt drill and also bought a heavy duty battery to go with it.  When I shopped for an adapter I made sure it was one that had a shield at the top end, so if the adapter comes free from the drill my auger wouldn’t fall through the hole in the ice.  I found the right adapter with the shield on line.  It is made by Frozen Lines and cost about 30 bucks, I made the right choices.  This unit cuts through the ice very quickly with my six-inch auger.  The electric drill came with a handle that really helps keep it level with the auger.  As far as I am concerned, the electric is the way to go.  This week’s photo is of the auger and drill with the adapter.

As I said earlier, temperatures remain very chilly throughout the region, so anglers are starting to sharpen up their augers and are getting ready for ice fishing season.  There are some reports filtering in about places where people are actually getting out on the ice and drilling holes.  Earlier this week I got a photo from one of my followers showing 8 inches of ice on Curlew Lake and they said that rainbow and perch were being caught.  I have also heard that there is good ice fishing at Bonaparte Lake, which is known to produce good catches of rainbow trout, kokanee, and big tiger trout.  There will be cabins available to rent this winter at Bonaparte Lake Resort, and the restaurant at Bonaparte Lake Resort will open sometime in January.

I traveled to Moses Lake on Thursday, and it appeared that the lake is completely frozen over.  I spotted people on the ice on one of the inlets at the far eastern shore just off the freeway. I saw one angler fishing off Blue Heron Park, which is up lake from the I-90 Bridge.  This was in the afternoon, so I don’t know how many people were out there in the morning.  Just how thick the ice was, I can’t say.  I always advise caution when first trying a lake for the first time.  I know people are hoping that they can find the “jumbo” perch that Moses Lake has been known for. Perch measuring over 13 inches have been caught through the ice on Moses Lake in the past.  

Another place that can produce excellent catches of perch when we have a good cold winter like this one, is Lind Coulee.  I have seen big groups of anglers scattered across the ice from Road M, down toward Potholes Reservoir below the bridge that crosses the coulee.  If Potholes freezes I would try outside the log booms at the Mar Don launch.

On Lake Roosevelt, during the winter season, camping is only available in Kettle Falls, Fort Spokane, and Spring Canyon campgrounds. Campsites are limited to:  Kettle Falls: loop 1, Fort Spokane: loop 1, Spring Canyon: lower loop.  Reservations are required but can be made in advance or from the campground upon arrival with adequate cell phone service. Reservations must be made at recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777. Individual campsites are available for winter camping at $11.50 per night.

There is no water service at Lake Roosevelt during the winter months. Vault toilets are available but will be cleaned on a limited basis. Please plan accordingly for water and restroom facilities.  Snow removal and sanding procedures run from November 1 to March 31 once two or more inches of snow have accumulated. The following locations are plowed on an as-needed basis:  Kettle Falls boat launch and campground loop 1 road. Parking pads at campsites 3, 6, 9, 10, and 13 will also be plowed.  Gifford boat launch.  Fort Spokane boat launch and the campground road to the vault toilet will be plowed. Parking pads at campsites 1,2, 3, and 4 will also be plowed. Keller Ferry boat launch. Spring Canyon boat launch and lower campground loop road (but not individual campsites). Additional locations may be plowed as weather and safety conditions allow. 

I enjoy fishing on Lake Roosevelt in the winter months from the shore at Spring Canyon.  They keep the road plowed and there usually isn’t too much snow to hike through to get to the beach.  Also, I have been able to drive through the park to the east of the Keller Boat launch to reach a good spot to fish from shore.

WDFW and ODFW ask for your input on recreational fall Chinook salmon seasons in the mainstem Columbia River. Please complete this survey at https://publicinput.com/columbiariverfallchinook no later than Jan. 15, 2023.   Fall salmon seasons have closed earlier than anticipated in recent years due to impacts to ESA-listed stocks. Fishery managers are considering ways to reduce the likelihood of this outcome in the future.  The survey lists several possible management strategies for future Columbia River fisheries and asks anglers to identify which strategies they would most like to see. The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. 

If you don’t run into me ice fishing, you may see me on Rufus Woods bank fishing for big triploid rainbow trout!