I ran down to the Quincy Wildlife Area to see how many people showed up to fish the lakes that opened last Monday. The parking areas and shorelines on Burke Lake and Quincy Lake were packed. It was great to see all the families out enjoying the early trout season. There are many lakes scattered over Eastern Washington known for excellent fishing in the early season.

I continue to hear good reports on the kokanee fishing on Lake Chelan. Anglers are getting limits of fish of 10 to 12 inches. The best action is still above the Yacht Club, but it won’t be long before they migrate into even lower reaches of the lake. The fish are still deep, and downriggers are being used to get them.

I fished Lake Chelan earlier this winter, and I put two rods on downriggers and two out the back of the boat with 4 ounce cannon balls. Even though we were marking schools at 120 feet, we still got fish on the back rods that were out 70 to 100 feet. The fishing for giant kokanee on Lake Roosevelt is getting better and better. The lake continues to drop, and fish are being taken from the Keller area all the way down to the can line above the dam. Last time I was up there I fished with Alan Greenhalgh, owner of Kokabow Fishing Tackle, in Meridian, Idaho.
I shot a video of him giving some great information about kokanee strategies. Go to the FishingMagician.com Facebook Page and click on the link to watch. You can also search my YouTube Page by searching Dave Graybill to find it.

I was pleased to see how many people found the video as soon as I got it up on my YouTube channel. I also want to thank everyone for the great positive comments that the video has received. I plan on doing a lot more informative videos this season. This week’s photo is of me with Alan on Lake Roosevelt.

Now that our weather has warmed up a bit, and the ice is clearing off, anglers are getting out on the lakes that are open year-round in the region. Some are even going to great lengths to get on the water. Billy Clapp Lake, which is east of Soap Lake is drawn down every winter, and it is still way below the level it fills to in the spring.
Anglers still have to back their boats across the sand to reach the water. Only anglers with smaller boats are doing this, but I hear that it is worth the effort. The rainbow fishing has been excellent at Billy Clapp in the spring, and limits can be taken right now. The trout are running from 14 to 18 inches. Flatlining Rapalas is a very effective method in the early spring.

I want to remind anglers that many of the lakes that used to be scheduled to open on April 1st in the Seep Lakes Wildlife Area in Grant County, are either open year-round or on the 4th week of April. It is worth reading through the Washington Sport Fishing Pamphlet to identify these lakes, as they offer some terrific early season fishing, not only for rainbow. Some of them provide excellent fishing for spiny ray species.

I was sent a photo of a whopper rainbow caught on Fourth of July Lake, which straddles Adams and Lincoln counties. I want to point out that this lake opens in the fall and closes on March 31st, so if you want to give it a try, better do so soon. Another lake that is located in these two counties is Sprague Lake, between Ritzville and Spokane. Anglers keep a close eye on this one to plan trips as soon as the ice comes off. Sprague is one of the better producers of big rainbow trout, and also offers very good fishing for bluegill and crappie.

Another lake that is in Lincoln County and attracts its biggest crowds in the early spring is Coffee Pot Lake. It is a quality lake with selective fishery rules. It opened on March 1st. This lake is very popular with fly fishers, and has a one fish limit, with 18 inches the minimum size that can be kept.

There are many lakes in Okanogan County that are open year round now, but a couple that get special attention as soon as the ice comes off are Upper and Lower Green Lakes, and Rat Lake. These are all selective gear lakes, with a two-fish limit and the trout must be 14 inches.

As many of you know, Washington State Parks offer several days a year when the public can access the parks without paying the usual day-use fee. State Parks will be celebrating their 108th Anniversary on March 19th this  year and it has been designated a free day. The free days are in keeping with legislation that created the Discover Pass, which costs $30 for an annual pass or $10 for a one-day pass and is required for vehicle access to state recreation lands managed by Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The Discover Pass legislation provided that State Parks could designate up to 12 free days when the pass would not be required to visit state parks. The free days apply only at state parks; the Discover Pass is still required on WDFW and DNR lands.

As April 1st gets closer, it will be time to renew your fishing license. Don’t let this date get by you. It is easy to renew online. It really helps to have your 2020 license handy when you do this. Those who have reached the age of 70 there are significant discounts for licenses. It is worth looking this up on page 12-13 in the Washington Sport Fishing Pamphlet. For example, a freshwater license costs just $7.50.

Another thing that I wanted to mention as spring approaches is that many species of wildlife become active. There is a lot of information dealing with wildlife on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website. I just went to www.wdfw.wa.gov and entered “living with wildlife” in the search box at the top right hand side of their page. I mention this as we had a black bear regularly visiting our neighbors chicken coop last year. We also had a cougar removed just up the street from my home here in Leavenworth.