The weather has played havoc with my fishing plans of late. It is particularly frustrating as there are several really terrific fisheries getting started in the region. It looks like there will be a change for the better and there will be some great fishing ahead for the early fall season.

Since I wasn’t going to be able to fish on Tuesday I thought I would look for fish and maybe at least see some. I had hoped that the recent rain we had here in the upper Valley would draw some coho into the Icicle. I stopped at a couple of places where I could see them rolling if they were in the river, but no luck and no evidence that they had arrived. When I last checked the fish counts about 6,000 coho have passed over Rock Island Dam and only 2,000 over Rocky Reach, so there could be a significant number of them in the Wenatchee River. I guess they are waiting for more water in the Icicle before they make their move. I will continue to keep an eye out for them. Another place I like to go to “salmon watch” is in the Tumwater Canyon. There’s a tailout and a deep hole below the bridge at the old Tumwater Campground where they will stack up, and sure enough I found a bunch of kings in there. There is a pullout just below where I look for fish on the right-hand side of the road on the way up the canyon, and a short walk to where I can see them. It’s quite a sight and I love to watch them roll and jump in the hole.

There is good news for anglers that are fans of fishing for coho on the upper Columbia River. The river is open to coho retention from above Priest Rapids Dam to Wells Dam and remains open for Chinook. Anglers are allowed to keep two adult Chinook and two coho. All wild Chinook must be released. From Highway 173 Bridge at Brewster to the rock jetty at Foster Creek anglers may also keep two adult Chinook but must release all wild fish. Also, the Icicle River has opened for coho fishing. The recent rain that fell in our region helped a little, but still wasn’t enough to draw coho into the Icicle. I have been checking the river and it is very low and clear and have I yet to see any signs of coho in the river. I am sure that they are holding up in the deeper holes in the Wenatchee and will rush up when the water levels increase in the Icicle. A new section of the Icicle has been opened this year, too, and will give anglers more water to fish. Please visit the WDFW website and read the most recent release about the Icicle and upper Columbia River updates details.

Everything came together, and I got to fish Potholes Reservoir last week. I jumped on guide, Brian Nielson’s boat, and Mike Wren joined us. We put the boat in at the launch at Mar Don Resort, and although the reservoir is very low right now, the folks at Mar Don have placed some markers to make it easier. Anglers should be aware some launches are very shallow right now, and the sand bar off the State Park and off Crab Creek should be avoided. Brian ran the boat out to his stomping grounds northeast of the State Park, and I had a bite within five minutes. The bites came at a steady pace all morning. Mike Wren and I were using 2-ounce bottom bouncers with the sparkly green Smile Blades, and the walleye loved them. We were getting our baits picked regularly and were burning through the nightcrawlers. Not only were we missing a lot of walleye, but we also caught several largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, perch and one catfish. Brian did a great job keeping our speed at point nine mph in the gusting breeze and we had eleven walleye from 15 to 21 inches when we headed for home. This week's photo is of one of the walleye we caught on Potholes.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today it will lift its campfire and other remaining fire restrictions on most Department-managed lands. “We have seen major decreases in the fire danger statewide since last week as the recent round of storms came through this past weekend,” said Cynthia Wilkerson, WDFW’s lands division manager. “We know folks are eager to enjoy the outdoors this fall season and are pleased to be able to repeal these restrictions today. Fire danger remains high in the White Salmon and Chelan areas, but most eastside areas have moved from high to moderate and remains low in Blue Mountains due to recent rain events.”

Campfire restrictions for WDFW’s South Central Region including Benton, Franklin, Yakima and Kittitas counties will be in place through Oct. 15. A campfire ban remains in place through Oct. 15 at the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area in Adams and Grant counties. A campfire ban also remains in place through Oct. 31 at the Klickitat Wildlife Area in Klickitat County due to their drier, more sensitive nature. Campfires are always restricted on the Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area.

WDFW institutes campfire bans in hot summer months to reduce fire risk across the state on Department-managed lands and surrounding public lands and communities. These actions help protect habitat, wildlife, and human health. “There has been an increased understanding of the need for these restrictions amid large, damaging wildfires in recent years,” Wilkerson said. “We thank the public for helping reduce the risk of wildfire and continue to encourage people to recreate responsibly to prevent wildfires. This includes using alternatives to campfires such as propane stoves for cooking and fully extinguishing any campfires that do occur.”

Outdoor recreationists are encouraged to check fire restrictions for various public land management agencies before they go, as they can vary. For more information about fires and fire prevention on public lands, visit the Washington State Department of Natural Resources website or the U.S. Forest Service website. For local restrictions, residents should contact their county. Maps and detailed information about WDFW’s 33 wildlife areas are available on WDFW’s website. More information about Recreate Responsibly is available at recreateresponsibly.org/.