The wintry mix that has been falling off and on throughout the region has made it difficult for anglers to plan for a day outside. There are many though that ignore the weather, gear up and get out there no matter what Mother Nature throws at them. They are meeting with a range of success.

When I want to check on what’s going on with anglers in Okanogan County, I contact Jack in the fishing department at North 40 Outfitters. This store is a popular spot for fishermen, who stop by to resupply and share their experiences with Jack. Although angling is at a low ebb with the cold and wet weather, there are some bright spots. One of the best places to cast a line right now is at Omak Lake. According to Jack, there are three fly fishers that are fishing from Nicholson Beach, known as Beer Can Beach, and are fishing here about every other day. So, fishing must be worthwhile. He also mentioned that anglers are casting spoons from this same beach with success. The Lahontan cutthroat that inhabit Omak Lake often grab these lures on the drop. Cutts of 3 or 4 pounds are common here. I want to remind anglers who may want to try fishing from the shore at Omak Lake that a Colville Tribal Fishing License and an Access Permit are required. You can visit the tribal Fish and Wildlife page on their website (www.cct-fnw) to learn the costs and even acquire what you need online. Rufus Woods has been quiet so far this winter for triploid rainbow trout, but anglers using jigs are getting walleye on the Nespelem Bar. Jack shared that if you are planning to fish Brandts Landing on Rufus Woods, there better be some current. If there is no flow, fishing is slow at Brandts. The last time I checked with my buddy Dave, who is a fish checker with the Colville Tribe, and patrols from Chief Joseph Dam to Brandts Landing, fishing hasn’t been great yet this winter, with mostly smaller trout being landed.

There are several options available to anglers in our area. Steelhead fishing has slowed down on the Methow and the main stem Columbia River, but there are some dandy fish being landed. I just had to share a photo of a terrific hatchery steelhead that my brother Rick got on a recent trip to Pateros on my Facebook page. You may not get big numbers of steelhead, but you might get a whopper like his. I also hear that there are good numbers of kokanee being landed on Lake Chelan. This is actually a good time of year to look for kokanee on the lake. Ever since anglers realized that kokanee can be caught in the winter, there are pretty fair numbers of them out there and they have pretty good success through the chilly months. I had a stellar day in January a few years ago. My fishing buddy and I landed two limits of fish that averaged 12 inches, and the highlight was landing all four fish when we hooked a quad. My next trip may be for perch on Moses Lake. The last batch was so tasty I want to get a bunch more in the freezer. This week’s photo is of brother Rick and his very nice hatchery steelhead.

It’s still a ways away, but I wanted to get the word out early about the annual Northwest Ice Fishing Festival in Molson, near Oroville. This will be the 21st year that the community has conducted the event, and it just gets bigger and better every year. I attended the event several years ago and was very impressed with how this small community turns out to make sure everyone is having a good time. It will take place on Saturday, January 18th this year and the actual fishing will be on nearby Sidley Lake. Registration can be done online through the Oroville Washington Chamber of Commerce website. Also, you can register at the event starting at 7 a.m. and the derby starts at eight and runs through one. There is a wonderful breakfast served at the Molson Grange Hall, and a lunch provided by Sitzmark. Hot chocolate will be available right on the lake while you’re fishing. Thanks to a functioning aerator on the lake, fishing has vastly improved the past few years, and the size of the trout is impressive now, and last year’s winner caught both a rainbow and cutthroat. The festival is sponsored by the Oroville Chamber and proceeds benefit the local community. This is truly a very fun event that the whole family can enjoy.

Like many anglers here in Central Washington, I was thrilled to see the steelhead season open after a nine-year closure. I have made several trips; the first one was to Wells Dam. This was for many years my go-to spot for steelhead. I spent several seasons back trolling below the dam, off the long bar, with divers and shrimp, and had great success. Then I discovered the fun of fishing with a bobber and jig. I learned how to pace my drift to keep a straight line to my bobber and how far to put the boat from the shore and many other things that come into play when fishing from a boat here. I had many great days and caught a bunch of great fish. My first trip to Wells on the opening day of the season this year was a bust. My buddy Rollie Schmitten and I didn’t catch any steelhead on our bobber and jig set ups. Rollie remembers the first time I took him to Wells for steelhead and we were busy hooking fish. I look forward to giving Wells another try this season. On one trip this year I hooked a big steelhead that jumped in front of the boat before my line broke!

I plan on making a road trip to check on a few locations in Grant County in the coming week, and I will let you know what I learn.