Ice fishing is attracting more and more anglers every season. I have been checking on the ice fishing at Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee and I am seeing big crowds enjoying the perch fishing. I also got a look at Roses Lake and Dry Lake near Manson and got to try the ice fishing at Red Rock Lake, which is near Royal City. Again, there were lots of anglers and even families with their kids having fun on the ice.

Some buddies of mine mentioned that they had fun fishing for perch at Red Rock Lake, near Royal City, a while ago, and they thought that the ice should be thick enough to try this past weekend. So, on Saturday I met James Lebow, Ryan Harris and Tyler Bergquist there. Only a couple of vehicles were in the parking area when we arrived, and we could see several groups already fishing. We walked out on the clear, fractured ice and picked a likely looking spot. We drilled a test hole through four or five inches of ice and Tyler fired up his Hummingbird fish finder. He saw there was a bunch of perch right below us. Soon we had four holes drilled and were all reeling them in. Tyler even brought his ice fishing hut and set it up with a heater in it. The bite would come and go, but we were piling up a good number of “keeper” perch on the ice. We were putting back quite a few smaller fish, and if you try fishing here plan on doing some sorting. We fished for just a couple of hours and Ryan had a big bag of keepers to take home. This week’s photo is of Tyler at Red Rock Lake.

I decided to drive up to Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee, two Sundays ago to check things out. I had an idea that there would be lot of people out, as the forecast was for a sunny day. Even though it was going to be chilly, it looked like it would be one of those days that ice fishermen look forward to at this lake near Leavenworth. Sure enough, when I arrived at about 8:30 that morning the parking area was almost full, and there were people loading their sleds and preparing to get out on the ice. I walked out and found that there were parties of anglers scattered all over the lower end of the lake, and about as far as I could see in the early morning fog. I didn’t bother to check the thickness of the ice, as it was obvious that it was holding large groups around some of the holes. I still advise people to be sure that it is thick enough for safety before getting everything set up. It’s not a good idea to set up your hut first, and then decide, after drilling the first hole, that you would be nervous fishing in that spot!

I did a drive by at Roses Lake, which is just over the hill at Manson on Lake Chelan. People are always curious about the ice there. You see the Department of Fish and Wildlife plants a large number of rainbow in Roses Lake every fall. When the ice is thick enough for safe fishing, it can be very good. In 2024 Roses was stocked with 25,000 triploid rainbow trout, 6,000 rainbow, 2,000 brown trout and 2,000 tiger trout. You can see why ice fishermen would like to get at these various trout. Roses Lake is also inhabited with abundant numbers of crappie, bluegill, perch and catfish. It had snowed a couple of inches the day before I checked on the lake so I could see no evidence of holes drilled in the ice. I can report that the access road and parking area has been plowed, and the restrooms are open. I also was surprised to find something new. There was a brand-new fishing pier off one of the shore accesses that I hadn’t seen before. It’s a dandy, too. With a long ramp to place it in deep water off the shore and even benches for anglers. Nice!

When I checked on Roses Lake the other day, I also drove the shore of Dry Lake, which is pretty much next door to Roses. When I lived in Chelan I fished Dry Lake often, and for years after I moved away. The lake is loaded with spiny rays, including bluegill, crappie and largemouth bass. I have spent many hours cruising its shoreline casting from a small boat. I have often wondered why people don’t fish here when it is frozen over. It is a very shallow lake and should form a good thickness of ice sooner than neighboring Rose Lake. Maybe it’s because all there was in here was spiny rays. Well, that’s changed. I learned that last year Dry Lake was stocked with 1,000 brown trout and 1,000 tiger trout. I think this has been going on for a few years now. There is a public access at the east end of the lake. It’s not very big and the parking area is small. Maybe there is some opportunity for ice fishers at Dry Lake.

I guess it’s a case of old habits die hard. My fishing friends and I are in the habit of fishing from the shore at the middle net pens on Rufus Woods and catching fish. We have been doing this for years. I’m not saying we are always getting our two-fish limits, but we have had days when four of us have done so after fishing for just a few hours. Not so on Thursday. James Lebow and I just had to give it another try. Our supply of triploid fillets is either low or gone, and we both would like to get enough for a smoker load. However, it didn’t happen on this trip. Just after we arrived the fish checkers came by and said that so far this month the fishing has been slow. Banks Lake is still mostly open water and hasn’t frozen enough for ice fishing for whitefish that is popular this time of year. I checked on the ice in the Coulee City Marina, on the way home, and the ice isn’t thick enough there either. Rufus needs to warm up and Banks needs to get colder. What a spot we are in.