People are out in force at the lakes in the area that have a layer of ice on them that will allow for ice fishing. I visited a couple of spots last week, and although the weather was warming and there was water and slush on top of the ice, people are still having a blast fishing for trout, perch and big whitefish. I hope you are ready for early season trout fishing on open water.

Anglers across the state are pulling out their rods, reels and tackle boxes to get ready for the March 1st trout fishing season on several lakes in Eastern Washington. Many of the most popular lakes are near Quincy and George, in Washington. The crowds that flock to the Quincy Wildlife Area grow every year, as the lakes in this area offer very good trout fishing each spring. Both Quincy and Burke lakes receive plants of catchable rainbow to assure good fishing, and the nearby walk-in lakes offer trout of larger size. Also in the Wildlife Area is Dusty Lake, which is a selective fishing quality lake that is reached via a steep trail. Fly fishers will carry their float tubes and pontoon boats down to fish for the big trout that inhabit the lake. Not many miles away, near the town of George, Martha Lake and Caliche Lake also attract anglers on the March 1st opener. The Annual Quincy Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby is planned for late March this year, to be sure that conditions will be good for the derby. You can learn more about the derby by clicking on the “Something Fishy in Quincy” logo on my website at FishingMagician.com. This week’s photo was taken during a previous Trout Derby weekend.

I have some important information for those who want to ice fish for whitefish on Banks Lake. Starting on Saturday evening, the Bureau of Reclamation is going to start pumping water into Banks and will continue through Monday morning. As many of you know, the inlet is at the very top end of the lake, where people ice fish. This will very likely make the ice unstable and should be avoided. I have loaded my truck with a variety of gear, including a fly rod and ice fishing equipment. My first stop will be at Rocky Ford Creek. This is a great place to fly fish in the winter, and with any luck I may hook one of the big rainbow that inhabit the stream. Then I am going to stop at Billy Clapp, which is about 16 miles from Soap Lake. I just want to see if the ice is preventing folks from fishing from shore here or launching boats. Then, I want to check on the ice in the Coulee City Marina.

I did what I mentioned last week, I had plans to visit several places that offer winter fishing opportunities in the region. My first stop was at Rocky Ford Creek. There is a mile-long access to this flowing water that starts at the Trout Lodge Hatchery. It is special for a couple of reasons. Number one is that it is spring-fed and doesn’t freeze, so fly fishers can practice their sport clear through the winter, as long as the outdoor temperature isn’t cold enough to freeze your lines to your guides. The other reason Rocky Ford is so special is that through an agreement with the WDFW, Trout Lodge maintains the population of rainbow trout to keep anglers busy. It is famous for whopper rainbow that can be seen from the shore and bridges along the length of the stream. My wife caught a 25 incher just above the lower bridge once and will never forget it. She landed it using a very light weight fly rod her father had made for her. I have checked on Rocky Ford a few time this this winter, and this time I saw that the weeds have cleared out and conditions are the best so far this winter season. Check the regs for special rules here.

I am continuing to look for ice fishing opportunities in the region, so I checked on a couple of lakes in the Methow Valley. I called Lance at The Outdoorsman in Winthrop, and he had good news for me. Patterson Lake, that is a favorite of mine, is attracting lots of anglers. There are nine species of fish in the lake. While most people are fishing for yellow perch, the lake also has other spiny rays, including bluegill and crappie. Trout species include rainbow and tiger trout, and these tigers are sought after for their fight. There is also a good population of kokanee in the lake. Another option is Davis Lake, near Twisp. This is a quality trout lake, with selective gear rules, which means no bait and barbless hooks. The rainbow kept must be at least 14 inches, and the daily limit is two. Another quality lake, with selective gear rules, that is often overlooked is near Brewster. Rat Lake is just a few miles west of the town. The lake is known to produce good catches of both rainbow and brown trout. The daily limit at Rat Lake is two fish, and they must be over 14 inches.

It looks like the ice fishing season is going to continue, in many areas, especially those at higher elevations. As I have reported, there are many great opportunities for winter fun on the ice throughout the region. You may want to get a copy of my Winter E-Letter. It is dedicated to ice fishing, and if you sign up now, you will also receive the Update for February. In the Update I provide maps of the better ice fishing lakes, a video on How To Setup for Ice Fishing, that can only be viewed by subscribers, and some tips and tricks from Austin Moser on Winter Fishing on Rufus Woods Reservoir. Just click on the e-letter button on the Home Page of my website, FishingMagician.com. I have just finished the E-letter and the Update and will get copies to your inbox right away. There are a couple of videos you may want to watch on ice fishing at Red Rock Lake and Roses Lake that you will find on the Dave Graybill YouTube channel. Make the most of this winter with ice fishing fun!