This is a frustrating time of year. People are waiting for some popular fisheries to get into gear, like trout fishing on Rufus Woods Reservoir. Others are waiting for ice to form on their favorite ice fishing lakes. Safe ice can be found at higher elevations, but overall, we are in that “in between” that occurs every winter.

Fishing for big triploid trout on Rufus Woods Reservoir has been very slow, compared to previous years. As far as I know, the Colville Tribe released about the same number of fish into the reservoir this year as they have in the past. If memory serves me, close to 45,000 triploids were introduced to the reservoir in 2024. Some of the releases begin as early as late winter and continued into the spring. Last year, the fish were in the 1.5 to 1.7 pound class, and due to the terrific growth rate of these trout, they are often 3 to 5 pounds by the fall. I visited the reservoir a few times last year and fished from my boat or the shore at the middle net pens. Not only were the trout scarce, but they were also smaller, about a pound-and-a-half, than I expected. Usually, the fishing picks up in the winter, but it is off to a very slow start. However, when I spoke with my buddy Dave, who is a fish checker for the tribe, he reported that fish weighing from 2.5 to 4 pounds had been landed at Brandts Landing. Fishing is still slow, but the size is better.

The ice fishing season will be here soon, so it’s time go over your gear so you’re ready. Some lakes that are at high elevation are freezing, and the annual Molson Ice Fishing Derby is just a couple of weeks away. I have a plastic sled that holds all of my gear when I am heading out on the ice. I punched some holes along the edges and threaded elastic parachute cord back and forth across the sled. This keeps my gear from sliding off when I am dragging it along. A couple of years ago I decided to try the electric power drill method of drilling through the ice. I got a good strong drill and an adapter to attach it to the auger. It is important that you get the disk that fits on top of the auger, as the auger will slip through the hole when it’s drilled. I have several ice fishing rods and holders and folding chairs, and I also take along some carpet samples to stand or kneel on, so my feet or knees are not directly on the ice. Now I just throw in my ice fishing lure box, and I am ready to go.

One of the most popular ice fishing lakes in the region is Bonaparte Lake, which is northeast of the town of Tonasket. People brave the cold of winter to fish through the ice for a variety of species. The lake has a good population of brook trout, kokanee, rainbow trout, lake trout and tiger trout. It is also one of the lakes that has thick enough ice to support anglers early in the winter. This year, by mid-December there was 18 inches of snow on the lake and five to six inches of ice. When I visited the lake a couple of years ago catching a bunch of small rainbow was easy. There were a couple of other anglers on the lake while I was there, and they were getting tiger trout that were 15 to 16 inches. Getting tiger trout was no surprise, where they were fishing was. They were drilling their holes in only five or six feet of water. I tried for kokanee by jigging a Kokabow blade with a Swedish Pimple below it without success. The resort has been conducting an ice fishing derby and I will let you know if it’s happening again this year.

When many anglers are hunkered down in a warm place, others are digging out their winter wear and heading for Rufus Woods Reservoir. They are going to be fishing for the big triploid rainbow trout that hang around the net pens at the upper end of the reservoir. So far this season the fishing has been slow, at least for me. I haven’t had very good luck. However, according to Austin Moser, of Austins Northwest Adventures Guide Service, fishing is picking up. He sent me a photo of a youngster holding up a 12 pound triploid to prove his point. Everyone has been waiting for the triploid bite to improve and to see some bigger fish being landed. Some have speculated that colder weather would have a positive impact. Austin also mentioned that he has done some walleye fishing, but that has been fairly slow so far. This is very good news. I have landed some whopper triploids fishing the nets pens from my boat and even from the shore at the middle net pens. I recently posted a video: “Guide to Fishing upper Rufus Woods Reservoir”. It’s on the Dave Graybill YouTube channel. This week’s photo is of the 12 pound triploid the youngster caught on Rufus Woods.

When it’s winter in Washington it’s sports show season. When conditions make it tough to get outdoors, there is plenty to see and do indoors at these shows. The first one every year is the Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show in Pasco. Held every year at the HAPO Center, the show is packed with exhibitors that interest outdoor enthusiasts. There are fishing and hunting guide services and lots of things for the kids to do. They can pop balloons with a bow and arrow or shoot an air rifle at targets and catch a fish at Lunker Lake. On display this year is Maasaia the famous African lion from Working Wildlife. Mark your calendars for January 24th to the 26th and plan on attending the biggest show in Eastern Washington. Next is the Washington Sportsmen’s Show and Sportfishing Boat Show at the Fair Grounds in Puyallup. This is a huge show with rows and rows of exhibitors and a long list of seminars. It is scheduled for January 29th to February 2nd. New this year is the 3D Open Archery Challenge. There is so much to see at this show that you may want to plan two days to take it all in.