The spring like weather is creating more and more opportunities for anglers in the region. As the ice disappears, more lakes that offer good trout fishing open up. I was hoping that the great perch fishing we had on Moses Lake last fall would carry into the spring. A recent trip to Moses Lake would indicate that it is.

My buddy James called me at 6:30 asking if I was on my way to Moses Lake. He said the wind was blowing and it may make fishing tough on the lake. I told him I was almost to Quincy, so he said to come on ahead and we would see what happens. What happened was about an hour of really good perch fishing—in spite of the wind that was blowing twelve to fifteen miles per hour. Along with our other fishing buddy Tyler, we tried fishing above the I-90 Bridge, but the anchor wouldn’t hold. The same thing happened when we spotted a good school of fish a ways below the bridge, where it wasn’t quite as windy. We finally found a bunch of fish right below the bridge, so we tied up to one of the pilings. We got off to a slow start but stuck with it and at about ten o’clock we got into a great bite. Every perch we got was a keeper and we got one that was 13 inches and another that was even bigger. I want to get back down there when the wind isn’t howling and get more of these jumbos! This week’s photo is of me holding two of these whopper perch.

On my way home from perch fishing on Moses Lake, I took a detour to check on a couple of lakes in the Quincy Wildlife Area. Both Burke and Quincy lakes had just enough open water on them to make it possible for anglers to fish on the March 1st early season opener. Now there isn’t any sign of ice. The boat ramps, both gravel and improved, are being used by boaters. Quincy Lake covers fifty four acres and there is good shore access on the lake. There is a large flat about midway up the south shore, but other than that there is deep enough water for shore anglers to reach water that cruising rainbow find attractive. Many anglers prefer Burke Lake, as it has better shore access along both the north and south shores. There is a gravel launch and a launch with a dock on Burke. Anglers can also access the very east end of Burke Lake. Look for the public fishing sign on the highway between Quincy and George to find it. There is a gravel launch here that can accommodate small boats. There is even a vault toilet at this end of the lake.

When I checked on Burke and Quincy lakes in the Quincy Wildlife Area, I also stopped at Evergreen Reservoir. Unlike Burke and Quincy, this reservoir is a spiny ray lake. There is a long list of species available in this 247 acre lake. The primary target of angers are the largemouth and smallmouth bass and walleye. There is good population of tiger muskie in the lake as well. Because it is a reservoir, it is drawn down in the winter, and the water is well below the ramp right now. The reservoir usually starts to fill sometime in April. Evergreen has been a favorite of mine for many years. My wife and I have spent many days on the reservoir fishing for bass. We will never forget the time I hooked a big tiger muskie and she managed to get it into the net. That was a real thrill. There is a boat launch at the west end of the reservoir. I usually put my boat in at the east end. This access is reached off the highway from Quincy to George. You can cast for bass on both sides of the reservoir, and troll down the middle for walleye.

The ice that had covered many lakes in our region is going fast, and I wanted to check on the condition of the ice on Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee. Ice fishers come from far and wide to visit this lake in the winter. It has a great population of yellow perch, which seem to be the main attraction, as well rainbow trout, kokanee, plus some other species. I stopped by here a couple of times this winter and, particularly if there was sunshine in the weather forecast for the weekend, there would be large numbers of ice fishers scattered across the lake, and many huts set up on the ice. I have talked to anglers that have come from Moses Lake to try their luck here. It is also popular with those who travel from the west side of the mountains, as it is the closest lake, being just off of Highway 2, and just 20 miles from Leavenworth. Last Monday, the road was an icy, muddy, mess. I walked down to the edge of ice and didn’t see any evidence of recent activity. It was 45 degrees with a stiff breeze blowing, so we may be launching boats here soon.

If you want to put in your two cents worth on upper Columbia salmon and steelhead fisheries, you will have a chance to do it at the North of Falcon public meeting. This is where WDFW staff will present their plans for the next year, and these meeting takes place during the process. The actual North of Falcon planning takes a few months to complete. When I was serving as a WDFW Commissioner I went to meetings on these fisheries all over the state, even a couple in California and Portland, Oregon. The North of Falcon meetings culminate with meetings with the Tribes. These meetings can be very contentious, and back then, as a Commissioner, I was allowed to sit in on them. The discussions take several days, and even into the evenings. The WDFW technical staff works closely with their tribal counterparts to make complicated adjustments as the meetings progress, and it is exhausting work. This is your chance to participate in the process. The meeting is on March 18th at the Technology Center in Wenatchee from 4 to 7 p.m. You can see a timeline of all the meetings and details of the Wenatchee meeting by Googling North of Falcon.