The landscape across the region is changing as spring weather melts the ice from the surface of many lakes, and fishing is possible for the first time this season. There are some terrific fisheries available to anglers now, and more coming as water temperatures warm.

I got the word from my contact at the Colville Tribal Hatchery that a large release of triploids was made from the upper net pens last week. I scrambled to get the Smoker Craft ready for its first time on the water this season. I must thank my wife for getting the giant tarp the boat was covered in over the winter. The tarp was oversized but served its purpose. The interior of the boat was bone dry. I was pleased to find everything in working order. The Minn Kota on board charger was doing its job and the batteries for the bow mounted Ulterra were all in the green. My brother in law Tom Verschuren and I met some friends in Coulee Dam on Friday and proceeded to the launch at the middle net pens. The fish had been released from the upper net pens, so we ran up there to start fishing. Although a fish was caught quickly, we weren’t seeing the number of fish on the fish finder as we expected. So, we started looking around. The Garmin fish finders were working great as we worked our way along shoreline of the reservoir, looking for fish. When we saw the screen light up with good numbers of fish, I put the bow mount on Spot Lock, and we started casting. We were using eighth ounce jigs of olive or tan color, and even watermelon colored grubs, and they all worked. Fish after fish pounced on these lures and we were cranking in fish at an amazing rate. I was told that the fish that had been released averaged 1.8 pounds and most the fish we caught were in that category. A few were smaller and many were bigger than that. We caught and released until we had our limits of two fish each. What blast! What a great way to start off my boating season for the year. This week’s photo is of the Smoker Craft Phantom I am driving for Bob Boats and Motors this season.

I attended the North of Falcon meeting in Wenatchee on Tuesday evening, along with several other interested anglers. This is when the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife rolled out the plans for the 2025 salmon and steelhead seasons. I shared a YouTube video of the presentation last week, and this was the opportunity to meet the department staff from the Columbia River manager and our regional people in Regions 1, 2 and 3. The North of Falcon process is months long and although the information presented didn’t differ much from what was shown in the YouTube video, there was some new information that wasn’t very good to hear. Notably the forecasted number of summer run Chinook that would be available for harvest. The anticipated harvest was just under 700 fish this year, and recent information reduced that number by about 100. It’s not good news for fans of fishing for Chinook. There is always a chance that the numbers could improve, and we will know that in early July. The good news is that we are going to have a great sockeye season again, with a four-fish limit. Right now, a steelhead season is doubtful, but that could change, too.

The sixteenth annual Quincy Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby is almost here. Starting on Friday, March 28th anglers will be gathering at Burke and Quincy lakes in the Quincy Wildlife Area to fish for rainbow trout, with the hopes of winning some of the many prizes that will be awarded. Derby fishing begins at six a.m. on Friday with a mandatory weigh in at four p.m. when fish will have holes punched in their tails to mark them as a Friday catch. On Saturday, derby fishing ends at twelve forty five, and the winners of the adult and youth categories will be announced as soon as all the catches are tabulated. Fishing should be especially good as the Quincy Chamber adds more trout to the lakes just prior to the derby, including some whoppers. You can register for the event online by visiting the Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce website, or at the event. Derby tickets are available at Hooked on Toys in Wenatchee, and Quincy Hardware or the Quincy Chamber office. Don’t forget to post a video on the Quincy Chamber Facebook page, and vote for your favorite. I will see you there!

Speaking of walleye, a couple of my friends are getting a few on Moses Lake. They got them below the I-90 Bridge and further up lake in the area known as the Horse Ranch. This is great news for walleye anglers. Moses Lake is often the first of our big reservoirs to warm up and see a walleye bite. The very north end of the lake can provide the fastest action of any walleye water in the state in the spring. Anglers troll side planers with bottom bouncers in three to five feet of water here. Potholes Reservoir continues to be slow, with water temperatures below 40 degrees, and I haven’t heard anything about walleye being taken on Banks Lake yet.

There are a lot of changes on the fishing front. Spring weather is coming in stuttering starts and while some lakes have thawed out others are still frozen. Activity has been slowed due to the late spring weather, but things are picking up. To keep my subscribers up to date I am getting ready to distribute the March Update to my E-Letter. I will be sharing what I learn about fisheries throughout the region. There will be maps and photos included in the update and other information not always shared in my regular reports. I plan to talk to some area guides to get some tips on pre-spawn walleye tactics on Potholes, Moses and Banks Lake, and even some videos exclusively on fishing for walleye at some of these destinations. I will also share with subscribers what to expect from Rufus Woods Reservoir this spring. Kokanee fishing on Lake Chelan is always of interest as warmer days encourage anglers to get out on the water. These subjects and others will be covered in the March Update. Go to the FishingMagician.com website to get signed up for the Quarterly E-Letters and Monthly Updates. You won’t want to miss a single issue.