Okay, it’s getting chilly outside and there has even been some snow in the forecast. That doesn’t mean you should give up on fishing for the season. There are Steelhead being caught on the Methow River and the main stem Columbia River. There are many year-round lakes that offer terrific Trout and Perch fishing. It’s also time to think about a trip to Rufus Woods Reservoir to catch some of the Triploids and Walleye that are caught this time of year.

As I continue to document through video of some of the great fishing opportunities in Grant County, I traveled to the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, which is south of O’Sullivan Dam and Highway 262. The refuge covers over 30,000 acres of cliffs, canyons, grasslands and lakes. Within the refuge is the Seep Lakes Area, and there are over 50 lakes scattered through the high desert landscape. There are over 8,000 acres within the boundary of the Seep Lakes Area. The first thing people interested in exploring this area should do is pick up a map from the tackle shop at Mar Don Resort. This video challenge was how to approach the project. Well, I just figured I would just start at the top. Right across the highway from Mar Don Resort is the access road to a few of the lakes. Corral, Blythe and Chukar lakes lay in a string down the valley. These lakes are planted with Rainbow Trout and are very popular due to the easy access. You do have to hike into Chukar, but it isn’t far.

My next stop was at the access road to Soda Lake. I did a video earlier this year on the Walleye fishing at this lake that is posted on the Dave Graybill YouTube channel. Soda offers good bank fishing at the top end and is loaded with Smallmouth Bass and other Spiny Rays. What I consider to be the main entrance to the Seep Lakes Area is on Highway 262 between Warden Lake and O’Sullivan Dam, just east of Road M. From here I was able to reach several lakes. All of which were easily reached via the gravel road and offered everything from great trout fishing to bass and other Spiny Rays. Some of the lakes within the Seep Lakes Area open to fishing on the fourth Saturday in April and others are open year-round. Be sure to check the Washington Sportfishing pamphlet to see if the lake you intend to fish is open. The results of my day of shooting video will be posted on my channel soon, and I will let you know when it’s available to watch. This week’s photo was taken of Corral Lake with Blythe Lake in the distance.

The Tri-Cities Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association once again held a successful broodstock collection effort that provides Wild Adult Chinook salmon to the Priest Rapids hatchery. This helps to meet the Hatchery Genetic Management Plan requirements for the facility. Located on the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River, the hatchery produces over 7 million Chinook smolt per year and supports fisheries in Oregon and Washington as well as the Gulf of Alaska and British Columbia. Nearly 100 CCA volunteer anglers in 24 boats fished the waters of the Reach over the weekend of October 25 and 26, collecting 375 adult Kings where they were transferred to hatchery trucks and shuttle boats at Vernita Bridge and White Bluffs boat launch areas. That’s over 15 kings per boat average! This collection ensures that a large fraction of the hatchery’s production will have at least one wild parent, reducing the impact of hatchery fish spawning in the wild. The broodstock collection, operated as a derby called King of the Reach for the last dozen years, was changed to a non-derby format this year because of safety policy changes implemented by Washington State agencies. Planning for next year’s program is already starting.

I am very fortunate to have Tom, my brother-in-law, who is always willing to accompany me on whatever adventure I come up with. When I told him I wanted to run up to Banks Lake and shoot a video on catching Whitefish, he just said “sure”. I told him we would hit a couple of the spots that I knew that people fished for Whitefish, and that I would have the bait and everything. Also, I said that after we got a bunch of Whitefish, we would go Bass fishing, which he loves. Well, plan A didn’t go so well. I drove over to the bay in Devils Lake, where I always see a bunch boats fishing, and didn’t see hardly any fish on my screen. We fished for a while and then ran all the way up the top end and fished by the inlet. Still no fish. So, we switched to Bass fishing and tried some of our favorite areas and got nothing. So much for plan B. Plan C was pulling cranks below Rosebush. Same results. Well, Tom said, it was at least the calmest day he had ever seen on Banks. It was a beautiful day.

I haven’t given up on the whitefish at Banks. I know the fall fishing for them can be good clear up to when the lake freezes. Also, when we were below Rosebush we inspected the improvements at the Million Dollar North boat launch. There is a really nice new concrete ramp here, and they did dredge it. It is now five feet deep in the middle of the launch bay. You still have to cross the mud flat, which is about two feet deep to reach the main lake, but this will make it much easier for even a large boat to launch here.

I should mention that Tom was very pleased to see that I have put the full cover on the Smoker Craft Phantom. We can look forward to being comfortable even on the chilly days of winter with the top on and my fumeless Fishing Buddy heater inside. This is the first time I have ever put the top up on any of the boats I have had before, although they came with the boat. I’m sure I will wonder why I haven’t put them up before!