There is a lot going on here for anglers in the region. Everything from fall Chinook in the Hanford Reach, and a lot of Coho staged off the mouth of the Wenatchee River, waiting for some rain to raise the level of the stream so they can make their way up to the Icicle. There is even some good spiny ray action on area lakes to take advantage of.

Last Sunday I went down to Crescent Bar to see the results of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce Pike Minnow Derby. There was a line at the weigh in station when I arrived, and chamber staff and volunteers were busy weighing and measuring the fish that people had caught. I learned that although the overall registrations were down from last year, they had the highest number of kids signed up this year. The Youth Division winner for most fish was won by Makenzie Nelson, who turned in over 11 pounds of pike minnows. In the Adult Division, Kevin Halbert weighed in 83.5 pounds of pike minnows to take the prize. This year the Grand Prize was a Polaris side by side and was won by the team of Brian Main and Dave Munson. You can see all the winners of each division for both weight and length on the Quincy Valley Chamber Facebook page. This week’s photo is of Makenzie Nelson, with the trophy she won.

Fishing for perch is one of the most popular things to do in our area, and there are some great places to find them. I can make a short drive from my home in Leavenworth and catch as many as I want to fillet at Fish Lake. Much larger perch can be found in other lakes. Many folks were pleased to hear that the fishing season was extended on Park and Blue lakes, north of Soap Lake. I have had some reports of perch up to 14 inches taken on these lakes, and I plan to give Blue Lake a try as soon as possible. Another lake that is known to produce good catches of perch is Moses Lake. When you see anglers on the I-90 Bridge near Blue Heron Park, you know the perch have moved into this area. Fishing for perch from the rip rap here is particularly good in the fall, right up to when the lake freezes and then they are caught through the ice. Another good place to look for perch in the fall on Moses Lake is at the south end near the outlets. I plan on doing a video of where to catch perch on Moses Lake very soon and I will let you know when it is posted to the Dave Graybill YouTube channel.

I have been watching the number of steelhead that have been passing over Priest Rapids Dam very closely, and they have been very encouraging. It has been a long time since we have had a steelhead season on the upper Columbia, and I have been holding out hope that this could be the year. We not only need good numbers of wild fish to reach our area, but also the right ratio of hatchery fish. If we get too many wild fish, then we hit the mortality quota way too early to allow for a fishery. It’s complicated, I know, but it looks like the stars may all align for us fans of steelhead fishing this year. When you ask other anglers what their favorite fish to catch might be, and if they have experienced the thrill of seeing a steelhead leap out of the water and tear line off their reel, they will most likely answer, steelhead. My wife is a fairly fair-weather angler, but if I suggest a steelhead trip in the winter, she’s raring to go! I will continue to monitor the progress of steelhead to our region, and keep you posted on the potential of a season.

I checked on the Icicle late last week, to see if the recent rain had raised the level of the stream, maybe even spot some Coho nosing up the upper end below the hatchery. There was an angler casting a fly when I arrived, and I got to visit with him. He was casting to some Coho! He said he saw a big one roll just down around the corner the last evening, too. The recent rain had raised the level of the Icicle just slightly, but it was enough to move a few fish into the stream. I checked the counts when I got home and there were over 14,000 Coho over Rock Island Dam by the 25th of September, and only 4,800 over Rocky Reach. There could be as many as 10,000 Coho waiting off the mouth of the Wenatchee or somewhere between there and the Icicle! When we get some more rain, they will be pouring into the Wenatchee and up the Icicle. It’s going to be fun. I want to remind folks that as of October 1st several lakes in the region close for the season. Be sure to check the registers before you head out to your favorite lake.

As many of you know Omak Lake is one of my favorite places to fish in the fall. The lake is on the Colville Reservation, just eight miles from the town of Omak, and gets very little pressure. It is not unusual for me to be out there with no other boats in sight. I’m sure the reason is that to fish here you need a Colville Tribal fishing license. The addition of the need for a Colville Reservation Access Permit and Launch Fee has been a deterrent for most folks to fish here. I have been fishing tribal waters for many years and have had terrific fishing at Buffalo Lake, Twin Lakes and on the San Poil River. I fish Rufus Woods frequently and use the launch at the middle net pens, so I have what I need to fish Omak Lake anyway. We have some beautiful sunny and calm days in October and the fishing is incredible for the big Lahontan cutthroat that inhabit the lake. It is not unusual for me and my fishing partners to catch and release ten or more fish an hour trolling a variety of spoons and plugs. It really is amazing.