We are in for another spell of hot weather as summer tails off and we look forward to fall. For many this is the best time of year to be out on the water fishing somewhere in the region. Not only can the fishing be excellent for a variety of species on our area lakes, but also the fall salmon fishing gets going in earnest.

I finally made it to Banks Lake. Brian Neilson and Mike Wren met me at the Northrop Boat launch, we decided on a strategy for the day and away we went. We were concerned about the lake level. It was very low for this time of year. Because of this, I had been warned that probably the only usable launches were at Northrup and Coulee Playland. We also noticed that the forecast predicted the possibility of high wind later in the day. Keeping our fingers crossed we ran up to Jones Bay for a quick visit for the video I was doing. Jones is a small, narrow bay that can be very productive. There is a distinct weed line here, and in the spring this can be a good place to troll, even with side planers. Then we stopped at Devils Punch Bowl, and in the video I mentioned the excellent launch at the State Park on Steamboat Rock. We didn’t fish these areas, but they need to be included as good places to fish for walleye on Banks. I will remind folks that I did a video earlier this spring on walleye fishing with side planers, and that was shot in Devil’s Punch Bowl. We did put our gear out on the back side of Steamboat Rock.

Brian Neilson mentioned that he had found fish here in over 50 feet of water on previous trips to Banks. Turns out he was right about that on this trip, too. Mike Wren landed a 24 inch walleye and minutes later Brian got a 27 inch fish. Not a bad start for the day. Then we made the run over to Barker Flats to include this area in the video, as it is one of the most fished walleye spots on Banks. We only ran at a slow speed over the flats just to see if we could find any walleye. We just didn’t see enough fish on the screen to tempt us to put our gear out. Traveling back across the reservoir, we trolled along the sand flats just up lake from “The Poplars”. I shot some video so people could recognize that spot, and we landed a few more walleye here. From there I drove the boat further down the lake. I made sure we showed “Rosebush” in the project and then trolled for a while along the Million Dollar Mile. We got some more walleye trolling from the North Million Dollar Mile boat launch up towards Rosebush. We got a couple of smallmouth here, too. Boaters should know that launching is difficult right now, due to the low water. The video I shot has been posted to the Dave Graybill YouTube channel. Look for “Walleye Fishing Hot Spots on Banks Lake”. This week’s photo is of Brian and Mike holding up the first two fish we landed on Banks that day.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking public feedback on a proposed change for the yellow perch fishing rule at Fish Lake in Leavenworth. The proposal would erase the current daily fishing limit of 25 yellow perch fish at the lake. The state hopes that this change would increase angler opportunities for harvesting more yellow perch and improve the average size of fish from the lake, according to a press release. Also, there is a proposal for Park, Blue, and Deep lakes in Grant County to extend the current fishing season closure date from Sept. 30 to Oct. 31. This change aims to provide additional angling opportunities during the productive fall trout fishing season. As a part of the rule-making process, WDFW is seeking public comment on the proposal and holding a virtual public meeting. Public comments can be submitted online until the virtual meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 10.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife wants to remind anglers that the Annual Trout Derby is still going on. The popular tagged trout derby on inland lakes starts with the opening of the lowland lakes in April and runs through October 31st on the lakes that are open in that time frame. There are still lots of great prizes available to be claimed by lucky anglers that catch a tagged trout. To learn more about the derby, log on to the WDFW website and click on Fishing and Shellfishing. Right at the top of the list is the 2024 Trout Derby. Click on this and it will take you to a page with all the details about which lakes have tagged trout in them. You will also learn what to do when you catch a tagged trout to claim your prize.

The next trip I have planned is to fish off the mouth of Crab Creek below Wanapum Dam. This area opens on September 1st every year, and although the number of fall salmon that have passed over Priest Rapids is actually pretty small, it can be surprisingly good. Fall salmon are starting to pour over Bonneville Dam, with over 28,000 counted in one day. What people can expect to catch is a mix of late-arriving summer runs and fall fish. The daily limit here is six fish, with only two adults to be retained. You must release all salmon other than Chinook.

I first fished this area, probably twenty years ago, with Jerrod Gibbons and we were pulling big Mag Warts for our fish. I have also fished here several times with Shane Magnuson, and we have caught some dandies tolling Super Baits. One trip was particularly memorable, as Shane didn’t have a net in the boat. I watched him heft several big kings into the boat bare handed!

My fishing partners and I don’t really have high expectations for catching a bunch of kings on the opening day of the season off of Crab Creek. It gives us a good reason to get all our gear ready for future trips, and I will be shooting a video to help people who plan to fish this area later in the season. It’s going to be great to be back out on the Columbia River!