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Trout opener gets cooking despite chill Cool weather greeted Eastern Washington's early lake trout anglers last weekend, but the fishing, from all reports, was fairly hot. And if the dozens of waters that were booting out trout - from the Columbia Basin's necklace of scab lakes to the Blue Mountains' Tucannon River lakes - didn't offer anglers enough choices, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife is opening several others today. Fishhook Park Pond, at the Corp of Engineers' Fishhook Park off Highway 124 east of Pasco along the Snake River, opens today, instead of the last Saturday in April. For the season, Fishhook Pond will receive 5,000 catchable rainbows and 100 "jumbos," larger hatchery trout averaging 1 to 2 pounds apiece. Also opening today are Pampa Pond, four miles southwest of La Crosse in Whitman County along Highway 26 and Amber Lake in Spokane County. Pampa Pond will get 5,000 rainbows and 200 1- to 2-pounders during the spring season. Amber Lake will be open to catch-and-release fishing through the last Friday in April and Oct. 1 through Nov. 30 under new sport fishing rules, which will take effect May 1. Madonna Luers, a Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman in Spokane, said the rule changes provide anglers with additional fishing opportunity. Moreover, Fishhook and Pampa ponds warm up early and provide the best fishing during the spring months. Anglers should be aware that Fishhook Park does not open until April 1, so anglers will have to park outside the park and walk along the trail adjacent the railroad tracks to reach the pond. Here in the Tri-Cities, the state plans to stock the youth-only Columbia Park Family Fishing Pond with 2,300 catchable-size rainbows by early April and another 300 of the state's "jumbo" trout. The pond should be stocked several times from April through late May, including another 700 jumbo and trophy triploid trout. The seven Tucannon River impoundments that opened March 1 got off to a slow start, but fishing has been fairly steady for anglers who aren't afraid of a little snow and ice, said Joanne Kirkpatrick, owner of the Last Resort along the Tucannon River. "Several lakes were still partially iced over on the opener, but most have opened up now and are producing limits of stocked trout, averaging 8 to 10 inches. There's also been quite a few of the larger trout - 2 to 3 pounders - being caught with everything from Power Bait to flies," she said. Kirkpatrick predicted the crowds to be a bit thinner this weekend, which should boost anglers' odds. "What we really need is some nice sunny weather to really get things going," Kirkpatrick said. She added that Big Four still has not been stocked because of ice cover, and Curl Lake doesn't open until late April. Trout fishing has been excellent at Lincoln County's Coffeepot Lake since March 1 and should continue through the season. Fish and Wildlife Department biologist Chris Donley reported that many fish of 14 to 20 inches were being caught and released at Coffeepot, although the water temperature still is in the high 30s, so the lake's perch and bass won't be biting until later this spring. Coffeepot is managed under selective gear rules with a two-trout daily limit. Jeff Korth, a state biologist in Ephrata, said many limits were taken home last weekend from lakes that were either recently rehabilitated or stocked with catchable-size trout. One of the hot spots - fishingwise - was Lenice Lake, a selective gear water south of Vantage. Korth said Lenice had the highest fish-per-angler average at 5.6, but it also had one of the lowest fish-per-hour rates at 1.6. Most of Lenice's trout averaged 14 to 15 inches, with about 20 percent of the catch 18- to 20-inch rainbow carryovers and brown trout. Korth said none of the newly stocked tiger trout was checked over the opener, but they should be about 13 inches in Lenice and Nunnally lakes. Although Nunnally wasn't checked during the opener, fishing should be excellent there this year as well. Martha Lake, near George, opened with anglers creeling 4.7 fish a rod and the fish were uniform 14-inch yearlings, Korth said. Upper Caliche Lake's fish-per-angler average was 4.2, with a catch rate of 1.7 hours a fish, mostly 13-inch yearling and some 16- to 18-inch carryovers Quincy Lake, on the state's Quincy Wildlife Area, was slow on the opener, but those who stayed at least three hours or more caught limits ranging from 13 to 18 inches. Other Quincy-area walk-in lakes that were producing well were Crystal and Spring, with large 15-inch rainbows noted at Crystal. No checks were made March 1 at Lake Lenore, where fishing doesn't usually pick up until late March and early April. In the Yakima area, biologist Eric Anderson reported that anglers are catching rainbow planted in the area's year-round waters, including Myron, Rotary, I-82 ponds Nos 4 and 6, Sarge Hubbard (juveniles only) and Granger ponds. Wenas Lake, a popular spot, should be stocked by Friday with 3,100 catchable-size rainbows. By April 15, the lake should be stocked with another 4,600 catchables and 700 jumbos. |
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