With the rising temperatures, things are starting to heat up on both sides of the mountains for local anglers.
If you want to do an overnighter or maybe a weekend trip now is the time to head over the mountains. Let’s just say the significant other is not a die-hard angler, but you would like to get some fishing in while staying out of the dog house, then I have got the perfect trip for you. The Icicle River near Leavenworth is open for spring Chinook fishing.
While the misses shops to her heart’s content, you can be plying the waters from 500 feet downstream from the hatchery to the mouth of the river. Fishery biologists are expecting 9,000 to 12,000 fish to return to the river so this should be a strong run.
Bag limit is two fish per person with a minimum size of 12 inches. Legal fishing hours will be one hour before official sunrise until one hour after official sunset and the non-buoyant lure restrictions will be in effect.
Get there early since bank angling will be crowded. Best places will be right below the hatchery and most anglers will be plunking with Spin-N-Glos with eggs or shrimp.
After a full day of fishing/shopping you will find many great restaurants in town. If you get the chance while shopping stop in at the Der Tier shop and say hi to my good friend Bev.
If you have the time and are over on that side of the mountains Lake Chelan fishing for kings and lake trout should be picking up. If you have the setup to fish blackmouth, you can fish for lakers here. Try a green flasher and green speckled mini-squid. With this setup you can catch both lakers and kings.
If you want to target lakers exclusively, then use a F-4 Flatfish in a fire-tiger or chartreuse. Best places to start are off Wapato Point and troll south. With the east side warming up faster than our side of the Cascades, the warmwater fishery is heating up also. You can take your pick from bass, walleyes, and panfish in many of the lakes over the mountains.
STAYING ON
THE WESTSIDE
So you don’t have the time or inclination to travel over the mountains and still want to get some good fishing in. Well, that can be done also.
There are still some trout left from the plantings last month, and Cranberry Lake gets its fish in May so that would be the first stop for the trout angler. The increasing water temps have put the bite on for bass and panfishing, but if you are after some landlocked salmon then you’re in luck.
The kokanee bite should start picking up soon. These fish are landlocked sockeye salmon and when you get into a school, the action can be hot. There are many different methods used, but the most popular are chumming (where legal) and using eggs when the fish are located, while others troll a variety of artificials. These fish will stack up like cordwood, but be prepared they will be deep. If you decide to troll, the use of downriggers or lead-core line is a must.
The most popular lure is a Wedding Ring spinner. Most anglers tip this with a single egg or a maggot. If you chum, use enough weight to get your eggs into the strike zone, but not too much that the fish feel the heavy resistance.
You can purchase chum lures at most sporting goods retailers. Holiday Market in Burlington has been where I usually get mine. The most popular lakes for koke’s are Baker, Shannon, Stevens and Cavanaugh. Don’t expect huge fish, but the numbers will be good. Plus, these are some of the reddest fish you can find. They are fantastic on the grill, or smoked.
Lings have been fairly steady for the angler that has been hitting the rocky structure. Good catches have come from all local Marine Areas. The season is planned to run into next month with spearfishers being able to start to take lings on from June 15-21.
Lastly a good sign for the avid hunter, the new regulations are out. It is a good idea to get them early, because they can be a bit confusing and the deadline for special permits will be next month.
