by John Kruse, January 05, 2008

There are a lot of anglers who put their rods up in the fall and don’t take them out again until spring. It’s a shame really, because there is plenty of good fishing to be had in chilly Central Washington. Here’s a run down of some good bets to consider this winter:

1. Yakima River Trout – Catch and release fishing is good all year long from Roza Dam to Cle Elum on the state’s only Blue Ribbon Trout Stream. Cast flies or small spinners (selective regulations are in effect) for solid rainbow and cutthroat trout.


2. Rufus Woods Triploids – Try trolling or fishing from shore on the Upper Columbia River for very fat triploid rainbow trout. Looking for one go to lure? Think Black Rooster Tail Spinners. Lot’s of other lures will work as well. Check out Guide Anton Jone’s weekly reports for more info about this fishery at www.darrellanddads.com.


3. Speaking of Anton Jones, this long time sponsor of Washingtonlakes.com will be the first to tell you that the mackinaw fishing in Lake Chelan is a good bet all year long. Try trolling a Flatfish or Kwikfish close to the bottom anywhere from 140 to 200 feet deep in the lower end of Lake Chelan to hook into Lakers that average 2 to 6 pounds, but get all the way up to 30 plus pounds in size. Again, check out the reports at www.darrellanddads.com and from www.washingtonlakes.com for more info.


4. North Central Washington Steelhead – The Methow, Okanogan and for the first time in a long time, the Wenatchee River all have good numbers of summer steelhead in them this year. There’s also plenty of these fish, averaging six pounds, in the Upper Columbia River. Selective regulations apply in the tributaries but a slip bobber and shrimp tipped jig can do wonders in the wide waters of the Columbia around Brewster and Pateros. My personal favorite jig? A Mack’s Rock Dancer colored purple and black.


5. Winchester Perch – You didn’t think we were going to ignore warmwater species did you? If you are looking for some perch fillets the Winchester Wasteway can be a good destination on either side of Road 5 near Ephrata. Perch pile up here every winter to spawn. Sometimes the schools are full of small 5 to 7 inch fish, but now and again you’ll get into some bigger ones as well. Most of the locals will fish a worm near the bottom of the canal for success.


These five fisheries should give you plenty of reason to hit the water during this traditional off season. Bundle up and get out there. The fishing can be good and the crowds are light. Besides, everyone knows a hot bite is a sure way to take the chill off a cold winter day!