A break in the weather down south allowed for a winter fishing trip to Merwin for some tasty kokanee. My truck being in the shop, Rseas generously volunteered his boat and made the long drive from Burlington to Merwin. Along the way we picked up NWFR member Salmon Barry and at Merwin were joined by local angler and NWFR Facebook group moderator Luke Hatfield.

For a winter weekend day the launch was really busy. The parking lot was close to full. Even so, it was a quick launch and we were on our way. The water level at the ramp is low, allowing about a boat and a half length for dock space.

We ran a variety of kokanee friendly gear and focused on surface down to 15 feet or so. With five anglers we ran one downrigger rod, two leaded lines, one long line, and two planer boards. Typical trolling speed was in the 1.2-1.4 range.

We trolled from the launch down lake toward the dam, staying “with the current” and along the old road bed as much as possible. Winds were calm to dead so it was a very pleasant day on the water. Heck, we almost saw the sun!

Fishing wasn’t red hot but it was fast enough to stay interested. We fished until 12:30 and ended up with six in the boat and lost about the same number. The fish are beautiful and a very healthy 12-14”. It should be a great summer crop on Merwin this year!

Thanks to Randy for bringing the boat, Luke for guiding, and Barry for helping to film this future NWFR TV episode. It was a great day to be fishing with friends and a nice break from the winter rain!

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