Sunland Estates WDFW Launch

[Dustin07]

can anyone tell me about this launch?
http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/lands/water_acce ... arch=30196

I'm guessing it's about a 3 to 3.5hr drive for me so I want to go prepared. I'd like to scout it for fishing, but I've also been told there's some good hunting in the area (Turkey season is coming up...).

I was thinking of dunking the 20ft lund there and heading up and across stream. Anything I should know before hand? (other than how wicked the columbia can get on a nasty windy day?)

[G-Man]

If I am not mistaken, that launch is on the Wanpum Pool of the Columbia River. We used to hunt the Sunland Estates area for chukar and quail and headed across the river for deer. Not sure about turkey though as I don't think there is enough of the habitat that they need in the area. In the summer you'll need to look out for the weed beds as you leave the launch. In the past I've seen boats get caught up in the mess and totally foul their motor. From there it is about 10 miles up to Crescent Bar and from there it is another 20 miles up to Rock Island Dam, home of the big eyes.

[Bodofish]

Yeah it's about three doors down from a buddies house. Almost no fishing to speak of. Water fowl hunting in season and dear and elk across the river. You'd get a rather unfriendly welcome doing any kind of hunting but ducks unless you start up the hill. Lets just say the chukars are fat sassy and well fed by all the neighbors.

[Marc Martyn]

This site has several mistakes on it. I was searching a couple of eastern lakes and found several mistakes, one being Sprague Lake. They had the name spelled wrong and also had it listed that no motors were allowed and no list of fish species.

If you see any obvious mistakes, email the WDFW and tell them.

[Bodofish]

Looking at the WDFW info it's pretty misleading. I guess you could fish for all those things but you might have a hard time catching any of them close to the launch. Salmon or metal you'd have to go way south to Vantage or North to the dam. Bass or Wally's well..... another big run. After years of trying to fish out there we ran into a WDFW fish biologist who had been working on a population survey. He said the only thing with in a few miles was pike. They've taken over that stretch of the river and eaten about everything that swims. If you aren't famillar there is very little cover vegitation, it's almost all solid rock. There is the sand bar south of Sunland that I guess used to hold Wally's and a couple islands just North but I guess the pike have cleaned them out. I guess if a guy was wanting to catch Pike it would be cool. I just favor fishing anyone of the other lakes near by or head to Banks, Rufus, Billy Clapp or Roosevelt. So many choices.

[Dustin07]

Yeah it's about three doors down from a buddies house. Almost no fishing to speak of. Water fowl hunting in season and dear and elk across the river. You'd get a rather unfriendly welcome doing any kind of hunting but ducks unless you start up the hill. Lets just say the chukars are fat sassy and well fed by all the neighbors.

Thanks for the feedback guys. How far upstream do you go typically (I assume?) to bank the boat and hunt across the river?

Looks like there are some nice flat spots about 1/2 between there and crescent bar.

[Bodofish]

The guys I know that hunt over there just pick one of the big draws and start heading up the hill. You can go pretty much straight across and pick your spot.

[Dustin07]

Cool, thanks Bodo! Might head over the week before then to scout it out a bit.

[sellis_414]

Dustin, I have heard the drainage straight across from the gorge is good for turkey with good boat access.

[Dustin07]

Dustin, I have heard the drainage straight across from the gorge is good for turkey with good boat access.

thanks Sellis,

by good boat access, do you mean good to tether the boat, or there is place on the other side to launch?

[Bodofish]

I woldn't leave anything but a canoe in the bushes.

[davidwat1]

I've driven by there a bunch of times on my way down to Tri-Cities, and I've always been tempted to try to fish there, but honestly that stretch of the river looks pretty gnarly for my bassboat. I've fished the pool above that several times, and I have to beleive that there is some great smallmouth fishing in that stretch too though, and when I've seen boats in there, it looked like they were drifting for Walleye, which also wouldn't surprise me too much.

That's good info from Bodo, I had no idea that there were Pike in there!
If you do try your fishing luck there, I'd be really curious how it went.
Thanks!
Dave

[Dustin07]

Hi Dave, long time!
If I go I'll definitely post an update. my biggest motive this time is trying to multi-task yet again... turkey hunting spot + fishing... never seems to pan out that way though, LOL.