Originally published February 8, 2012 at 5:57 PM | Page modified February 8, 2012 at 7:56 PM
Fishing heats up along with weather | Outdoors
The springlike weather has anglers coming out of the woodwork, and there are fish to be found in rivers, lakes and saltwater areas.
Seattle Times staff reporter
The springlike weather has anglers coming out of the woodwork, and there are fish to be found in rivers, lakes and saltwater areas.
On the marine scene, the best winter hatchery chinook fishing has been in northern Puget Sound mainly between Possession Bar and Double Bluff off the south side of Whidbey Island and south to Point No Point on the Kitsap Peninsula.
"The fish are spread out across Possession Bar, and I've also heard of fish caught at Midchannel Bank (off Port Townsend) and Double Bluff," said Pete Sergeef with the state Fish and Wildlife test fishery boat.
Other places giving up fish were Pilot Point, Lip Lip Point, Elger Bay, Camano Head, Langley area, Columbia Beach and Browns Bay.
In the San Juan Islands, the Roche Harbor Derby was held Friday and Saturday, and 85 boats with 239 anglers produced 93 chinook. The $10,000 first place prize went to Jason King of Bellingham with a 16.6-pounder.
South Central Puget Sound and Hood Canal are open, and were fair for hatchery chinook. Southern Puget Sound is also open for salmon. The Strait of Juan de Fuca from Sekiu to Point Wilson near Port Townsend opens for salmon Feb. 16.
Statewide lake fishing has started to pick up.
"Lake Goodwin (in Snohomish County) is turning out fair trout fishing, and anglers averaged about a fish per hour," said Mike Chamberlain at Ted's Sports Center in Lynnwood. "Lake Sammamish is fairly good for cutthroat, and they're releasing quite a few kokanee."
Fly-fishing for trout has been good tossing micro leeches at Pass Lake near Deception Pass and Lone Lake on Whidbey Island. The warmer weather has the smallmouth bass biting in deeper areas of Lake Washington and Sammamish.
Notes
• The first sport-caught spring chinook, a 12- to 14-pounder, happened Sunday in the Vancouver area of the Lower Columbia River. Anglers are gearing up for what could be a strong run of 314,200 upriver Columbia spring chinook, plus about another 100,000 destined for lower river tributaries.
• The next razor clam digs are scheduled for Feb. 18-19 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks. Final approval will be made Monday.
• The Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby in the eastern Strait is Feb. 18-20. Cost is $40. Details: http://gardinersalmonderby.org. The Bill Hayes Hot Plug's Blackmouth Derby is Feb. 25. Cost is $50. Details: 425-308-9437.
Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com
| Fishing report | |
| Location | Comment |
| Statewide lakes | Trout chasers should head to southwest Washington, where chunky rainbow trout averaging a half-pound were planted on Monday: Battleground Lake received 2,000 trout, and Klineline Pond got 1,000. Ice fishing is very good at Fish Lake near Leavenworth for mainly perch and a few trout. Ice fishing at Roses Lake north of Manson is fair to good for pan-sized trout and jumbo perch in the 10- to 11-inch range. Lake Chelan is good for lake trout in the lower basin and the "Narrows" area. Still fishing with jigs near the lower pens on Rufus Woods Reservoir is producing good numbers of big trout. The Northwest Ice Fishing Festival is Feb. 18 on Sidley and Molson lakes east of Oroville and just south of the Canadian border. Cost is $20 adults, and $14 for youth 14 and under. Details: 509-485-4002 or 509-476-2739 or www.edenvalleyranch.net. |
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Biting: Yes
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| Statewide rivers |
"All the rivers are in pretty good shape, and they're still catching a fairly decent number of steelhead in the Sol Duc, Hoh and Bogachiel," said Bob Gooding, owner of Olympic Sporting Goods in Forks. "There are some Snider Creek hatchery fish around, but their numbers are dropping off."
Fair for steelhead in the Wynoochee, Cowlitz and Washougal. Slow to fair for steelhead at Reiter Ponds on the Skykomish, Cascade and Tokul Creek. Bonneville Pool closes for sturgeon retention on Feb. 18. Many westside rivers are now closed to fishing, or will be beginning Feb. 16, to protect poor returns of wild steelhead. Details: http://wdfw.wa.gov/. |
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Biting: Yes
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| Marine fishing | Fair smelt and herring jigging at Cornet Bay Pier on Whidbey Island and Oak Harbor Marina. Slow squid jigging at Pier 86 on the Seattle waterfront, Seacrest Boathouse and Edmonds piers. |
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Biting: Yes/No
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