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There is a lot going on now. Fishing events for kids, walleye fishing, kokanee fishing, and the opening of trout season. I hope you are getting out and enjoying all the great opportunities for fishing around the region.
One of the first places to look for walleye on Potholes Reservoir in the spring is in Lind Coulee. Some walleye move up into this channel for spawning in the spring and then move out into the reservoir. Plus, many fish remain in Lind Coulee and can be caught later in the season. Brian Nielson and Mike Wren invited me to come along on their first walleye trip of the season, and we fished Lind Coulee last Thursday. We launched at the refurbished Sampsons Pit site, which is on the O’Sullivan Dam Road, just before you reach the dam from the east. Brian drove his boat up past the bridge on Road M, where there is another launch. We made our way up the coulee that wound through brushy islands and narrow rock bluffs. There are places where two boats wouldn’t be able to pass through side by side. You can run all the way up to the outflow of Warden Lake in the scenic coulee. We were trolling 2 ounce bottom bouncers and Smile Blade spinners, and Mike landed four fish of 15 to 18 inches. I lost one near the boat, and then on our way back down, landed a 25 inch male walleye. Fishing in Lind Coulee is a great experience, very different from fishing the big reservoirs in the region. I just posted the video I did on our trip last week. You can view the new video on the Dave Graybill channel by clicking on this link: https://youtu.be/2k4nD0fGgEE. This week’s photo is of me with that Lind Coulee walleye.
The Annual Rock Island Free Kids Fishing Day took place last Saturday, and once again was very well attended. The shore line of the Pit Pond, which is a juvenile only lake, was lined with families casting for trout that had been recently planted by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The event has been going on for over twenty years and is supported by the City of Rock Island. Every year a group of volunteers sets up a cook shack and hands out free donuts and coffee in the morning and then free hot dogs, chips, and soft drinks in the afternoon. I judge the attendance by the number of hot dogs that are served, and this year it was 500! Also on hand were members of the Wenatchee Sportsman’s Association. They have loaner rods and reels and tackle and bait to help the youngsters catch fish. If you missed this free event mark your calendar for the third Saturday in April for next year’s Free Kids Day. Another popular juvenile only fishing lake is Franks Pond at the Beebe Springs Wildlife Unit, near Lake Chelan. It is also stocked every year with trout for kids to catch.
When I was at the Rock Island Free Kids Fishing Day, I visited with Travis Maitland, area biologist for the WDFW. I mentioned that I got a photo from Joe Zelinski of a nice catch of kokanee that they had made on Lake Chelan. Travis said that they had made a couple of trips. The first time they tried the area across from 25 Mile Creek State Park. Here they had good success on fish that were mostly 11 to close to 14 inches. On the next trip they found very good numbers of kokanee in the lower basin. They fished off Chelan Shores and here the fish were bigger. They caught some 15- and even 16 inch kokanee. He said this is very exciting and that makes him wonder just how big the fish will be later this spring. The kokanee were all very fat and obviously heavily feeding. He and Joe tried a variety of gear and colors and on the last trip found that pink hoochies worked the best. They also were using the small artificial grubs instead of corn, that were scented with Graybills Guide Formula in the Kokanee flavor.
The fourth Saturday in April is probably the biggest fishing day of the year in Washington State. Hundreds of thousands of anglers take part in the annual opening of the lowland lake trout fishing season. Millions of trout have been planted in the lakes across the state to assure these anglers have a good time catching fish. Many local communities have informal derbies on opening day. I know that there is one on Wapato Lake and another at Conconully to name just a couple of them. Also, the WDFW has a statewide Trout Derby from April 27th through October 31st. If you catch a trout with a yellow tag it is worth a prize. You need to keep the tag as you will need to provide the number, name of the lake you caught the trout in, the date it was caught and your contact information. When it is confirmed you can go to a local business to claim your prize. It’s just that easy. You can go to the WDFW website to get more details, including a list of lakes that have tagged trout in them. Thousands of prizes are given out every year.
When I am out and about, people often approach me to confirm that I am actually that guy in all the videos. They often thank me for the information they provide. Sometimes they are new to the area or new to fishing. They tell me that the videos really helped them with their fishing success. There are over 200 videos on the Dave Graybill YouTube channel, and most are focused on our region’s lakes and what to use when fishing them. I have been fortunate to have great relationships with some of the guides in the region, or people that have a lot of experience on the lake or river we are talking about. These people have really helped me provide the details that help people to fish successfully. Last year I added several videos on the lakes in the Quincy Wildlife Area, the Recreation Areas developed by Grant County PUD, and the Boating Accesses on Moses Lake. I plan to do many more in Grant County. Be sure to visit the Dave Graybill Channel to see the new videos.
April 19, 2024
This was a great week for fishing, especially for kids. The Banks Lake Triple Fish Challenge .. MORE...
April 5, 2024
I love this time of year. More and more anglers are getting out on the water, and there .. MORE...
April 5, 2024
April has started with wonderful weather. You need to get your new fishing license .. MORE...
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March 29, 2024
March 22, 2024
Man, I am loving this weather! Sunny skies and rising temperatures makes me eager to get out on the water. I am not alone. More and more... MORE...
March 16, 2024
More and more anglers are getting out and about. They are fishing either March 1st or the year-round waters... MORE...
March 8, 2024
The weather is chilly and wet throughout the region, but there are some great fising opportunities right now... MORE...
March 1, 2024
I put some miles down last week, looking for good places to fish from shore.. MORE...
February 23, 2024
I almost pulled my boat home earlier this week. We have had a good... MORE...
February 16, 2024
You’ve got to love this weather. Mid 40s in February? I like it. I am going get my boat ready and take advantage of the mild... MORE...
February 9, 2024
The weather has warmed up considerably recently, but I chose the coldest day... MORE...
February 2, 2024
The warmer weather we are experiencing throughout the region has made it easier ... MORE...
January 26, 2024
The cold snap put a layer of ice on many lakes in the region. There were a lot of people waiting.. MORE...
January 19, 2024
I am sure that the freezing temperatures kept most people close to hearth and home this past week.. MORE...
January 12, 2024
There is a change in the weather coming that could make fishing difficult, as ice begins to form in our area... MORE...
January 5, 2024
Happy New Year everyone. All my best wishes to you for a safe and happy new year... MORE...
December 29, 2023
The mild weather throughout the region is a blessing for those who traveled over... MORE...
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December 22, 2023
December is flying by, and soon it will be Christmas. This is a great time... MORE...
December 15, 2023
I just barely beat the storm to get my boat moved from Leavenworth to its place to wait out winter till the spring... MORE...
December 8, 2023
We got hit hard with snow in Leavenworth. I think it is a brief introduction to winter. I am definitely getting my... MORE...
December 1, 2023
Holy cow, it’s going to be December. I am very pleased to be this far into winter and I can still see the ground here in Leavenworth... MORE...
November 24, 2023
The first snow has fallen here at my home in Leavenworth. Well, a “wintery mix” is what they.. MORE...
November 17, 2023
I know that a lot of folks have their boats tucked away for the winter, but I try to keep mine ready until... MORE...
November 10, 2023
Even though it hasn’t been cold, it’s been rainy. Most days both, this past week. Only the hardiest of anglers... MORE...
November 3, 2023
I think I picked the worst day to fish last week. We have had some really nice sunny days this fall, and I should pay more.. MORE...
October 27, 2023
I took advantage of the good weather, the moon phase and one of the most productive fisheries in the state last week.. MORE...
October 20, 2023
I made my first trip of the year to Omak Lake, and it makes me wonder why it took me so.. MORE...
October 13, 2023
Nothing like this Indian Summer weather we’ve had to get people excited about fishing.. MORE...
October 6, 2023
The weather has played havoc with my fishing plans of late. It is particularly.. MORE...
September 29, 2023
The days are cooler now, and many anglers prefer to fish in these temperatuers.. MORE...
September 22, 2023
Our great fall weather is encouraging anglers to get out on the water... MORE...
September 15, 2023
This is a great time of year to be outdoors, and especially fishing on our area waters. The weather is great, and the crowds of summer have thinned... MORE...
September 8, 2023
We are experiencing some cooler days and nights now. Although the first day of fall isn’t until the 23rd of this month .. MORE...
September 1, 2023
I fished far and wide this past week, and spent most of my time finishing my sockeye fishing season on Lake .. MORE...
August 25, 2023
The sockeye fishing on Lake Wenatchee has been phenomenal. I got limits every day last week and got them early .. MORE...
August 18, 2023
I had high hopes for the week. That full moon had fades, and I figured the sockeye bite would come back on Lake... MORE...
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August 11, 2023
I had some obligations that kept me off the water much of last week, but i did get some... MORE...
August 4, 2023
Sockeye fishing opened on Lake Wenatchee on July 26th, and I have been hard at it. I wasn’t alone either. MORE...
July 28, 2023
I talked to someone the other day that asked me if I had heard anything about walleye... MORE...
July 21, 2023
Fishing for king salmon and sockeye continues to be good off the mouth of the Okanogan River ....MORE...
July 14, 2023
Dang we are getting some hot weather. Don’t forget to bring a lot of water ....MORE...
July 7, 2023
Salmon season opened on the upper Columbia last Saturday, and I expected big ....MORE...
June 30, 2023
Salmon season opens on the upper Columbia River on July 1st and the best ....MORE...
June 23, 2023
I didn’t get to Banks for walleye as often as I had planned last week, due to the wind. ....MORE...
June 9, 2023
I had a chance to fish Lake Roosevelt for kokanee last week. People often abandon this fishery ....MORE...
June 9, 2023
This was a Banks Lake week for me. Fishing had been so good I just kept going and going and kept catching fish ....MORE...
June 2, 2023
I hope everyone had a safe and fun Memorial Weekend. I tend to lay low on the major holidays and try to fish during the week. There ....MORE...
May 26, 2023
I had a very interesting week. I was busy in the early week shooting video of Grant County PUD Recreation Areas, and compiling photographs....MORE...
May 19, 2023
I had a very busy week again. I fished for trout, walleye, and bass. I spent some time at Pybus Market for an event and then finished the weekend at the weigh in and awards ceremony at the Pike Minnow Derby....MORE...
May 12, 2023
I had a great time this past week. Walleye fishing is going great guns on Moses Lake. I am looking forward to the Quincy Valley Pike Minnow Derby at Crecent Bar...MORE...
May 5, 2023
Sunny skies and calm water. That’s what I got to enjoy this past week. I got to fish several different.. MORE...
April 28, 2023
Anglers who fished their favorite lakes here in Eastern Washington were greeted by a chilly... MORE...
April 21, 2023
I had a great weekend last week. Starting on Saturday, I fished with my buddy James Lebow and his son, and we had an epic MORE...
April 14, 2023
As daytime temperatures climb more and more lakes have shed their cap of ice and anglers are taking advantage of MORE...
April 7, 2023
I only saw one day last week when I could plan a fishing trip and not risk getting blown off.MORE...
March 31, 2023
The snow has melted off enough to allow me to park my boat in the driveway..MORE...
March 24, 2023
It’s starting to really look like spring. Temperatures are often in the mid-fifties...MORE...
March 17, 2023
Winter just doesn’t want to release its ice grasp on our region. Although I see some ..MORE...
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March 10, 2023
I almost pulled the Smoker Craft home last week, so I could get it ready for the first trip..MORE...
March 3, 2023
I think that it is safe to say that people have had enough of winter. Remember when the Quincy Trout Derby..MORE...
February 24, 2023
We have had some warm weather throughout the region, but it looks like that’s going to change..MORE...
February 17, 2023
I don’t expect to see many people outdoors on Sunday, February 12th. On Super Bowl Sunday...MORE...
February 10, 2023
I was thinking about going to the middle net pens on Rufus Woods last week ..MORE...
February 3, 2023
There is snow in the forecast again where I live, but it shouldn’t be too much ...MORE...
January 27, 2023
It was a bit more chilly throughout the region this past week. That kept me from grabbing ...MORE...
January 20, 2023
The warmer weather we’ve had throughout the region has changed from frequent snow storms to rain....MORE...
January 11, 2023
Dang, I’m tired of this winter. It just keeps snowing in Leavenworth, and I mean SNOWING! It has been quite a job just....MORE...
January 6, 2023
We welcomed the New Year with a few days without new snow, which was very welcome. It seemed like about all I was doing....MORE...
December 30, 2022
It was a great Christmas at our home this year. I traveled to Seattle to bring....MORE...
December 23, 2022
I was looking at the forecast for the near future, and it wasn’t pretty. I am seeing single digits in some areas....MORE...
December 16, 2022
We are having quite a winter here in Central Washington. Lot of snow...MORE...
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December 9, 2022
If there is a blessing to the frequent snow storms that we have...MORE...
December 2, 2022
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Holiday and traveled safely...MORE...
November 25, 2022
Like so many boating anglers in the region, it is hard to have access...MORE...
November 18, 2022
Getting outdoors wasn’t very appealing last week. Temperatures were just too cold for even...MORE...
November 11, 2022
I spent a couple of days fishing for trout and walleye on Rufus Woods last week. I needed to get some fish for the smoker...MORE...
November 4, 2022
I had several things to attend to last week, which stalled my outdoor...MORE...
October 28, 2022
I had a spectacular three days of fishing last week. I got up to Omak...MORE...
October 21, 2022
I took full advantage of the terrific fall weather and got out on the water a couple of times last week...MORE...
October 14, 2022
I had a couple of days of great fishing last week, getting a few fillets of triploid rainbow trout...MORE...
October 7, 2022
Anglers are enjoying beautiful fall weather throughout the region. I had a great day on...MORE...
September 30, 2022
This was a great week to be outdoors. I spent Monday at Moses Lake...MORE...
September 16, 2022
I am very excited about my plans for this week. I will be heading over...MORE...
September 9, 2022
I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Labor Day Weekend. I know for many...MORE...
September 2, 2022
One of the busiest weekends of the year is coming up. Thousands of anglers will...MORE...
August 26, 2022
Hot weather has meant early starts to get on the water before the temperature ...MORE...
August 19, 2022
Stormy weather kept me off the water on Lake Wenatchee for several days last week ...MORE...
August 12, 2022
I had another great week of fishing for sockeye on Lake Wenatchee. There was a lull in the bite when a storm ...MORE...
August 5, 2022
I was able to fish Lake Wenatchee on the opening day of sockeye fishing ...MORE...
July 29, 2022
Sockeye salmon have a very large fan base here in Central Washington. ...MORE...
July 22, 2022
The big news on the fishing front here in Central Washington is the huge return of sockeye salmon that has been arriving in...MORE...
July 8, 2022
There is a lot to be excited about for the salmon season in our region this year. If you follow the dam counts...MORE...
July 1, 2022
We were all complaining about how cold it had been this spring, and all of a sudden we can start complaining...MORE...
June 24, 2022
I covered a lot of territory last week. I fished a couple of days on Lake Roosevelt at Kettle Falls...MORE...
June 17, 2022
Dang, I am tired of rain. I have rescheduled fishing trips, video sessions and other things because of it this spring...MORE...
June 10, 2022
I have been encouraged by some warm daytime temperatures—finally—this year, and it has me very excited about the walleye fishing...MORE...
June 3, 2022
I can’t believe it’s June. It has been such a cold spring this year that everything on...MORE...
May 27, 2022
Typically, I have made a few trips to Moses Lake, Potholes Reservoir and Banks Lake to fish for...MORE...
May 20, 2022
I had a week of low numbers with big fish, and a trip...MORE...
May 13, 2022
Along with the warmer days we get in the spring it can be windy throughout the region...MORE...
May 6, 2022
I had another terrific week of fishing here in North Central Washington ...MORE...
April 29, 2022
My wife Eileen and I visited several lakes to see how anglers were doing on the opening ...MORE...
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April 15, 2022
I had a wonderful week on and off the water. It started....MORE...
April 8, 2022
There has been a sharp increase in the number of boats out on the water here in Central Washington....MORE...
March 25, 2022
Spring weather has anglers chomping at the bit...MORE...
March 18, 2022
I had a great weekend. The annual Burke Lake Trout Derby took place on Saturday...MORE...
March 11, 2022
As many of you know, my wife Eileen and I have hosted several trips...MORE...
March 3, 2022
Despite the prospect of finding many of the lakes in the Columbia Basin MORE...
February 25, 2022
Winter is being reluctant to release it’s icy grip. We even got a good shot of new snow up here MORE...
February 25, 2022
I did some exploring last week. I spent a short time fishing from the shore at Keller on Lake Roosevelt MORE...
February 18, 2022
The sunny skies we have seen throughout the region inspired me MORE...
February 11, 2022
There are a very good number of anglers enjoying the colder weather we’ve had this winter MORE...
February 4, 2022
Cold temperatures have been great for fans of ice fishing MORE...
January 28, 2022
The ice fishing season is on! Anglers are out on frozen lakes throughout the region MORE...
January 21, 2022
I had a great time last week traveling to four different ice fishing lakes up north was really fun MORE...
January 14, 2022
Like so many others here in Central Washington, I have been pretty much home bound MORE...
January 7, 2022
The ice fishing season is on! Anglers are out on frozen lakes throughout the region. I have reports of good catches of perch, MORE...
December 31, 2021
I hope everyone had a great Christmas. As we approach New Year’s Day we have extremely cold temperatures forecasted throughout the region. MORE...
December 24, 2021
I made a few trips to the middle net pens last week. We had very good success, limiting on most days. My last trip was on Sunday and fishing was tough. I am glad we MORE...
December 17, 2021
I had a really fun week of winter fishing again. This time I was able to get up to the MORE...
December 10, 2021
I have been trying my luck fishing from shore for rainbow lately MORE...
December 3, 2021
I had a terrific Thanksgiving Weekend. My daughter visited MORE..
November 26, 2021
Winter arrived with a good dump of snow in Leavenworth last week MORE..
November 19, 2021
I didn’t have a lot of success when I got out fishing this past week MORE..
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November 12, 2021
Anglers are having very good success on the Icicle River for coho MORE..
November 5, 2021
I had so much fun fishing this week, it’s hard to believe it’s November. MORE..
October 29, 2021
I got out on the Icicle a couple of times this past week. It rained hard last Friday MORE..
October 22, 2021
I got out several times this week to sample some of our fall fishing opportunities MORE..
October 15, 2021
It was a great week of fishing and not catching for me. That’s the way it goes sometimes. MORE..
October 8, 2021
Anglers are having increased success fishing for salmon on the Hanford Reach for fall kings...MORE..
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October 1, 2021
I hope you were able to get out on the water this week...MORE..
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September 24, 2021
With the fall-like weather comes some really good news for fall fishing...MORE..
September 17, 2021
I had a very fun week. Got the chance to fish with my two brothers...MORE..
September 10, 2021
I hope everyone had a safe and fun Labor Day Weekend
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September 3, 2021
Can you believe it’s September already? Where did summer go?! Actually, I am not missing the...
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August 27, 2021
We are in a period of transition right now. Salmon fishing on the upper..
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August 20, 2021
I spent most of my week on Lake Wenatchee fishing for sockeye, and got...
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August 13, 2021
I have had a tremendously fun week of fishing. Lake Wenatchee MORE...
August 6, 2021
Salmon fishing continues to be the biggest draw for anglers here in the region... MORE...
July 30, 2021
I considered several options about where to fish this past week. I finally settled on ... MORE...
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July 23, 2021
I had a great time this past week, fishing for sturgeon out of Kettle Falls on Lake Roosevelt... MORE...
July 16, 2021
Although temperatures have cooled a bit throughout the region... MORE...
July 9, 2021
The extremely high temperatures we’ve experienced throughout the region didn’t... MORE...
July 2, 2021
Man, it is a scorcher out there! I would like to get out fishing more,MORE...
June 25, 2021
I got out on the water a few times this past week. MORE...
June 18, 2021
I had a great time this past week. I had one of the best days of MORE...
June 11, 2021
A family wedding brought my daughter Whitney to the east side of the mountains MORE...
June 4, 2021
I hope everyone had a safe and fun Memorial Weekend MORE...
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May 28, 2021
I had a terrific time on the water this past week. I was on Moses Lake two days MORE...
May 21, 2021
I ticked off a couple of commitments this week and had a lot of fun doing it. MORE...
May 14, 2021
I had a great time last week. I traveled to the town... MORE...
May 7, 2021
I got out on the water a lot last week MORE...
April 30, 2021
Last weekend was the annual opener of the lowland trout lake MORE...
April 23, 2021
The weather was almost summer-like last week MORE...
April 16, 2021
In just a few days one of the most unusual MORE...
Dave Graybill
"The Outdoor Insider"
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