As daytime temperatures climb more and more lakes have shed their cap of ice and anglers are taking advantage of good trout fishing on many of the year-round lakes in the region. As water temperatures rise fishing will improve for walleye and bass anglers and things will really get rolling. There are some great family events coming up this month.

A really fun family event starts next Friday. It’s the Triple Fish Challenge at Banks Lake. This year Reel Recreation is the organization that is hosting the event that will take place at Coulee Playland. There are some changes in how people can win, and there is a huge cash prize for the winner in the adult category. Once again it is a fishing tournament for adults and kids! Catch a smallmouth bass, a walleye, and a species of choice for a total of six fish and you are entered to win prizes! The organizers have added a day to the fun they have planned for the Triple Fish Challenge. On Friday, youngsters will be able to come to Coulee Playland and get a chance to catch a fish in a trout pond set up just for this event. It will be even easier for anglers to win prizes this year. They must catch a walleye and a bass, largemouth or smallmouth, each day of the two-day tournament, but can add a “Kicker” fish that can be a perch, crappie, whitefish, or trout. You will want to visit the Reel Recreation website to get all the details and learn how to register. This week’s photo was taken at the weigh in at last year’s event.

I have found the best way to find out about what’s happening on a particular lake is to go there myself.  Roses, near Manson at Lake Chelan, is a lake people ask me about frequently, as it is an early season favorite in our region.  It’s open year-round and gets a large plant of catchable size rainbow each fall.  There were several people fishing from shore when I arrived, and two boats trolling on the flat calm water.  There was an angler on the dock just packing up to leave so I ran down and got a quick photo of his fish.  Eddie Garcia had a trout of 12 to 13 inches, which should be quite common this spring on Roses.  As I was leaving I noticed a young angler at one of the shore accesses that was struggling to hold onto a fish.  Young Norman Colter was hugging a trout to his chest and was very excited.  Dad Derek showed me a stringer with several more.  He said they were about to head home to put the fish on the grill for lunch.  It looks like another good spring for trout fishers at Roses Lake.

I wanted people to know that there are lots of good reasons to put Roses Lake on your list of lakes to fish this season. Last year the lake received a huge plant of triploid rainbow trout, and some regular rainbow. The WDFW also put brown and tiger trout in the lake. I like to fish Roses for spiny rays. 

I have had good fishing here for largemouth bass for many years, and some of the biggest bluegill of any lake in the region. I have also had some great fun catching crappie and perch.
Another lake in this area that I like to fish in the early season is Antilon. It is in the hills above Wapato Lake and is loaded with brown trout. Last year it was planted with over 7,600 browns and the lake gets very little pressure. Brown trout of 14 to 18 inches are caught in Antilon and browns to 20 inch are possible. There is some bank access to the lake, and a couple of spots where a small boat, pontoon boat or float tube could be shoved into the water. I wouldn’t try to launch anything larger than a 12-foot car topper. I have had a great time paddling around catching browns on a fly. I also have caught a bunch casting from shore. This is a lake where a Kastmaster lure is very effective, and Rooster Tails also work well for the browns. It has been a while, but when I lived in Chelan years ago, I would hit Antilon for crappie.  

Another great fishing event for families is coming up on April 22nd. It’s the annual Free Kids Fishing Day at the Pit Pond in Rock Island. This one has been going on for over twenty years. There is lots of good fishing access from the shore at the Pit Pond, which is a Juvenile Pond, which means it is set aside for kids aged 15 and under for fishing. The WDFW always puts a bunch of trout in the pond prior to the event. The Wenatchee Sportsmen’s Association will be there to help kids catch fish, and volunteers from the City of Rock Island are there serving hot dogs and snacks during the day.

I am putting the finishing touches on the free Spring issue of the Fishing Magician E-Letter, so it will be sent out very soon. This issue is all about kokanee fishing in Eastern Washington. Included in the E-Letter will be a description of the tackle recommended, and the techniques used to catch this popular species. I did some research and list every lake that gets kokanee planted and the numbers of them that went into these lakes last season, so anglers will know what to expect. There are 20 lakes on the list. Most are long-time kokanee lakes, but there are a couple of them that are fairly new. In addition to the information on kokanee fishing, I will be sharing my forecast for the coming season, listing what I think are the top prospects for anglers this year. I will have at least a dozen lakes and rivers on the list. If you are not a subscriber to the free E-Letter, it is easy to sign up. Just go to my website at fishingmagician.com and click on the Free E-Letter button at the top left of the Home Page. I will be sure to send you the Spring issue when it’s done.

The lowland lake opener is coming up fast. Better get out to one of the year-round open lakes and practice!