The warmer weather we’ve had throughout the region has changed from frequent snow storms to rain. This is welcome in many ways, as it is easier to get around. It does mean that ice fishers need to be extra careful. Even night time temperatures have been above freezing, so it is important to check the thickness of the ice before heading out to your favorite spot on the lakes in your area.

My long-time friend and fishing buddy Dan Schlieffers retired and moved to Grand Coulee Dam, and since I was going to be in the area last Wednesday, I gave him a call. Turns out he and his partner Mary were going to be fishing off Crescent Beach and invited me to come down. They had fished there the day before and caught five big rainbow in just a couple of hours.

As I drove down the hill to the beach I saw that there were ice fishermen out on Crescent Lake, which is known for spiny rays. When I walked down the beach I could see that Dan had a rainbow on his stringer, that had to be 20 inches long. He and Mary were fishing with marshmallows and nightcrawlers or shrimp and were pleased to find this kind of quality trout fishing just minutes from their home. He sent me a photo taken from the same beach a couple of days later. There were four rainbow on the stringer, and one was 22 inches long. The majority of the rainbow caught in Lake Roosevelt are the result of net pen releases. Most years there are over 700,000 triploided rainbow released from net pens scattered along the reservoir. These fish are all clipped and are great eaters.

When I was at Coulee Playland last week there were people loading their sleds and heading out on the ice to fish for whitefish. When I passed through Coulee City I saw more ice fishing shelters off the island out there than I can remember ever seeing.

The last time I was in Grand Coulee Dam I learned that there were new owners at Coulee Playland Resort, which is at the very top end of Banks Lake. Ben and Karon Fox have acquired the resort from the very long-time proprietor, Hal Rauch. Ben Fox said that he was originally from the state of Arkansas, but he and his wife had been living in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho for the past eight years. This brought them closer to their daughters. They were interested in getting into the resort business and found the opportunity at Coulee Playland through a business broker.

They plan to make mostly cosmetic changes at the resort’s camping area and other improvements and general repairs. They also want to add some “glamping” style amenities, as this type of camping has become popular with a certain segment of the population that wants to spend time outdoors. Coulee Playland has been a feature on Banks Lake for decades, and has been the site of many events, including the annual Triple Fish Challenge fishing derby each spring. Be sure to stop by and welcome them to the area when you need nightcrawlers, tackle or the latest word on fishing up there. This week’s photo is of Ben and Karon behind the counter at Coulee Playland.

A good number of anglers are interested in how the ice is holding up on Banks Lake, so when I drove up to Grand Coulee last Thursday I made sure to stop and get some photos of the ice fishers. There were people fishing above the highway off the island, which is a good distance from the Coulee City Marina. This seems to be the most popular spot to fish at the lower end of the lake through the ice.  I saw no evidence of anyone fishing right in the marina, which is where I usually found anglers in the past. I pulled into Northrup and could see where some folks had drilled some test holes, but it didn’t appear anyone was fishing there. Where I am seeing the largest groups of anglers is at the very top of the lake. People will park at Coulee Playland and drag their sleds out towards the inlet. At both the lower and upper ends of the lake, big lake variety whitefish are the target. These fish are often in the 3- to 4-pound class, and once you get the hang of hooking these extremely light-biting fish you can fill a cooler with them.

I had a narrow window of time to do some fishing last Friday. I had to make some stops in Wenatchee, so I needed to do something fairly close to home. The weather was in the 40s, so it looked like a good time to head down to Rocky Ford Creek with my fly rod. There were several rigs in the upper parking lot when I arrived, and I could see anglers fishing the far shore. When I opened my fly bag to put some flies and tiny split shot inside, I found that I didn’t have my Rocky Ford box. This had my Mini Leeches and Ultra Scuds. Fortunately, my rod was already rigged with these two flies, but I would have to be extra careful with my back casts.

I crashed through the reeds to get to the area I like to fish below the handicapped dock, but the water was up and my “casting platforms” were underwater. So, I walked down to the spot where I caught a couple of fish on my last visit. Although this area is popular, as it allows for casting without a lot of brush behind you, it has consistently produced fish for me, with my Mini Leech and Ultra Scud combo. All that happened here this trip was that I spent way too much time untangling a wind knot. As I stepped out onto the bank at my next spot I looked at my watch. Uh oh. I needed to leave before 4 and it was 3:30. On my second cast I was able to hook and land a bright 20-inch fish. Yea! I was able to release a nice fish and made it home on time.

I hope the mild weather holds up for a while. I want to get up to the net pens and fish from shore, plus another trip to Rocky Ford would be great!