Despite the prospect of finding many of the lakes in the Columbia Basin covered with ice, there were quite a few anglers out for the March 1st opening. I visited several of the lakes last Tuesday and saw everything from people fishing on the ice to open water.

I know many anglers were disappointed to learn that the Burke Lake Trout Derby has been postponed until March 19th. I suspected that the freezing temperatures that we had up until very recently were the issue, and I decided to run down to the Quincy Wildlife Area to see what Burke and some other lakes that opened on March 1st looked like. I came upon a sight that I can’t ever remember seeing before—ice fishermen on Burke Lake. Yup, there was a big group of anglers out on the ice. Not knowing the thickness of the ice, I don’t know if I would have joined them, but Burke Lake was pretty much frozen from the bottom end to as far as I could see.

I did notice some anglers on the south shore. I drove over and found a half dozen guys fishing a narrow strip of open water. Delaying the Burke Lake Trout Derby was a good idea. Fishing will be great with open water on the 19th. I also noticed that nearby Quincy Lake was solidly frozen with no open water at all, but it appeared that there is open water on Dusty Lake at the bottom of the mile long trail down to it. This week’s photo is of Dusty Lake.
I always try to visit a few of the lakes that open on March 1st each year, to give anglers an idea of what to expect in this very early season opener. Two of the more popular lakes are just outside the town of George. To the east is Martha Lake, which is a long, narrow, and shallow. When I arrived, I was pleased to see a big crowd of people fishing here and even a couple of kayaks paddling down the middle of the lake. Martha is a favorite of many folks as although it is small with lots of good shore access, it produces some very large rainbow some years.

I continued my survey by driving back up the road and past George to the west. Here is where you will find Caliche Lake. It was mostly frozen but there were a few people fishing the southern shore where there was open water. Bob Freeze was just getting back to his vehicle when I arrived, and he let me take a photo of his catch. He had a limit of very nice rainbow that averaged at least 12 inches, with one that was probably 15 inches he took from upper Caliche.

With the opening of many lakes in the Columbia Basin, trout anglers will be turning out in force after so many months of a chilly winter. They will be dusting off their tackle boxes, grabbing their rods and reels and heading out to their favorite lakes. Most of them will be fishing from shore and the majority of them will be using the same technique, that is fishing some kind of bait off the bottom. More trout are added to the creels of anglers fishing this way than any other.

It sounds simple, and it is really, but there are ways to fish more effectively. By rigging your bait, whether it is Power Bait, or a marshmallow and worm with a sliding sinker, you will have much better success. Just slide an egg-shaped sinker on your line and then tie on a barrel swivel. You may want to add a bumper bead above the barrel swivel. Then add at least three feet of line to your hook. After you cast, allow a little slack in your line. This lets the bait float up off the bottom, and you will see when a fish takes the bait. They won’t feel the sinker and will swallow the bait.

Some of the early season lakes that are now open in the Columbia Basin are selective fishery lakes. They have special rules that make them particularly attractive to fly fishers. They don’t allow bait and have a one fish limit with a minimum size of 18 inches. When I did a recent survey of the lakes to check on conditions, I found that most of those I visited were still capped with ice.
I did see open water on Dusty Lake, in the Quincy Wildlife Area, but further north I found both Lenore and Dry Falls completely ice bound. I didn’t get a chance to check out Lenice and Nunnally lakes. These are near Beverly and could be free of ice, but I just can’t say. There are other quality lakes in the region, and they can be found by looking through the Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet. They are great lakes to try in the early season for bigger trout, and although attractive to fly anglers most can be fished with lures that have single barbless hooks. It won’t be long before the ice will clear off these lakes and some of the best fishing of the season can be had.

As the ice disappears from the surface of the lakes throughout the region, trout fishing gets into gear. Most people will be trying their luck on the early season lakes that are now open, but there are other really good opportunities on year-round waters. One of the most overlooked trout waters is Banks Lake. Trout averaging 2 to 3 pounds, with some much larger, can be taken on Banks, and the early spring is a good time to get them.

Some anglers fish from the shore at Coulee City, or at the very north end of the lake near Coulee Playland in Electric City. Trolling is a very good way to get big trout on Banks Lake. Pulling plugs like Rapalas and Flicker shads can be very effective. Bass anglers casting plugs account for many of the biggest rainbow in the early season when looking for smallmouth that are just waking up after the winter chill. There are many big rainbow turned in during the Banks Lake Triple Fish Challenge derby that is held in April each year. The event is scheduled for April 9th and 10th in 2022. This is a really fun event that you should put on the calendar for a great family weekend. Spring trout fishing has officially begun. Get out there and have some fun!