Anglers are landing increasing numbers of spring chinook salmon on the lower Columbia River, the lingcod season is under way on a large portion of the Washington coast and hundreds of lakes throughout the state open for trout fishing April 28.

Those are just a few of the reasons why anglers might want to purchase a 2007-08 fishing license before current licenses expire at midnight March 31.

Hunters, too, have good reason to plan ahead. A spring wild turkey season for hunter under age 16 is scheduled April 7-8 prior to the general spring turkey hunt that gets under way April 15.

"We encourage people to renew their fish and hunting licenses early, so they can take advantage of all the great outdoor recreation opportunities available in the coming weeks," said Frank Hawley, licensing manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Current rates for annual fishing and hunting licenses remain unchanged from last year. Not counting dealer fees, the resident adult freshwater fishing license is $21.90; saltwater is $19.71; shellfish/seaweed is $10.95; and a combination license is $41.61. A Puget Sound crab endorsement is $3. Resident hunting licenses vary with package options, ranging from a small-game license at $32.85 to a deer/elk/cougar/bear combination license for $72.27.

Most annual licenses include a WDFW vehicle-use permit, which gives the bearer access to more than 600 WDFW recreational access sites throughout the state. Sold separately, the annual permit costs $10.95.

Due to budget reductions adopted by the state Legislature in 2003, licenses and permits are no longer sold over-the-counter at any of the WDFW offices around the state. Instead, all sales have been shifted to retail license dealers, the website and toll-free phone line listed below. See https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/ for information on license sales over the Internet.

To purchase a license online, those currently listed in the WILD system will need either their WILD licensing identification number, Social Security number, or driver's license number, as well as name and date of birth. New customers must also provide their address, telephone number, Social Security number, height, weight and eye color.

Licenses can also be purchased over the phone by calling 1-866-246-9453.

For those interested in buying a license in person, a list of license vendors is available on the WDFW website at (http://wdfw.wa.gov/lic/vendors/vendors.htm) or from local WDFW offices.

Another option is to enter a friend or family member in WDFW's quarterly drawings for a lifetime of base hunting and fishing privileges. Tickets cost $6.50 for state residents and $12.50 for non-residents. Each ticket is valid 365 days and provides an individual at least eight opportunities to win a lifetime of base hunting and fishing privileges.

April 1 is an important date, because it marks the start of the new licensing year for fishing and hunting in Washington state. Here are a few other dates to keep in mind during the coming weeks:

• March 26 and 27 - Members of the public can comment on proposals for this year's salmon fishing season at two upcoming meetings. The first, scheduled March 26 in Olympia, will focus on Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor salmon fisheries. The second, set for March 27 in Lynnwood, will focus on salmon fisheries in other areas. For more information, see WDFW's North of Falcon website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/northfalcon/).

• March 31 - This is the deadline for deer and elk hunters to enter their name in a drawing for this year's multiple-season hunt. Applicants who qualify for the drawing will be eligible to purchase a special permit allowing them to participate in archery, muzzleloader and modern-firearm general hunting seasons for deer or elk in 2007. Applications cost $5.48 and can be purchased at an authorized license dealer (see http://wdfw.wa.gov/lic/vendors/vendors.htm) or by calling (866) 246-9453.

• April 9 - Sportfishing for halibut will opens in most areas of Puget Sound (marine areas 6-11 and 13). These fisheries will be open five days a week, Thursday through Monday.

For more information about fishing, hunting and other outdoor activities available in the next few weeks, see the regional reports below:

North Puget Sound

• Fishing: Spring has arrived, but the winter blackmouth salmon fishery is still going strong. Anglers from Point No Point to the San Juan Islands continue to do well fishing for chinook, but time is running out in some areas to get in on the action.

  "Over the past several weeks, anglers have done great in just about every marine area in the region," said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW fish biologist. "That should continue, but there are only a few days of fishing remaining in the San Juan Islands and only few weeks left in Admiralty Inlet. So now is the time to get out on the water."

  Anglers in Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands) have through the end of March to hook a blackmouth, while those in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) have through April 15. Anglers in both marine areas have a daily limit of one salmon, and chinook must measure at least 22 inches in length.

  Thiesfeld said the most productive region continues to be the southern portion of Marine Area 9. According to WDFW creel checks at the Everett boat ramp, 324 anglers were checked with 94 salmon during the third weekend in March. At the Kingston public ramp, 43 anglers brought home 10 chinook that same weekend.

  Blackmouth fishing also remains good in marine areas 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay) and 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner), Thiesfeld said. Anglers in those two marine areas can keep up to two hatchery chinook per day, so long as the fish measure at least 22 inches in length. Wild chinook salmon, which have an intact adipose fin, cannot be brought aboard the boat. The selective chinook fishery in marine areas 8-1 and 8-2 remains open through April 30.

  Anglers did well during the recent inaugural Anacortes Salmon Derby. Ronald Henning of Puyallup took home the event's $5,000 top prize after landing a 22.08-pound chinook. Bob Burress from Burlington captured second place and was awarded $1,500 for his 21.30-pound chinook, while Matt Minnis of Eastsound finished third and earned $500 for his 19.24-pound salmon. Proceeds from the event go toward scholarships to benefit young adults interested in pursuing an education in fisheries or a related natural science. For more information visit http://www.anacortessalmonderby.com.

  Saltwater anglers looking for a change of pace will soon have an opportunity to hook a halibut. The halibut season gets under way April 9 in marine waters throughout the region. The fishery will be open five days a week, Thursday through Monday, with a daily limit of one halibut. There is no minimum size limit for halibut caught in any area.

  Meanwhile, the catch-and-release fishery for steelhead on the Skagit and Sauk rivers continues through April. Anglers on the Skagit can cast for steelhead from the Dalles Bridge to the Cascade River, while those on the Sauk can fish from the mouth of the river to the Darrington Bridge.

  Brett Barkdull, WDFW fish biologist, reminds Skagit River anglers fishing from boats, sleds or any other floating device equipped with a gas or electric motor that it's illegal to fish while under power during the catch-and-release season. Rules and regulations for the Skagit River fishery, as well as other freshwater and saltwater fisheries, can be found in WDFW's 2006/2007 Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm).

  Looking forward to the summer salmon fishing season? There's still time to provide input on proposals for this year's fisheries. Two public meetings have been scheduled for the last week of March as fishery managers continue to develop the 2007 salmon seasons.

  Anglers and others can provide input on Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor salmon seasons during a March 26 meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in the Natural Resources Building in Olympia, 1111 Washington Street S.E. The following day, the public will have an opportunity to discuss salmon fisheries that take place in other coastal areas, Puget Sound and the Columbia River. That meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the Lynnwood Embassy Suites Hotel, 20610 44th Ave. W.

  The final fishing package for Washington's waters will be finalized in early April. More information about the salmon season-setting process can be found on WDFW's North of Falcon website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/northfalcon/).

• Wildlife viewing: The annual gray whale migration is under way and several reported sightings of the large marine mammals in Puget Sound have surfaced in recent weeks. The Whidbey and Camano Island areas, particularly Saratoga Passage, seem to be the hot spots for catching a glimpse of the massive animals. The whales are part of a large population making its annual journey north from the coast of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean, where the animals spend the summer feeding before heading south again. While most continue on to Alaska, some gray whales linger in the waters of the Pacific Northwest during the summer months.

  Birdwatchers in the region also have been treated to a number of interesting species recently. At the Kent Ponds, a red-shouldered hawk has drawn some folks to the area. One birder spotted the hawk near the King County Animal Shelter, according to Tweeters birding website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/). The birder also reported a common yellowthroat, 10 western meadowlarks, several violet-green swallows, a few tree swallows, one barn swallow and two adult northern shrikes.

  Looking for a unique birding experience? Take a trip to the fifth-annual "Wings Over Water" Northwest Birding Festival, March 31 in Blaine and Birch Bay. The festival celebrates birds that annually visit the area, and includes bird-viewing stations, seminars and exhibits. More information is available at http://www.washingtonbrant.org/events.html.

South Sound/Olympic Peninsula

• Fishing: Nothing says "spring" like the arrival of spring chinook salmon, except possibly the start of fishing seasons for lingcod and halibut. Anglers will have the opportunity to fish for all those species - along with blackmouth and steelhead - in the weeks ahead.

  Lingcod fishing got under way March 17 in marine areas 1-3, south of Cape Alava. Anglers should note the minimum size for lingcod in these three areas is 22 inches, rather than 24 inches as in years past. "The most recent stock assessment supported a decision to reduce the minimum size for recreational lingcod," said Heather Reed, WDFW fish biologist. .

  That's not the case in Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay), where the minimum size for lingcod remains 24 inches. That area opens for lingcod fishing April 15.

  All four marine areas will be open seven days per week through Oct. 13 with the following restrictions:

  • In Marine Area 2 (Westport/Ocean Shores), recreational fishing for rockfish or lingcod is not allowed in waters deeper than 30 fathoms from March 17 through June 15.

  • In Marine Area 3 and 4 (La Push/Neah Bay), recreational fishing for rockfish or lingcod in not allowed in waters deeper that 20 fathoms from May 21 through Sept. 30, except on days the halibut fishery is open.

  • In Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco), rockfish and lingcod are not allowed on any vessel with halibut on board from May 1 through Sept. 30.

  Retention of canary and yelloweye rockfish is prohibited in all waters. Additional information about the lingcod fishery is available on the WDFW Fishing Hotline (360-902-2500) and the department's website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm).

  Looking for bigger fish to fry? This year's halibut fishery opens April 9 in marine areas 6-11 and 13 (Port Angeles and Puget Sound), running five days a week - Thursday through Monday - through June 16. Best bets in April for catching a big flatfish are marine areas 6, 9 and 13, said Michele Culver, regional director for the coastal area. "The fishing should be good, and we've heard that April is the best time to go," Culver said.

  Later halibut openings on the coast and other areas are described on the WDFW website under Halibut Reports at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel/halibut/, or the Fishing Hotline at (360) 902-2500.

  Meanwhile, blackmouth fishing just keeps getting better, especially from the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca down to Point Defiance in Marine Area 11, said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW fish biologist. Creel checkers counted 30 blackmouth March 18 at Ediz Hook boat ramp, near Port Angeles in Marine Area 6, where anglers have been averaging about one fish for every two rods. "Fishing for blackmouth is extremely good right now," said Thiesfeld. "People should really get out there."

  Catch rates for wild steelhead have been mixed on the Olympic Peninsula as the fishery nears the finish line on several rivers. "Fishing has been decent for steelhead on the Sol Duc and Calawah rivers, but poor on the Hoh where warmer temperatures and rain have put the river out of shape," said David Low, WDFW fish biologist.

  The retention fishery for steelhead closes at the end of the day April 15 on the Hoh, but will remain open on the Quillayute River system through April 30.

  Anglers on the Calawah averaged a fish per rod in creel checks conducted March 16-18. During the same period, 83 anglers checked on the Sol Duc had caught 62 wild steelhead, while 65 checked on the Bogachiel had hooked 18. Low said a few spring chinook salmon also have been taken in the Sol Duc.

  The rain and warm weather also affected rivers in the Grays Harbor area, where the water was high and the catches marginal, said Low. "Anglers were out trying different methods, but fishing just wasn't ideal." The key factor for all areas is the weather, said Low. "Fishing should be better by the weekend if the rain holds off and the temperature goes down."

  Before heading out, anglers are advised to call the WDFW Fishing Hotline (360-902-2500), or check the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm for retention rules and dates.

  An April morning razor clam dig may be a possibility, said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager, who noted that the recent clam dig held March 16-18 was highly successful. "Most diggers got about an average of 14 clams, nearly meeting their 15-clam limit," he said. "We'd like to provide some morning clam-digging opportunities in April, but first we'll have to assess how many clams are available for harvest."

  Anglers looking forward to the upcoming summer salmon fishery may want to attend a a public meeting March 26 in Olympia where salmon seasons for Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor will be discussed. The meeting, which will provide opportunities for public comment on current proposals, is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington Street S.E. The final fishing package for Washington's waters will be finalized in early April. More information about the salmon season-setting process can be found on WDFW's North of Falcon website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/northfalcon/).

• Hunting: The spring wild turkey season runs April 15 through May 31 throughout the state. The general season follows a special hunt April 7-8 for people age 16 and younger. For more information, a Wild Turkey Spring Season brochure is available at WDFW regional office and on the department's website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/turkey/index.htm).

  Hunters who won a permit drawing for this year's spring black bear hunt will be notified by WDFW by March 31. The drawing applies to specific hunts in western or eastern Washington. In western Washington, three pilot black bear damage hunts are scheduled between April 15 and June 15. The hunts will occur on the Capitol Forest (Capitol Peak Unit) southwest of Olympia; the Kapowsin Tree Farm (South Unit) in eastern Pierce County; and the Rainier Timberland property (Copalis Unit) in Grays Harbor County. A total of 250 permits will be issued in western Washington.

• Wildlife viewing: Birds aplenty will be on display in time for the fourth annual 2007 Olympic Peninsula Birdfest, scheduled March 30 to April 1 in Sequim. The festival offers a full slate for beginning birders, experts, and those who just enjoy the outdoors. Events include a live raptor demonstration, Saturday night salmon bake, Protection Island boat trip, several local field trips, kayaking and other presentations. For more information, call 360-681-4076, or email: info@olympicbirdfest.org.

  Bird watchers and other nature lovers may enjoy the newest installment from the Great Washington Birding Trail, which features a route around the Olympic Peninsula. The full-color Olympic Loop map covers more than 50 of the best birding sites in the region and is the most recent addition to the Great Washington State Birding Trail map series, which includes the Cascade Loop, the Coulee Corridor and the Southwest Loop.

  Birding trails are self-guided driving trips to places where birds are most likely to be seen. Stops along the route describe habitat, the bird species seen throughout each season and how to get there. Copies of the Great Washington State Birding Trail maps are available online at http://www.wa.audubon.org.

  This is the time of year when migrating gray whales pass by the Washington coast on their annual 12,000 mile journey north from Mexico to the Arctic. Sightings in Westport are common, but this year several whales have also been reported in Puget Sound. Observers reporting to the Orca Network (http://www.orcanetwork.org/sightings/map.html) recently saw gray whales swimming near Whidbey Island, along the Kitsap Peninsula, in Hood Canal and Commencement Bay near Tacoma. During the summer, a few gray whales reside in Washington waters, moving throughout the state's nearshore areas and often into British Columbia. People are asked to report any sightings to the Orca Network.

  Meanwhile, the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge near Olympia is teeming with migrating and resident birds enjoying the marshes and tides. According to reports on the Tweeters birdwatching website http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/, people are getting good views of a new-born great-horned owl hanging out between the Twin Barns and the river overlook. Other species sighted include Eurasian wigeon, wood ducks, turkey vultures, hawks and kestrels, hairy and pileated woodpeckers, northern shrikes, goldfinches, winter wrens, brown creepers, greater yellowlegs and a fox sparrow.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: Landings of spring chinook salmon are beginning to pick up on the lower Columbia River, but not nearly as fast as the number of anglers fishing for them. Creel checkers interviewed nearly a thousand anglers from the I-5 bridge downstream during the week ending March 18. Together, they accounted for 34 spring chinook (including eight that were released) and eight steelhead (of which three were released).

  Then again, anglers averaged one springer for every two boats fishing near Vancouver two days later.

  "The action is starting to pick up throughout the lower river, especially around Vancouver and Cathlamet," said Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist. "Catch rates should continue to improve in the days ahead."

  Recent catch rates might have been higher, but for the high, turbid water on the lower Columbia and many of its tributaries, Hymer said. "Murky water, caused by snow melt, is posing something of a challenge for anglers," he said. "I'd strongly advise using a flasher - or something to get the fishes' attention - until visibility improves."

  Anglers fishing below the I-5 bridge can keep a total of six hatchery salmon per day - including two adults - but must release any wild, unmarked fish they encounter. Hatchery steelhead and shad may also be retained within the limits described in WDFW's Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm). The spring chinook season is expected to remain open through April 15.

  Fishing is also picking up on the Cowlitz River, although late-run hatchery steelhead have been providing most of the action. Seventy bank anglers reported catching 13 steelhead and no chinook during creel checks during the week ending March 18. Seventeen boat anglers landed 10 steelhead and released three others during the same week. Those fishing Blue Creek and the waters around the Olequa boat ramp generally had the best results.

  Four spring chinook returned to the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery that week. The first springer of the season also returned to the Merwin Dam fish trap on the Lewis River. Anglers took a few spring chinook from the Lewis, while those fishing the Kalama River caught - and released - a few wild steelhead.

  Back on the mainstem Columbia River, fishing opened March 16 for hatchery chinook and hatchery steelhead from the Tower Islands (six miles below The Dalles Dam) to McNary Dam. But the chance of catching a chinook salmon in those waters will remain slim until more springers pass Bonneville Dam, said Hymer, noting that the count stood at 19 fish as of March 16. For up-to-date accounts of fish passage, he recommends checking the Army Corps of Engineers website at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/fishdata/home.asp or the DART website at http://www.cbr.washington.edu/dart/adult.html.

  Chinook fishing also opened March 16 on the Wind River and Drano Lake, although returns to those waters - plus the Klickitat River, which opens April 1 - are expected to be down this year. For that reason, anglers fishing the Wind River may retain only one - rather than two - hatchery spring chinook per day under new regulations adopted this year. In addition, the Wind River will remain closed to all fishing upstream from a point 400 feet below Shipherd Falls until the catch-and-release steelhead season begins in September. For more information, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm.

  Boat anglers fishing the John Day Pool caught nine legal-size sturgeon during the week ending March 18, but fishing was generally slow farther downriver. Boat anglers targeting warmwater fish above John Day Dam averaged a bass and a walleye per every 4.5 rods, while those fishing The Dalles and Bonneville pools averaged more than half a walleye per rod.

  This year's Columbia River smelt run appears to be small as predicted. Little sign of smelt has been detected in the Columbia and none in the Cowlitz River in recent days. The sport season comes to a close at the end of March.

  While most lakes in the region are open year round, many are nonetheless stocked with trout in advance of "opening day" - which falls on the last Saturday in April. At Klineline Pond, bank anglers averaged 3.2 trout per rod after the pond was planted with brown trout March 12. Those fish averaged more than half a pound apiece. Lake Sacajawea in Longview was planted with 4,300 catchable-size rainbows a day later. For more information about trout plants in the region, see the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/plants/regions/reg5/index.htm.

• Hunting: The spring wild turkey season runs April 15 through May 31 throughout the state. The general season follows a special hunt April 7-8 for young people age 16 and younger. For more information, a Wild Turkey Spring Season brochure is available at WDFW regional office and on the department's website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/turkey/index.htm).

• Wildlife viewing: Visit the fish-viewing window at Bonneville Dam right now and you might see a late-run steelhead or chinook salmon moving up the fish ladder. Since mid-March, a few dozen steelhead - and an occasional chinook - have passed by the underwater window each day. But things should start getting a lot more interesting in April, when hundreds - then thousands - of spring chinook weighing up to 40 pounds apiece start moving past the dam on a daily basis. Last year, the highest daily count was 8,647 on May 6.

  To monitor daily fish counts from home, check the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/fishdata/home.asp. Or stop by the Washington Shore Visitor Complex and see the annual parade of fish for yourself. To get there, take Washington State Highway 14 east to Milepost 40 (about 5 miles from Stevenson) and turn into the Bonneville Dam visitor center. The visitor center is the glass building at the end of the powerhouse.

  A recent birding trip to the Columbia Gorge failed to produce any sightings of acorn woodpeckers for Wilson Cady, who writes the "Afield" report for the Vancouver Audubon Society's website (http://vancouveraudubon.org/flywayafield.html). But Cady did see one turkey vulture at Skamania Landing, seven more at the mouth of the Klickitat River, mountain bluebirds perched on a fence at Tidyman Road Ponds and large flocks of greater scaup all along the Columbia River. An immature bald eagle repeatedly dived at two of the turkey vultures, Cady reported to the Tweeters online birding website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/). He attributed the dearth of acorn woodpeckers to a poor acorn crop last fall, noting that it "probably explains last year's out of place sightings of acorn woodpeckers in Clark County."

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: The Dayton Juvenile Fishing Pond re-opened March 16 for rainbow trout fishing, thanks to a community effort to improve the waterway. "Volunteers helped dredge and re-contour the pond, deepening it to nearly 10 feet, and removed shoreline brush and cattails that limited access to only a few narrow locations," said Mark Schuck, a WDFW fish biologist. "The project was partially funded by a grant from Washington Department of Ecology to improve water quality flowing from the pond. A new outlet control and pond level structure was installed last December that allows water to be pulled from the bottom of the pond, thus returning cool water to the Touchet River. This is just one project of many to improve water quality in the Touchet River ESA-listed steelhead and bull trout."

  Schuck said rainbows from WDFW's Lyons Ferry Hatchery were stocked in the newly refurbished pond and lots of juvenile fishers are taking advantage of the new opportunity. "The kids in Dayton once again have a great place to learn the joy of fishing," he said. "The new water depth from the dredging should help keep the pond a great place to fish well into the summer - and for years to come."

  Schuck also noted fishing is good at the Tucannon River impoundments in Columbia County - Beaver, Big Four, Blue, Deer, Rainbow, Spring and Watson lakes. All are being re-stocked this week with 8-10-inch rainbows from WDFW's Tucannon Hatchery.

  Amber Lake in southwest Spokane County is fishing very well now, according to WDFW district fish biologist Chris Donley of Spokane. The rainbow trout are running 11 to 22 inches, with most in the 15- to 20-inch range. And there's an occasional cutthroat trout in the catch. Amber opened March 1 for catch-and-release fishing with selective gear only. It shifts to a catch-and-keep season for two trout daily on April 28.

  Lincoln County's Coffeepot Lake is also fishing well now, Donley said, with many anglers reporting eight to 15-fish days. The majority of the rainbows are over 15 inches, running up to 22 inches. Coffeepot has selective gear rules with a daily limit of one trout with a minimum size of 18 inches. Donley says there's also a good yellow perch population at Coffeepot that few anglers are tapping. "Since you can't use bait there," he said, "catching them can be a challenge but they're there for the taking."

  North Silver Lake in Spokane County is providing some fair fishing, with one or two rainbows caught per hour or so of effort. Donley said the lake will be re-stocked with hatchery catchable-size fish next week. North Silver is under selective gear rules with a two-trout daily limit and 14-inch minimum size.

  Year-round Rock Lake in Whitman County continues to produce good catches of rainbows. WDFW enforcement officer Lenny Hahn recently reported several limits from both shore and boat anglers, including two fish over 24 inches and five pounds each. A 14.5-pound German brown trout also was recently caught at Rock Lake.

  Hahn also noted fly fishermen at Hog Canyon Lake were recently doing well on rainbows, while the action at Fourth of July Lake was reportedly slow. Both winter-season trout lakes close March 31.

  Lake Roosevelt has been "hit and miss" for rainbow trout and walleye. The Spokane arm of the reservoir - where the Spokane River flows in above Seven Bays - has been hot for walleye staging there to go up into the reservoir to spawn. "The Spokane arm closes April 1," Donley said, "so now's the time to hit it."

  Ice is finally gone from northeastern Spokane County's Newman Lake and at least one legal size (36-inch minimum) tiger muskie has already been caught, reports WDFW fish biologist Randall Osborne. Osborne says action on Newman's other warmwater fish species - including black crappie, yellow perch, and largemouth bass - will be a little slower until water temperatures warm with the progression of spring. He noted the cold water at this time of year is a reminder for anglers of all ages to dress in warm layers and always wear life jackets while fishing.

• Hunting: Wild turkey hunters are getting spring fever listening to gobbling toms as they seek hens and vie for breeding territories in the woods across the region. The spring hunt starts April 15 and, thanks to prolific turkey populations, will run two weeks later this year, through May 31. During the spring season, hunters may harvest up to three tom turkeys (turkeys with visible beards), with a total of two birds from eastern Washington. Check the rules pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/turkey/index.htm) for limitations in other parts of the state. The northeast game management units (101-136) continue to have the greatest densities of birds and consequently the most hunting and highest success rates. Southeast units (139-186) have the second-highest harvest in the state. The names of two hunters were drawn March 18 in a National Wild Turkey Federation raffle for three additional turkey tags each in a special further-extended hunt, April 1 through May 31.

  Spring black bear hunting also starts April 15 and runs through May 31 for 225 hunters who drew special permits in eastern Washington game management units. Seventy of those permits are new this year in northeast units with healthy bear populations.

  All bear and turkey hunters must report their hunting activity either by telephone (877-945-3492) or on the Internet at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/. The report information is used by WDFW to better monitor hunter effort, distribution, harvest and trends.

• Wildlife viewing: WDFW central district wildlife biologist Howard Ferguson reports that Peregrine falcons are back in traditional nesting territories near Lincoln Cliffs and Coffeepot Lake in Lincoln County. Tree and violet-green swallows, as well as mountain and western bluebirds, are also back in many locations, looking for nesting cavities. Wildlife biologists remind those who maintain bird nest boxes to clean them out for these new tenants, if they haven't already.

  Ferguson also reports wild turkey toms, seeking hens and vying for breeding territories, are gobbling in the woods at dawn and sometimes throughout the day across the region. Eagles and hawks are nesting and woodpeckers are announcing their breeding territories by pounding on everything from cedar shake roofs to aluminum gates.

  "Our first wave of migrants, including lots of geese, ducks and swans, has already moved through the central district to areas further north," Ferguson said. "With forecasted storms this week, a second wave is likely to descend on and around our waterways."

  Hundreds of tundra swans and Canada geese and thousands of ducks, mostly pintails and mallards, are now in Stevens County's Chewelah Valley where Colville River flooding has farm fields under water, according to WDFW regional director John Andrews. The Calispel Lake area in Pend Oreille County is also full of thousands of swans and other waterfowl now.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: Steelhead fishing on the mainstem Columbia River from Rocky Reach Dam to Chief Joseph Dam closed March 17. WDFW district fish biologist Bob Jateff of Omak reports anglers were able to remove an estimated 685 adipose-fin-clipped hatchery steelhead during the nearly five-month season.

  Fishing for whitefish will continue until March 31 on both the Similkameen and Methow rivers. Jateff advises anglers to consult the WDFW website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm) or hotline (360-902-2500) for emergency closures during the whitefish seasons.

  Two Okanogan County lakes worth noting will be open for fishing starting April 1, Jateff said. -- Spectacle Lake near Loomis should have excellent fishing for 10 to 12-inch rainbow trout, and Washburn Island Pond near Brewster will provide opportunities for largemouth bass and bluegill, he said.

  April 1 is also when a number of lakes in the Okanogan switch over from a catch-and-keep season to a catch-and-release season with selective gear rules in effect, Jateff said. Davis Lake near Winthrop, Big and Little Green lakes near Omak, and Rat Lake near Brewster will all have that rule change and should continue to provide good trout fishing.

  Rufus Woods Lake, the Columbia River reservoir off Chief Joseph Dam near Bridgeport, continues to provide catches - from boats and from shore - of triploid rainbow trout ranging from one to three pounds. There are boat launches at both the state park and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers site just above the dam.

  WDFW district fish biologist Art Viola of Cashmere says fishing is getting a slow start in his area because water temperatures remain low. "Anglers are catching some of the 11- to12-inch cutthroat trout we stocked in the Rock Island Ponds last fall," he said, "and trout fishing should pick up at Roses Lake soon."

  Columbia Basin rainbow trout fishing waters that opened March 1 are reportedly being fished more as warmer spring weather entices more people outside. Quincy and Burke lakes, on WDFW's Quincy Wildlife Area near the town of Quincy, are picking up speed after a slow opener.

• Hunting: Spring wild turkey hunters should be scouting now to be ready for the April 15 opener of the six-week season. North central game management units usually produce about five percent of the statewide harvest of toms. All turkey hunters must report their hunting activity either by telephone (877-945-3492) or on the Internet at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/.

• Wildlife viewing: WDFW wildlife biologist Rich Finger reports thousands of sandhill cranes are staging around Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and the Desert Unit of WDFW's Columbia Basin Wildlife Area. These big birds are the stars of the 10th annual Othello Sandhill Crane Festival March 23-25. This community-supported festival includes many tours for crane viewing, plus tours of the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, Potholes Reservoir area, Missoula Floods and the Channeled Scablands geology, sage grouse leks, lower Grand Coulee, Wahluke Slope, and shrub-steppe habitat. Many tours are already filled, but call 509-488-2802 or see http://www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org/ for more information. Finger notes the cranes usually remain in the area until mid-April, feeding and resting before heading further north to breeding grounds.

  Cranes are far from the only spring visitors to the Basin. The area's many waterways, large and small, are a magnet at this time of year for waterfowl and shorebirds of many kinds. Finger noted that long-billed curlews may be in the area now and are often seen in the Seep Lakes Unit of the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area. "Many Canada geese and a few white-fronted geese are around the farm fields of the Columbia Basin," he said, "and northern pintails and mallards have been coming through over the past few weeks."

  Smaller flashes of color and calls in the Basin now include yellow-headed, tri-colored, and red-winged blackbirds, many which stay and nest in the abundant wetlands habitat.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: As spring weather draws more anglers to local year-round fishing waters, WDFW fish hatchery crews are busy re-stocking rainbow trout in some of the most popular spots to keep up with the demand. Starting April, catchable size 8-12-inch rainbow will be planted in Kittitas County waters, including Easton Ponds (3,500), McCabe Pond (600, plus 200 jumbos up to one-third of a pound) and Naneum Juvenile Pond (650, plus 250 jumbos).

  Several lakes and ponds in Yakima County will also be planted with catchable-size rainbow starting the same day. They include I-82 Pond #4 (4,000), I-82 Pond #6 (4,000), Mud Lake (250, plus 300 jumbos), Rotary Lake (3,250, plus 400 jumbos), Sarge Hubbard Park Juvenile Pond (450), Tim's Pond (400, plus 200 jumbos) and Yakima Sportsmen's Pond (400).

  In April, WDFW will plant several waters with triploid rainbow trout, sterile half-pound to one-pound fish that often eat their way to trophy size. These include Benton County's Columbia Park Juvenile Pond (130), Franklin County's Railroad Pond (313), Kittitas County's Fio Rito North Lake (1,021), Mattoon Lake (706), and Yakima County's Clear Lake (2,685), Mud Lake (109), and Myron Lake (345).

  Wenas Lake, a popular recreational fishery in the Yakima Valley, is no longer stocked because the landowner has decided to not renew the public access agreement. For the region's complete catchable trout stocking plan, see the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/plants/regions/reg3/index.htm.

• Hunting: The six-week spring wild turkey hunting season opens April 15. Although the south central region is not a hotspot for harvest overall, nearby Klickitat County is a good bet. Growing turkey populations in game management units 382, 388, 578, 574, 572 and 568 are expected to provide as much as 10 percent of the statewide harvest. All turkey hunters must report their hunting activity either by telephone (877-945-3492) or on the Internet at http://www.fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/.

  Another kind of hunting draws lots of interest at this time of year, but participants will have to wait until May for their favorite "hunting" grounds to open. WDFW's Oak Creek Wildlife Area southwest of Yakima is popular for collectors of shed elk and deer antlers because elk are winter-fed there. But area manager John McGowan reminds enthusiasts that entry remains closed until May 1 to protect wildlife from disturbances during late winter and early spring. Oak Creek's headquarters area off Highway 12 is the usual access point for "shed hunters" on foot or horseback, and the Oak Creek and Bethel Ridge roads are popular for vehicle access. All will open at 8 a.m. May 1.

• Wildlife viewing: "It's a good time of the year for wildlife viewing," said WDFW habitat biologist Ken Bevis of Yakima. "Migratory birds of all kinds pass through in waves of surprises. Warblers appear in the riparian zones and are easy to see now without the leaves on the trees. Waterfowl come on to seasonal flooded pastures, and soon move on. Sometimes even the sandhill cranes come by overhead. The marmots are chirping from under rock piles, entering their season of feeding before hibernating in the heat of summer. There's a lot going on - keep your eyes and ears open."