April 14-27, 2004

Contact: Doug Williams (360) 902-2256

Trout opener, shrimping, turkey hunt
highlight spring outdoor opportunities

Improving weather, blossoming gardens and a flurry of fishing, hunting and wildlife-viewing opportunities confirm that spring has finally come to Washington.

Perhaps no outdoor event heralds the season better than the April 24 opening of lowland lakes to trout fishing. As many as 300,000 anglers are expected to try their luck during the opening weekend, and there are plenty of places to look for that stringer full of trout. Hatchery crews from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have been planting millions of trout in hundreds of lakes throughout the state.

Trout plants range in size from fish that will be at least seven inches long on opening day to jumbo surplus hatchery broodstock that tip the scales at several pounds. For more information, check out the hatchery trout stocking plan, http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/plants/ on the Internet.

Plenty of other fishing opportunities are keeping anglers busy at this time of year. Salmon anglers are finding hefty spring chinook on the lower Columbia River and its tributaries. Charter and private boats fishing out of Westport are coming back to the dock with limits of big lingcod and rockfish.

Annual fishing licenses, valid April 1 through next March 31, may be purchased for $21.90 (for resident adults) over the Internet (http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov), by telephone (1-866-246-9453) or at hundreds of license dealers across the state.

The recreational Puget Sound shrimp fishery opens April 17. Marine Areas 8-1, 8-2 and 9 (outside of the Port Townsend Shrimp District) will be open for shrimping Thursday through Sunday only each week until the quota for each area is taken.

Most other areas in Puget Sound outside established shrimp districts will be open daily. An exception is Marine Area 10 near Seattle, where fishing will be restricted to Thursdays and Saturdays only, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Hood Canal shrimp fishery opens May 15.

The spring turkey season begins its month-long run tomorrow (April 15). Look for details in WDFW’s turkey pamphlet, available at regional offices, hunting license dealers, or on the Department's website.

Wildlife watchers also have plenty of options to choose from this time of year. Gray whales are making their annual migration north toward summer feeding grounds have been seen off Washington’s coast and in Puget Sound as well.

Many migrating birds can be spotted throughout the state, from brightly colored hummingbirds to soaring turkey vultures. Another winged visitor to northern Puget Sound, brant geese, are the focal point of the second-annual Washington Brant Festival, April 17-18, at Blaine and Birch Bay. More information is available at http://www.washingtonbrant.org.

Here are the current fishing, hunting and wildlife-viewing opportunities throughout the state:

Northern Puget Sound:

• Fishing: April 15 is the end of the federal income tax-filing season, and it’s also the end of blackmouth fishing in Marine Area 9. All other marine areas in the region have already closed. With the end of an up-and-down blackmouth season, anglers can concentrate on the lowland lakes trout opener, set for April 24. Anyone planning on hitting the water on the opening weekend should expect plenty of company, because as many as 300,000 anglers across Washington are expected to participate in this year’s opener. Millions of trout – from seven inches in length to burly four-pound hatchery broodstock – have been stocked in hundreds of lakes throughout the state. Anglers looking for an edge on their neighbors can check out WDFW’s hatchery trout stocking plan at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/plants/ on the Internet. Spring’s warmer weather has stirred the appetites in many fish species, including bass, perch, crappie and catfish, so plan on bringing a variety of gear to the local fishing hole. River anglers have limited choices this time of year, including the Skagit River, which opened to trout, Dolly Varden and other game fish (except steelhead) on April 1 from the mouth upstream to the Memorial Highway Bridge at Mount Vernon. The fishery is open under selective gear rules, but motorized boats are allowed. The Sauk River is open from the mouth to the Darrington Bridge through the month of April to catch-and-release fishing only. Selective gear rules apply. Puget Sound recreational shrimp fishing begins April 17. Marine Areas 8-1, 8-2 and 9 (except for the Port Townsend Shrimp District) will be open for shrimping Thursday through Sunday each week until the quota for each area is taken. Most other areas in Puget Sound outside established shrimp districts will be open seven days per week, except Marine Area 10 (Seattle-Bremerton) which will be open on Thursdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. More information about shrimp gear, rules and seasons is available on WDFW's webpage, at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm on the Internet. That's the same web address for emergency rule change information. Those without Internet access can call the shellfish rule change hotline, 1-866-880-5431.
  
  
• Wildlife viewing:The second-annual Washington Brant Festival is set for April 17-18 at Blaine and Birch Bay. The festival was established last year to honor the brant goose, a small maritime goose that visits the region each year as it moves between summer breeding grounds in the Arctic north and more temperate winter feeding grounds. The brant’s main source of food is eelgrass, which can be found in many bays and estuaries in the region. More information is available at http://www.washingtonbrant.org Reports are coming in of several gray whales feeding in the waters near Everett. Look for these annual visitors off Camano Island, as well as the entire eastern shore of Whidbey Island. Grays are bottom-feeding whales, scooping a muddy mouthful from the seafloor and straining out shrimp and other bottom-dwelling critters. A gray whale’s stomach can hold an estimated 660 pounds of food. Wildlife watchers who like to check in on the web cam that’s focused on a Kent bald eagle nest should expect to see two fuzzy little eaglets hatching sometime from April 22 to 28. Web-enabled cameras offer viewers glimpses of eagles, barn owls and several other native species at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildwatch/

• Fishing:  With opening day of the lowland lakes season coming up April 24, WDFW hatchery crews have shifted into overdrive to get lakes throughout the region planted in time. Most trucks carry pan-size rainbow trout, but more than a dozen lakes from Jefferson to Thurston counties are also getting trophy-size triploids, hefty cutthroat and even a few hundred hatchery steelhead to round out the catch. “As in previous years, anglers will have a variety of fishing experiences to choose from,” said Larry Phillips, WDFW area fish biologist. “If your goal is to catch your limit on opening day, your best bet is to fish a lake that’s getting a lot of catchable-size rainbows. If it’s big fish you’re after, you should probably look for lakes planted with triploids or steelhead.” To find out what’s planted where, anglers can check the Weekly Trout Plant Reports on the WDFW website. There, for example, readers can see that Phillips Lake in Mason County has received 650 triploid trout weighing approximately 1½ pounds apiece, while Kitsap Lake got 3,000 at around three to the pound.  “The website is a good way to do a little ‘scouting’ before the opener,” Phillips said. For those who just can’t wait until opening day to wet a line, Phillips recommends trying Lawrence Lake, a year-round fishing lake in Thurston County where 15,000 rainbows were released April 13. And for young people under 15, there’s always Long’s Pond in Lacey. The “Fishing Kids” event sponsored by WDFW April 17 is booked solid, but there’s always some nice trout left in the year-round, juvenile-only lake after the event is over, Phillips said. With anticipation building over the lowland lake opener, steelhead fishing on the north coast is coming to a close. The Quillayute system will remain open through April 30, but the Hoh, Queets and Clearwater Rivers will all close to steelheading April 15. Wild steelhead fishing has been good through mid April on all north coast rivers. April creel checks found catch rates of 0.78 per angler on the lower Hoh River and 0.59 on the upper Hoh. That follows an average catch per angler of 0.47 in the Bogachiel/Quillayute system, 1.48 in the Calawah and 0.84 in the Sol Duc during creel checks in March. In the Quillayute system, 1,219 anglers landed 843 wild steelhead and released 497 that month.“This has been a very good season with an especially strong finish,” said Bill Freymond, WDFW fish biologist. “Compared to last year, effort and catch rates were considerably higher in the Sol Duc and Bogachiel Rivers this year, and a lot more anglers were releasing wild steelhead.” As of May 1, wild-steelhead release will be the rule statewide under a two-year moratorium on wild steelhead retention approved this year by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. While some coastal anglers dream of the salmon season ahead, others are busy catching lingcod and rockfish. Charter boats full of anglers have been taking limits on both types of bottomfish since the fishery opened March 16 in Marine Areas 1-3 (Columbia River to Cape Alava). On April 16, the lingcod season opens in Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) as well. With a two-fish limit on lings and a 10-fish limit on rockfish, “it’s hard to beat this fishery for value,” said Scott Barbour, a WDFW fish biologist. Remember, though, all yelloweye and canary rockfish must be released. Shrimp season opens April 17 in many areas of Puget Sound, although the Port Townsend Shrimp District will remain closed until further notice due to a low abundance of shrimp. Fishing in Area 9, outside the shrimp district, will be open for shrimping Thursday through Sunday each week until the area quota is taken. Daily limits are the same as last year: 10 pounds in all, including heads and tails, with a maximum of 80 spot shrimp. For razor clam lovers, the only remaining question about a proposed dig in late April is whether marine toxin tests will show that the clams are safe to eat. If the results are favorable, WDFW plans to proceed with a four-day dig April 21-24 at Long Beach and Twin Harbors and a three-day dig April 22-24 at Copalis, Mocrocks and Kalaloch. The proposed dig would give clam diggers their first opportunity of the season to dig razor clams on morning tides, Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager. No clam digging will be allowed after noon at any beach. To participate, diggers must have a valid 2004-05 shellfish/seaweed license, available from license vendors across the state and on-line at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov. Final word on the razor clam dig will be announced by April 20 on WDFW's website, on the department's Shellfish Hotline (1-866-880-5431) and through statewide media.
  
  
• Hunting: Washington's month-long spring wild turkey hunting season opens April 15, following on the heels of a special shoot for young hunters held April 10-11. While less numerous than the turkeys found elsewhere in the state, the Eastern turkeys in this region have been spotted in Thurston, Lewis and Grays Harbor counties. “Because wild turkeys are so wary, hunting them requires a great deal of patience,” said Mick Cope, WDFW upland game manager. “That's why hunting them is so challenging.” Hunters can take one gobbler per day and a total of three per year, with restrictions on where those birds can be harvested; see the 2004 Spring Turkey Pamphlet for details.
  
  
• Wildlife viewing: After a bird-watching outing in Thurston County, an Olympia man reported the following sightings to the Tweeters birding website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/):14 Pacific loons, 10 purple martins, a single greater yellowlegs and three northern alligator lizards. Alligator lizards? Sometimes the natural world is full of surprises. Although the northern alligator lizards are fairly common in the Pacific Northwest, they’re not the usual stuff of birding journals. Measuring up to 10 inches long, the brownish-green lizards can bite – so be careful if you do see one. A field mouse that wandered into a barn-owl nesting box April 13 in the attic of a Pierce County fish hatchery might have benefited from similar advice. Captured live on OwlCam website, a female owl left her perch just long enough to dispatch the mouse and take it back to her growing family. Six chicks have hatched in the nest since the first week of April and a seventh could emerge from its egg at any moment, said Chuck Gibilisco, WDFW watchable-wildlife section manager. “They’re just little fuzzballs,” he said. “Within the next week or so, the mother should start moving off the nest more so people watching the site should get a better view.” Of course, unexpected encounters with wildlife aren’t always welcome. On Highway 101 near Sequim, traffic accidents involving elk were becoming so common in the 1990s that WDFW began fitting selected animals with radio-collars that trigger warning signs whenever the herd nears the highway. Since 2000, when the system was activated, there has been only one vehicle-elk accident in the area. WDFW recently fitted five more elk with collars after losing three during the hunting season. Watch for them – and the lighted warning signs – if you’re passing by Sequim on Highway 101.

• Fishing: Angling conditions have been good in the mainstem Columbia River and spring chinook catches have improved in recent days. But chinook counts at Bonneville Dam are still lagging with only 6,300 adult spring chinook counted through Monday April 12 notes Joe Hymer, WDFW fish biologist.  Through April 4, spring chinook sport harvest had reached about 15 percent of its allowed impact on upriver fish, based on pre-season run estimates, and Bonneville Dam fish counts are being watched closely. “There’s a lot of fish in the lower river, but they haven’t crossed the dam yet,” Hymer said.  During the week of April 5, mainstem boat anglers from Bonneville Dam downriver were averaging one fish per 3.2 rods, while bank anglers were catching one fish for every 6.9 rods, including released fish. About three-quarters of the catch were hatchery fish, and 72.5 percent were upriver origin fish. The states of Oregon and Washington are scheduled to meet today (Wednesday April 14) to update the run size and sport catches.  The states are expected to meet once or twice a week throughout the season.  Any fishing rule changes from those meetings will be available on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fishing rule hotline (360-902-2500, press 2) or the department’s website.  Anglers are starting to catch chinook in the Cowlitz, Kalama, Lewis, Wind and Klickitat rivers plus Drano Lake.  Fishing success in the Bonneville Pool tributaries as well as The Dalles Pool, should “ramp up” as more fish pass Bonneville and The Dalles dams. Anglers are reminded Drano Lake is closed to all fishing each Wednesday through May beginning today.  With the official opening of lake fishing season looming April 24, there’s plenty of trout in the water, says Fish Biologist John Weinheimer, who makes the following county-by-county recommendations for opening day:
  • Lewis County’s Mineral Lake (stocked with trophy-size trout, 100,000 rainbow fry, 15,000 net pen-reared, catchable-size trout, another 14,000 catchables added by the end of April and 5,000 brown trout) is a choice destination. “The new boat ramp should be a nice amenity for the opener,” Weinheimer added. Carlisle Lake in Onalaska offers 8,000 catchable-size rainbow trout reared in a cooperative net pen project by local high schoolers, along with 4,000 more catchable rainbows and 4,000 brown trout. Fort Borst Park Pond, reserved for youth fishers and licensed adults accompanying juveniles, will be stocked with 2,250 catchable-size rainbows and 290 trophy trout.
  • Cowlitz County’s year-round lakes have been stocked with additional fish for the opener, with the best bets being Horseshoe Lake near Woodland (4,000 catchable-size brown trout, 9,200 catchable rainbows and 1,200 trophy trout), Kress Lake near Kalama and Sacajawea Lake near Longview.
  • Clark County fishers would do well to head to Battleground Lake (stocked with 5,200 catchable-size rainbows and 240 brookstock trout) or Klineline Pond in Vancouver (12,000 catchable rainbow trout and 1,000 trphy trout).
  • Skamania County top spots are Swift Reservoir (stocked with 100,000 rainbow fingerlings each year, as well as “holdover” fish that can reach sizes over 20 inches). Weinheimer cautions that the reservoir water level is low, so the top end may offer better fishing. Year-round lakes such as Icehouse and Little Ash, both near Stevenson, will be stocked with several thousand trout for the opener, and Kidney Lake near North Bonneville (planted with 860 trophy trout and 3,700 catchable-size rainbows) should offer good fishing for those with car-top boats. Northwest Reservoir near White Salmon was stocked with 20,000 rainbow fingerlings last summer, and 3,400 catchable-size rainbows in February. It also will receive 1,000 trophy trout before the opener.
  • Klickitat County’s standard favorite is Horsethief Lake (13,000 catchable-size rainbow trout and 75 rainbow broodstock). Other good bets are Spearfish Lake (5,400 catchable rainbows and 135 rainbow broodstock) and Roland Lake (9,700 catchable-size rainbows, 1,850 trophy trout and 276 broodstock) east of Bingen.
  • Wahkiakum County Ponds are slated to get 4,000 catchable size rainbow trout and 150 trophy trout this month.

Meanwhile, steelhead anglers are still catching some late winter hatchery fish on the Cowlitz and Kalama rivers, and summer-run steelhead are beginning to show in the Kalama as well. The lower portions of the East Fork Lewis and Washougal rivers open to fishing for hatchery steelhead beginning April 16.  Selective gear rules apply.  Boat fishers were averaging a little better than one walleye per rod the week of April 5 in The Dalles and John Day pools, and the bass bite was picking up as well, with anglers in John Day pool averaging a half-dozen fish per rod.


• Wildlife viewing: The Tweeters website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/digests/) reports on an April 10 Black Hills Audubon Society fieldtrip to Julia Butler Hanson National Wildlife Refuge and other sites in Wahkiakum County. The group found 12 to 15 osprey along the Columbia River and many common yellowthroats throughout the refuge. Other sightings included a common loon in breeding plumage, wood ducks, several white-tailed kites, merlin, peregrine falcon, Virginia rail, American pipit, western meadowlark, killdeer and greater yellowlegs, a few dunlin and Wilson’s snipe, and a single orange-crowned warbler heard singing at County Line Park. 
  
  
• Hunting: The general spring turkey season opens April 15. Merriam's subspecies turkeys are found in portions of Klickitat and Skamania counties and eastern subspecies birds can be found in Cowlitz, Lewis and Wahkiakum counties. More information on the spring turkey hunt, including licensing requirements, is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/turkey/ on the Internet.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: The lowland trout lakes fishing season opener on April 24 is celebrated at nearly 80 waters in this region and, if the sun shines, the party will be joined by thousands. WDFW central district fish biologist Chris Donley predicts good fishing at most popular fishing lakes in the Spokane County area this year. Badger Lake, 12 miles south of Cheney on the Cheney-Plaza Road, was rehabilitated in the fall of 2002 and is expected to provide lots of rainbow trout up to 15 inches along with fry-stocked rainbow and cutthroat trout up to 12 inches. Badger received 35,000 rainbow spring fry, 35,000 cutthroat spring fry, and 5,000 rainbow catchables. Badger was also stocked this month with 1,250 triploid rainbows, 1½ pounders with the potential to reach trophy size. Fish Lake, just a couple miles northeast of Cheney off the Cheney-Spokane Road, will have an excellent fishery for eastern brook trout averaging eight to 16 inches, along with a more limited number of brown trout running 15 to 20 inches. Those catches will come from hatchery stocking of 14,000 brook trout spring fry, 7,500 brook trout catchables, and 500 surplus brown trout broodstock. “We also stocked Fish Lake with 2,000 large, 20-plus-inch brook trout brood stock that were available,” Donley said. If that’s not enough enticement, Fish Lake also offers anglers a unique opportunity to harvest tiger trout (a brook/brown hybrid) measuring seven to 20 inches from hatchery plants of 7,500. Williams Lake, southwest of Cheney off Mullinix Road, was rehabilitated just last fall so Donley expects fair to good fishing for catchable-size (eight to 10-inch) rainbows with the occasional larger trophy triploid or brood stock. Since last fall’s treatment, Williams has received 35,000 rainbows, 2,380 rainbow triploids and 400 rainbow brood stock. Fishtrap Lake on the Spokane-Lincoln county line was also rehabilitated last fall, so Donley also expects fair to good fishing there for catchable-size rainbows with the occasional larger trophy triploid or brood stock. Fishtrap received 25,000  rainbow catchables, 1,800 rainbow triploids, and 400 rainbow brood stock. WDFW northeast district fish biologist Curt Vail reports that Stevens County’s Starvation Lake, about 10 miles southeast of Colville, should be among the best on fry-planted rainbows that have now reached catchable size. Waitts Lake in the south end of the county should also produced good catches of both rainbow and brown trout after repeated plants of fry, catchables, and excess broodstock. Loon Lake, just 28 miles north of Spokane along the west side of Highway 395, will also be good for rainbows from fry and catchable stocks, plus the 850 triploids it’s receiving this month. Kokanee fry are heavily stocked in Loon Lake, too, and should be biting a little later into the season. Pend Oreille County’s Diamond Lake, just southwest of Newport, is expected to produce good catches of eastern brook trout and rainbows. To sweeten the pot, Diamond is receiving 827 triploid rainbows before the opener. Spring chinook salmon fishing will open April 16 on two areas of the Snake River, where fish returns are expected to exceed the 10-year average rate and provide plenty of hatchery fish to harvest. One area of the Snake opening that day extends from the Texas Rapids boat launch upstream to the Corps of Engineers boat launch, about a mile upstream of Little Goose Dam on the south bank of the river. The other extends from the mouth of Wawawai Creek (about three miles upstream of Lower Granite Dam) to Red Wolf Bridge in Clarkston. The daily catch limit is two hatchery chinook, marked with a clipped adipose fin that has healed. Chinook under 12 inches must be released and anglers are required to use barbless hooks no more than 5/8-inch from point to shank. The season, which is not listed in the fishing rules pamphlet, runs through May 31, unless catch rates exceed expectations.
  
  
• Hunting: Spring wild turkey hunting starts April 15 and, with the abundance of birds in Stevens County in particular, hundreds of hunters are expected to be afield for this month-long season. WDFW wildlife managers remind hunters to be extra careful since the camouflage and calling used in this season make everyone more vulnerable to accidents. Select calling sites that give at least 40 yards of vision in all directions, avoid using gobbler (instead of hen) calls, and never assume that what you hear is a turkey and not another hunter. Check all the rules of the season in WDFW’s Wild Turkey Spring Season pamphlet, available on-line and at WDFW offices and license dealers. Also on April 15, a little over one hundred spring black bear permit hunters will also take to the field in the southeast’s Blue Mountains. Those successful permittees, who have through May 31 to bag a bear in select units, are reminded to submit their harvested bear’s premolar tooth in tooth envelopes available at WDFW offices.
  
  
• Wildlife viewing:  ‘Tis the season for really close-up views of wildlife – too close for comfort sometimes. That’s the word from WDFW Spokane office manager Lois Blanchette, whose customer service staff is fielding more and more calls about nuisance skunks, raccoons, marmots, squirrels and a variety of other wildlife. “They’re in backyards, under houses, up in attics, even riding around in cars,” she said. “People need to be reminded not to feed them, or unintentionally provide spaces for them to nest, or they’ll have problems.” Since some of these species can carry rabies or distemper, it’s wise to avoid contact and keep domestic pets vaccinated. Keep garbage secured, seal up crawl spaces that invite nesting, and even shut down the bird-feeding stations in your backyard if necessaryto avoid attractingproblem wildlife. Many backyard bird feeding enthusiasts are now shifting from attracting the seed-eaters to the nectar-drinking varieties. Hummingbirds, for example, can be expected back in the area any day now. To attract these tiny jewels, biologists advise using nectar containers with red on them rather than red food coloring in the sugar water. Boil a four parts water, one part sugar solution, then cool it before filling feeders.  As the weather warms, change unused nectar to avoid bacterial problems.

Northcentral Washington:

• Fishing: The April 24 opener of lowland trout lakes fishing season will give anglers lots of choices in this region of abundant fishing. WDFW Columbia Basin district fish biologist Jeff Korth predicts that Warden Lake, about five miles east of O’Sullivan Dam at the Potholes Reservoir, will produce nice catches of yearling rainbow trout, 12 to 15 inches, on opening day. A fair number of 16-inch-and-better rainbow carryovers should make up about 10 percent of catch, plus some large brown trout. Warden Lake was stocked with 70,000 rainbow fingerlings last year, but it has been six years since the last lake rehabilitation, so competition from perch, sunfish, and bullhead populations has curtailed some survival, Korth noted. Anglers can expect about a three-fish average on the opener at Blue and Park lakes, north of the town of Soap Lake. “It’s been eight years since we rehabilitated those waters and the bass, perch, and other species have increased to the point that rainbow fingerling survival has declined severely,” said Korth. “We’ve shored up this year’s fishery with larger fall fingerling and spring catchable plants, but there are no guarantees on catches.”  Blue received 100,000 fingerlings in fall along with 45,000 catchables this spring, while Park received 65,000 fingerlings in fall and 35,000 catchables this spring. Korth says the next possible rehabilitation of these lakes might be fall of 2005.  Deep Lake, also north of Soap Lake,was well stocked for this season, too. Besides the usual 5,000 rainbow and 40,000 kokanee fingerlings, Deep received about 5,000 catchable-size rainbow trout. “These are half-pound-plus rainbows,” Korth said. And the kokanee fishery has been good to those who know how to target them.” Kokanee fishing success usually comes later in the spring and summer when those fish are running 8 to 10 inches. Korth calls Perch Lake, in the same area,“one of the most consistent waters in the Basin.” Limits of 11-to-12-inch rainbows are generally the rule, with an occasional 15-inch carryover. “The plant is only 10,000 fish, so the lake is fished out in a few weeks most years,” Korth said, noting that Vic Meyers Lake should havefair harvest, about three fish per angler. The 2,000 rainbow fingerlings and 1,000 eastern brook trout fingerlings stocked last year should run about 12-13 inches.  Another 3,000 half-pound catchables were added this spring.  Expect a few carryovers in the 15-16inch range, possibly some tiger trout among them. WDFW district fish biologist Kirk Truscott says Alta Lake, about two miles southwest of Pateros, should have optimum fishing this year since it was rehabilitated in fall of 2002. About 16,000 catchable-size rainbow trout (10-12 inches), along with 200 rainbows averaging four pounds each, were planted there last year. Blue Lake In the Sinlahekin Valley, about 10 miles north of Conconully, will be better this year since it was rehabilitated last year. The lake is being restocked with rainbow and brown trout and should be prime in 2005. For this season, 1,000 triploid rainbow trout averaging 1.5 pounds will be stocked just prior to the opener. Truscott reminds anglers that Blue Lake has a one-fish daily limit. Selective gear rules are in effect, but electric motors are allowed. Chopaka Lake, about six miles north of Loomis, is limited to fly-fishing only, with a one-fish daily limit on trophy-size rainbow trout. Truscott says fishing is sometimes slow but water levels shouldn’t affect fishing success this year. Prospects are good for rainbows running 10 to 12 inches, plus some larger carry-overs, at Conconully Lake, on the east side of Conconully. Conconully Reservoir, onthe south side of Conconully, may be only fair for rainbows averaging 11 inches. Low water this past winter may have hampered survival, so catchable-size trout will be planted just before the opener. Davis Lake, southeast of Winthrop, has been open for catch-and-release with selective gear rules since April 1, but it will likely draw crowds on the statewide opener, too, because fishing is excellent. Davis was rehabilitated last year and restocked with 13,500 catchable size rainbows that are now running 12 to 15 inches. Ell Lake, 16miles southeast of Tonasket, should be good for rainbows in the 12-inch range, plus a good percentage of carry-overs. Pearrygin Lake, northeast of Winthrop, will have good fishing for nine- to 10-inch rainbows. Jameson Lake, eight miles south of Mansfield in Douglas County, could be good on the opener for 12-inch average rainbows. High water and possible winter fish kills often make this lake questionable, but it’s always worth trying. Truscott warns anglers to check with the region’s office in Ephrata (509-754-4624) for the most updated information about Jameson access.  WDFW Chelan County fish biologist Art Viola says Wapato Lake, just north of Manson,should be the best bet in the county for the opener. Wapato receives hefty fry and catchable plants that should produce catches of 12-13-inch rainbows. It’s also getting 1,000 triploid rainbows this year for further opportunity. Beehive Reservoir, eight miles southwest of Wenatchee, should also be good with 12-13-inch rainbow and eastern brook trout catches from catchable plants. Nearby Lily and Clear lakes will also be good bets for the opener for rainbows and brookies, Viola said. 
  
  
• Wildlife viewing: The wetlands and farmlands south and west of Othello and Scootney Reservoir are still providing fair viewing of sandhill cranes, although more of them are moving north every day. On the other hand, waterfowl and other water-associated birds that stick around to produce young in the Columbia Basin are increasingly viewable, especially in pairs. Canada geese and mallard duck pairs dot the landscape wherever water is available. Other notable birds to watch for in the Basin now are red-winged, yellow-headed and tri-colored blackbirds, long-billed curlews, killdeer, great blue herons and northern harriers. The Royal Lake public viewing area on the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, and Crab Creek south of State Route 26 between Othello and Royal City are good places to check for birds of many kinds. Or drive the auto tour route of the refuge and area gravel roads. Backyard bird feeding enthusiasts know this is one of their busiest times, in terms of keeping feeders filled for the many species chowing down in preparation for breeding and nesting season. Chickadees and nuthatches to spotted towhees and varied thrushes are regular visitors. Hummingbirds will be returning soon and nectar-producing flowers or feeders will draw them. Those who maintain bird nestboxes may already have witnessed western bluebirds and violet-green swallows choosing housing options and taking up residence.

Southcentral Washington:

• Fishing: Most lakes in this region are open year-round, although fishing effort often picks up with the last Saturday of April opener simply because more anglers are out looking for less crowded spots. Catchable-size rainbow trout stocking continues at many of these year-round waters. In addition, the following will receive triploid rainbows (sterile one-and-half pounders) this month or next: Dog Lake, 1,020; Leech Lake, 680; Mud Lake, 70; and Myron Lake, 225, in Yakima County; Fio Rito Lake North, 665; Lost Lake, 2,480, and Matoon Lake, 460, in Kittitas County; Railroad Pond, 170, in Franklin County; and Columbia Park Pond, 120, in Benton County.  WDFW fish biologist Eric Anderson reports that spring chinook salmon are running late in the Columbia and Yakima river systems. “The chinook season is set to open in the Yakima on April 16, but very few fish that have entered the river yet,” Anderson said, “Anglers will have to be patient and wait for the counts to start going up at the dams, perhaps a couple of weeks yet.”
  
  
• Wildlife viewing: Earlier-than-usual warm weather has local birdwatchers reporting several species at least a couple weeks ahead of normal throughout the southcentral region. The first gray flycatchers of the season were spotted recently near Ellensburg Pass road. Yellow-rumped warblers, ruby-crowned kinglets, and white-crowned sparrows are being seen virtually everywhere.  Rufous and Calliope hummingbirds are showing up here and there, working early insect hatches and looking for nectar-producing flowers or feeders.  Killdeer are already incubating eggs in ground nests in rural areas. And sandhill cranes are still seen in fair numbers overhead, although more and more are finishing up their feeding stopovers and are heading northward.