June 3-16, 1999

Contact: Madonna Luers, (509) 456-4073 or Mike Judge, (360) 902-2407

OLYMPIA–The June 12-13 weekend will be a great opportunity for a family to take a fishing outing because there are plenty of fish available and no licenses are needed.

Free fishing extends to lakes, rivers and marine waters, including taking shellfish. While no licenses are required, all other regulations, including those dealing with lures and bait, size and catch limits, remain in effect. And catch record cards are required to fish for or keep halibut, salmon, steelhead and sturgeon. Dealers may add a $1 fee.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has stocked a number of lakes with trout for this special weekend. Good fishing for bass, crappie, bluegill and other species also is available.

Additional information about hotspot and other lakes across the state is available by calling WDFW regional offices at the numbers listed below. A list of some of the best bets for a good catch and easy family access includes:

• Eastern Washington (509 892-1001): Rainbow Lake (Columbia County near the Tucannon Hatchery) planted with rainbows and children's activities on June 13; West Evans Pond (along Highway 12 near Clarkston) planted with rainbows with children's activities; Badger Lake (12 miles south of Cheney on the Cheney-Plaza Road) excellent trout fishing with resorts, good access for the public and disabled persons; Warden Lake (six miles west of Warden) excellent fishing for rainbow and brown trout

• North-central Washington (509 754-4624): Blue and Park lakes (Grant County near the Sun Lakes State Park) excellent rainbow trout fishing near resorts and public access areas; Burke and Quincy lakes (Grant County seven miles southwest of Quincy) feature trout and warmwater fish; Rock Island ponds (in Rock Island in Douglas County) excellent bank fishing and a rough city boat launch, although no internal combustion engines are allowed, fishing for trout plus largemouth bass, bluegill and other warmwater species

• South-central Washington (509 575-2740): Clear Lake (in Yakima County along Highway 12 west of Rimrock Lake) excellent bank fishing, boat launch, fishing docks and campgrounds; Fio Rito lakes (south of Ellensburg along Interstate 82) excellent bank access, small boats but no internal combustion engines with fishing for rainbow and brown trout plus warmwater fish; Railroad Pond (Franklin County northeast of the Highway 17 viaduct in Esquatzel Coulee near Mesa) with fishing for rainbow and steelhead trout and some warmwater fish; Rotary Lake (near downtown Yakima with walk-in access along the Greenway Trail) stocked rainbow and brown trout and largemouth bass also are present

• North Puget Sound (425 775-1311): Angle Lake (12 miles south of Seattle near Sea-Tac Airport) rainbow trout and kokanee as well as largemouth bass and other warmwater species; Blackman's Lake (in Snohomish City) with boat and bank access including two disabled- accessible fishing piers, stocked with rainbow trout, with largemouth bass and yellow perch present; Gissberg ponds (in Gissberg County Park north of Marysville in Snohomish County) excellent bank fishing for rainbow trout, largemouth bass, bluegill and other species; Green Lake (in Seattle) lots of bank access and several fishing piers, boat rentals and facilities for car-toppers for fishing for rainbow trout, largemouth bass, perch and bullhead catfish; Meridian Lake (two miles east of Kent) with rainbow trout and warmwater species

• Southwest Washington (360 696-6211): Guler County Park (in Trout Lake) with childrens' fishing activities on June 12; Klineline Pond (north of Vancouver just west of Interstate 5) with rainbow trout, steelhead and warmwater fish; Rowland lakes (along both sides of Highway 14 four miles east of Bingen) lots of shore access and a rough boat launch with stocked trout, largemouth bass and other species; Swift Power Canal (five miles east of Cougar on Forest Road 90 in Skamania County) with good back fishing for rainbow trout and children's fishing activities on June 13.

• Coastal/Olympic Peninsula/South Sound (360 249-4628): Kitsap Lake (west of Bremerton) with good public access and a boat launch and public dock and fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout plus bass, bluegill and bullhead catfish; Spanaway Lake (10 miles south of Tacoma on Highway 7) a county park provides boat and bank access for fishing for rainbow trout and warmwater species; Sylvia Lake (a mile north of Montesano in Sylvia Lake State Park) excellent shore access with concessions and a picnic area plus fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout and largemouth bass.

Fishing fans aren't the only ones who can look forward to recreational opportunities this month. This also is the time to enjoy:

Backyard wildlife: Wildlife watchers can look forward to the Open Yard-Bird Fair this weekend (June 5 and 6) in Spokane. Guided tours of a low-maintenance yard and garden planted with native trees, shrubs and grasses to attract birds and other wildlife will be offered from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days at the property of Ron and Gerry Krueger, 11415 Krueger Lane (northeast of Argonne and Bigelow Gulch, off Pleasant Prairie Road). Representatives of WDFW and the Spokane Audubon Society will be on hand with information on how to develop backyards into wildlife habitat.

Osprey: Bird watchers should keep a lookout for osprey nestlings. The nests are large and frequently located on bridges, power poles or tree snags near large bodies of water.

Butterflies: While wild flowers are blooming, this is the time to look for butterflies on South Puget Sound area prairie grasslands. More than 97 percent of this important natural prairie has been lost to development, but the remaining remnants are home to some 18 species of butterflies including the Mardon skipper. Two-hour prairie walks hosted by volunteers from the Nature Conservancy begin at 9:30 a.m. June 5 at Thurston County's Glacial Heritage Preserve; June 12 at Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve, and June 19 at the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area. The free walks continue on selected Saturdays through July 10. Call Thurston County Parks and Recreation Department at 786-5595 for information and registration.

Preparations for special permit hunting: Hunters who are hoping for a special-permit opportunity for deer or elk hunting later this year are reminded that permit applications must be postmarked or received in WDFW offices by 5 p.m., June 11. Application forms may be turned into WDFW headquarters in Olympia or WDFW regional offices in Spokane, Ephrata, Yakima, Mill Creek, Vancouver or Montesano. Permit applications cost $5 for an individual or $10 for a two-person partnership. Application forms are available at license dealers statewide. Applicants will be informed of the results of the special permit drawing by mail by August 6.

Sturgeon fishing: Spring and summer is the time for catch-and-release sturgeon angling on the Columbia River. Bringing one of these behemoths to the boat is a remarkable experience, but you must use the right technique to avoid harming the fish. Stout rods, large-capacity reels, at least 80-pound-test line are required. Work quickly, because after more than 20 minutes of fighting on the line the fish can become over-stressed. Barbless hooks are required by law. Oversized sturgeon should never be removed from the water during release. Perhaps most difficult of all, pass up out-of-water photo sessions with your catch. Those ill-advised photo opportunities can kill sturgeon because their bodies cannot support the weight of their internal organs when they are out of water.