Spring is officially a few weeks off, but with more than 50 eastern Washington fishing lakes opening March 1 and watchable wildlife increasing by the day statewide, the change of seasons is definitely coming.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fish hatchery crews have been busy stocking lakes with catchable-size trout throughout the eastside regions, both in lakes that open March 1 and in year-round waters. With ice melting and water temperatures rising, some of these trout lakes that also were stocked last fall with fry or fingerlings soon will be providing nice catches.

Seven of the March-opening waters are man-made impoundments off the Tucannon River in southeast Washington's Columbia County. All have been well- stocked with 10-12-inch rainbow trout and will continue to receive fish throughout the eight-month-long season. Some will also be stocked with trout up to two pounds (see specifics under the Eastern Washington listing that follows).

Coffeepot Lake in Lincoln County should provide some excellent fishing when it opens March 1. It has been stocked with more than 20,000 catchable-size rainbow trout over the last two years, but it also has nice bass and other warmwater fish species. Anglers should check the fishing regulation pamphlet for Coffeepot's special rules.

Spectacle Lake in northern Okanogan County (near Loomis) will have very good fishing on the March 1 opener if it is ice-free. Spectacle receives plenty of both catchable-size and fingerling trout plants.

The rest of the March 1 opening waters are in central Washington's Columbia Basin, most in Grant and Adams counties. Upper, Lower, and West Caliche lakes south of Quincy should be among the best with lots of 13-inch and better yearling rainbows and some 16-plus inch carryover trout. (See more details under the Northcentral Washington listing that follows.)

All March 1 opening lakes are listed under "Special Rules - Eastside Lakes" in the 1999-2000 WDFW fishing regulations pamphlet, which is in effect through April 30, 2000.

Year-round eastside waters receiving fish from hatchery crews now include:

• Bennington Lake and Quarry Pond in Walla Walla County
• Juveniles-only Lyons Park and Jefferson Park ponds in Walla Walla County
• Dalton Lake and Marmes Pond in Franklin County
• Columbia Park Lagoon in Benton County
• Golf Course, West Evans, and Silcott ponds in Asotin County
• Bullfrog, Denmark, McCabe, Naneum, Woodhouse ponds in Kittitas County
• North and South Fio Rito and Mattoon lakes in Kittitas County
• Granger, I-82 #4 and #6, Sarge Hubbard, Tims, Yakima Sportsmen ponds and Myron, Rotary, and Wenas lakes in Yakima County

Wildlife watching is picking up everywhere as snowcover fades, temperatures rise, and sunlight hours increase. The earliest migrant birds (red-winged blackbirds, robins, waxwings) are starting to make appearances in most parts of the state. Deer and elk are visible in feeding droves now; they're restoring calories lost during winter when it cost them more in body energy to look for food than what they gained, so be sure to give them a wide berth.

Thousands of snow geese and tundra and trumpeter swans, hundreds of bald eagles, and other wintering birds remain the highlight of wildlife watching in northwest Washington, especially in the Skagit River Valley. The same species are found in lesser concentrations throughout the state along waterways where they gather for food and security.

Order your personalized license plate today! Click here to go to the Dept. of Licensing's Specialized Plates webpage

Wildlife watching enthusiasts can make another kind of effort now -- when re-licensing your car, buy a personalized license plate to help wildlife! The initial plate fee is $46, with $40 going directly to WDFW wildlife programs; all of the $30 renewal fee each year helps wildlife. With the cost reductions in vehicle licensing due to Initiative 695, now is a good time to make a personal statement and assist Washington fish and wildlife species. Just visit the Department of Licensing (DOL) website to see if your personalized word, phrase or statement is available. You can also pick up an application at your nearby license plate vendor or WDFW offices in Mill Creek, Montesano, Vancouver, Yakima, Wenatchee, Ephrata, or Spokane. Or to receive an application in the mail, call the Washington Department of Licensing at (360) 902-3770 (option 5).

Other fish and wildlife recreation available now across the state includes:

Northern Puget Sound:

• Fishing: Puget Sound blackmouth fishing got off to a strong start last week with anglers finding the best results in northern waters where the fish forage in high numbers. Bellingham and Anacortes led the way for fishing success, with Port Townsend, Port Angeles and the central Sound also producing respectable catches. Meanwhile, steelhead fishers have a week left to try for a wild catch on the Skagit River system. On March 1 the Skagit system closes to retention of wild steelhead. Catch-and-release regulations already are in effect for wild steelhead in other North Sound river systems. Lake anglers should stay tuned over the next several weeks as WDFW begins stocking some of the region's year-round lakes, says Chuck Phillips, regional fish program manager. The year's first plants of catchable-size rainbow trout should take place in the first half of March, Phillips said.

• Wildlife Viewing: Some 50,000 snow geese remain in the Skagit and Fraser river valleys, and nearly 5,900 tundra and trumpeter swans were counted recently in Whatcom, Snohomish and Skagit counties. All three populations are well above historic averages, according to WDFW waterfowl manager Don Kraege. Many other waterfowl– including dabbling ducks, mallards, American wigeons, northern pintails and green-winged teal– remain by the thousands in the area. Viewers who hope to enjoy wintering birds shouldn't delay; unseasonably warm weather is causing some species such as brant to head north earlier than usual, says Mike Davison a WDFW wildlife biologist based in La Conner. Recent surveys turned up only 3,100 brant from Padilla Bay north, instead of the 12,000 to 15,000 that normally are present at this time of year.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

• Fishing: Steelhead fishing has been slow on the north coast rivers, but should pick up as the run of wild fish peaks in early March. Best bets are the Hoh, Soleduck, Bogachiel, Queets, Calaway and Quinault rivers. The daily limit is two steelhead, only one of which can be a wild fish.

• Wildlife Viewing: Bald eagles are abundant throughout the Peninsula and South Sound region. Rob Nicolay, a WDFW employee at the Forks Creek Hatchery near Raymond, reported seeing four eagles feeding on salmon carcasses in the creek. Another agency staff member saw three eagles hovering over Trosper Lake near the high school in Tumwater. "This is already nesting season for eagles and other birds," said Mike O'Malley of WDFW's Watchable Wildlife program. "Right now, you're especially likely to see eagles anywhere there is a late run of chum salmon – the last salmon run of the year."

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: Fishing opportunities for smelt, sturgeon, trout, salmon and other species abound this time of year.

  Sport smelt dipping in the Cowlitz River is open Friday (Feb. 25) and Saturday (Feb. 26). WDFW fish biologist Joe Hymer says the Cowlitz features one of the best smelt runs in recent years. Some anglers have been getting their 10-pound limits in a few dips, while others take up to two hours, Hymer says. The best fishing area has been between Kelso Bridge and Lexington. Fish have been present up to Castle Rock.

  Sturgeon anglers also have been finding legal fish in the Columbia River. A survey on Feb. 19 found 426 boats downstream of the Camas-Washougal area, with most of the effort focused from the mouth of the Willamette River to the Kalama. The survey found an average of a legal fish in every other boat.

  The Columbia also is open for spring chinook fishing downstream of the Interstate 5 bridge. The catch has been slow so far but the action is expected to pick up over the next two weeks, Hymer said. He suggested fishing the area from Woodland downstream to Cathlamet for the best prospects.

  Walleye fishing in the Columbia's Bonneville and Dalles pools also has been picking up, and anglers are beginning to catch more fish. Last week boat anglers averaged half a fish per person.

  Some lakes also offer opportunities to catch large fish, thanks to WDFW plants. Kress Lake has received 80 hatchery surplus steelhead. Klineline Pond also is a good place to try where anglers may land a broodstock trout up to 28 inches and steelhead up to 27 inches. Riffe Lake is producing landlocked coho.

  Battleground Lake reopens to fishing on March 1. It has been closed due to public health concerns. It will be stocked with 7,500 catchable rainbow trout plus 100 surplus hatchery winter steelhead. Another 160 broodstock rainbows weighing up to 11 pounds were planted in mid-December and many remain available.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: Five of the seven Tucannon River impoundments that open to fishing March 1 are being stocked with extra plants of large (up to two pound) rainbow trout, in addition to the catchable-size plants; they are Big Four, Blue, Rainbow, Spring, and Watson lakes. WDFW district fish biologist Glen Mendel reminds anglers planning to fish the Tucannon lakes that wading the river is required to reach Big Four since it doesn't have a bridge. Deer Lake also is without bridge access, but it can be reached by walking a quarter mile up the road or wading the river. Watson Lake is accessible by disabled fishers via a bridge. Remember, too, that Curl Lake along the Tucannon is closed until the last Saturday in April because it is used for salmon smolt acclimation. WDFW regional fish program manager John Whalen reminds Lake Roosevelt anglers that an emergency rule change is in place (as of Feb. 18) for the taking of kokanee -- contrary to what the current fishing regulations pamphlet states, anglers can now keep up to two kokanee, marked or unmarked, as part of their five-trout daily catch limit. On May 1 a new permanent rule will go into effect to allow keeping two marked or unmarked kokanee in addition to the five-trout limit.

• Wildlife Viewing: Tundra swans are returning to northeast Washington waterways, notably Kalispel Lake and Pend Oreille River areas of Pend Oreille County. Great blue herons are back re-building their nests in the age-old rookery on the Little Spokane River in Spokane County. Juncos, finches, chickadees, and other wintering birds that frequent backyard feeders have new competition from red- winged blackbirds, robins, waxwings and other migrants that recently blew in. To learn more about year- round backyard wildlife attracting, visit the WDFW booth at the Home & Yard Show at the Spokane Fairgrounds Feb. 24-27.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: March 1 opening fisheries in Grant and Adams counties to consider include Warden and South Warden lakes which should have fat 10-inch trout available; Upper and Lower Hampton lakes (and other Columbia National Wildlife Refuge lakes) with fry plants from last year ; the Pillar-Widgeon walk-in chain of lakes, only open for the months of March and September; Martha Lake with 12 -14 inch yearlings and 16-inch carryovers; Quincy and Burke lakes with catchable-size trout planted since they were rehabilitated last fall; Dusty Lake, which will be slow but has 22-inch trout; and Quincy Wildlife Management Area Walk-In Lakes where success rates vary lake to lake and season to season. Lenice, Merry, and Nunnally lakes are scheduled for rehabilitation treatment later next month but will open March 1 for slow fishing on the few large trout remaining in them. Lake Lenore is catch-and-release March through May, but the opener will be slow since the Lahontan cutthroat trout stocked here don't really seem to get active until April. WDFW district fish biologist Jeff Korth notes that several year-round fishing waters that are annually stocked with trout fry are producing well now, including the "seep lakes" like Blythe, Canal, Corral, Heart, North Windmill and Windmill south of O'Sullivan Dam on Potholes Reservoir.

• Wildlife Viewing: Yellow-bellied marmots ("groundhogs"), and in some places Washington ground squirrels, are evident on the open ranges of the Columbia Basin Wildlife Areas. Buttercups, Yellow bells, Shooting-stars, Prairie-stars and other small early season spring flowers will begin showing their colors on the open ranges as soon as the ground thaws.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: WDFW fish hatchery crews gear up next week to plant dozens of year-round waters with catchable-size, one-third pound rainbow trout, plus a few "jumbos" (up to two pounds). WDFW district fish biologist Eric Anderson advises anglers to check the fishing regulations pamphlet for terminal gear restrictions, special catch limits, or juvenile only waters. Here's what's going where in the next week or two, by county: Benton County: Columbia Park Lagoon - 400 jumbos; Franklin County: Dalton Lake - 10,000 catchables, Marmes Pond - 750 catchables; Kittitas County: Bullfrog Ponds - 400 catchables, Denmark Pond - 400 catchables, North Fio Rito Lake - 3,500 catchables/800 jumbos, South Fio Rito Lake - 1,950 catchables, Mattoon Lake - 950 catchables/500 jumbos, McCabe Pond - 400 catchables, Naneum Pond - 400 catchables, Woodhouse Ponds - 750 catchables; Yakima County: Granger Pond - 750 catchables, I-82 #4 and #6 ponds - 2,300 catchables each, Myron Lake - 750 catchables/500 jumbos, Rotary Lake - 2,000 catchables, Sarge Hubbard Park Pond - 300 catchables/200 jumbos, Wenas Lake - 3,100 catchables.