Discover North Central Washington

Summer in North Central Washington is great for anglers, hunters, and recreationists. Whether you’re seeking a salmon run, a secluded lake, or the beauty of wildflowers and birds, the region offers plenty of opportunities from June through August.

June: Trout and Kokanee

June brings excellent trout fishing to many lowland lakes. Grant County hosts Blue, Park, Deep, and Warden Lakes, while Okanogan County offers Alta, Conconully Lake and Reservoir, Leader, Pearrygin. In Chelan County, Beehive, Lilly, and Wapato, Fish, and Upper Wheeler are top picks, and Douglas County’s Jameson Lake is a favorite.

For those seeking a unique challenge, Grimes Lake (Douglas County) opens June 1 for a selective gear fishery targeting Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. Explore smaller, less-traveled waters like Round and Long lakes east of Tonasket, Beaver and Beth lakes in northeast Okanogan County, and Wannacut Lake west of Oroville.

Kokanee fishing is a summer staple in Patterson, Alta, Conconully Lake and Reservoir, Bonaparte, and Spectacle lakes. The Quincy Lakes Unit of the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area offers walk-in lakes for adventurous anglers. Try Dusty Lake for an evening bite on brown trout or test your skills at Lenice and Nunnally-selective gear lakes stocked with thousands of catchable trout, some reaching 20 inches. Dry Falls Lake in Sun Lakes State Park is another standout, with large rainbow and brown trout and a peaceful, motor-free setting.

July: Salmon season and warmwater 

July marks the opening of the Upper Columbia River for summer Chinook and sockeye salmon. The most productive spots are the tailrace of Wanapum Dam, the “bubbles” at the mouths of the Entiat and Chelan Rivers, and the tailrace of Wells Dam. While Chinook retention is closed this year in the Brewster Pool to protect spawning stocks, sockeye fishing remains open and popular. Always check the latest regulations and dam fish counts (see current counts here) to plan your trip.

Lake Wenatchee sockeye is a local highlight, with a forecast of 97,000 fish. Watch Tumwater Dam escapement numbers for a potential late July or early August opener.

Warmwater species like walleye, yellow perch, and crappie are also biting. Moses Lake is a hotspot for smallmouth bass, while Potholes Reservoir offers walleye and bank fishing for trout. Banks Lake is excellent for walleye, perch, and bass, and Leader Lake and Washburn Island Pond in Okanogan County are great for panfish.

• Stocking Reports
• Dam Fish Counts

August: Salmon derbies and year-round opportunities

August is peak time for salmon, with the Brewster King Salmon Derby (August 1-3) coinciding with the height of the Chinook and sockeye runs. If escapement goals are met, Lake Wenatchee’s sockeye fishery may open in early August.

Year-round waters like Lake Roosevelt and Rufus Woods Lake continue to yield trophy rainbow trout and kokanee-Rufus Woods received over 23,000 triploid rainbows this spring alone. Lake Chelan is producing limits of 18-inch kokanee, with opportunities for cutthroat, lake trout, and landlocked Chinook.

Don’t overlook WDFW’s Trout Derby-catch a tagged trout in lakes like Beehive, Wapato, Jameson, Alta, Conconully Lake and Reservoir, Pearrygin, Spectacle, Wannacut, Deep, and Rainbow/Vic Meyers. This year the derby is our biggest yet, featuring more than 100 participating businesses that are offering over 1,100 prizes valued at more than $54,000. .

Rocky Ford Creek near Soap Lake is a fly-fishing-only, catch-and-release haven for 16- to 20-inch rainbows, and Sprague Lake, Fish and Roses lakes, and Billy Clapp Lake are solid bets for trout.

Boating Safety Reminder

If your vessel has a 15+ horsepower engine, a Boater Education Card is required. Stay safe and check local regulations before heading out.

While spring turkey season ends May 31, hunters are reminded to submit their spring turkey report by January 31, 2025, regardless of harvest success. This data helps WDFW monitor populations and trends.

Summer is also ideal for completing hunter education courses-covering firearm safety, ethics, survival, first aid, and wildlife identification. Visit the Hunter Education webpage for details and class schedules.

Limited-access Scotch Creek deer hunt

Starting in mid-July, you can apply for a drawing to be selected as one of six hunters for each method-archery, muzzleloader, or modern firearm-on the 6,000-acre Charles and Mary Eder unit of the Scotch Creek Wildlife Area, located just east of Oroville in northeast Okanogan County. Winners of the drawing will receive an access permit, granting them the opportunity to hunt this property during the designated early general season for their chosen method. The hunt dates are as follows:

• Archery: September 1–26
• Muzzleloader: September 27–October 5
• Modern Firearm: October 11–21

Black bear hunting

Black bear seasons have changed in several areas for the 2025 fall season. Black bear hunting opens in most areas on Aug.t 1with a two-bear bag limit.

However, the Okanogan and Willapa Hills units don’t open until Aug. 15 and hunters are limited to one bear in these two units.  Another change from last year is that it is illegal to harvest a sow with cubs so hunters should take their time to properly judge if a bear is with cubs. Black bear hunting offers some unique hunting opportunities; just be sure to review the regulations pamphlet for the area you intend to hunt before heading out. Learn more about Black Bear Hunting Regulations.

Birdwatching Hotspots

June through August is prime birdwatching season. The Columbia Basin Wildlife Area in Grant County is alive with waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, and songbirds. Look for ducks like blue-winged and cinnamon teal, goldeneye, mallard, and more. Wading birds, shorebirds, and raptors such as great-horned owls and red-tailed hawks are common. Songbirds-blackbirds, goldfinches, kingbirds, swallows, and warblers- add melody to the landscape.

Lake Lenore is a must for yellow-headed blackbirds, canyon wrens, and nesting Barrow’s goldeneyes. The Entiat Unit of the Chelan Wildlife Area boasts veery, warbling vireo, chats, flycatchers, kingbirds, grosbeaks, and orioles. Bridgeport Bar in Douglas County is a reliable spot for American white pelicans and a variety of ducks and songbirds. The Methow Wildlife Area in Okanogan County is home to lazuli buntings, vireos, thrushes, waxwings, and six woodpecker species.

When birding, keep a respectful distance- at least 400 feet from nests and sensitive species- to avoid disturbance.

Wildflowers and butterflies

Wildflowers are at their peak in June and July, with yarrow, desert parsley, phlox, bitterroot, lupine, and more lighting up the landscape. The Sinlahekin Wildlife Area in Okanogan County is a butterfly haven, with over 86 species documented. June and July offer the best diversity for butterfly enthusiasts.

For more birding activities and resources, check out the North Central Washington Audubon Society.

Negative wildlife interactions

Small animals like raccoons, skunks, and marmots are abundant throughout the region in rural and urban environments this time of year. They can create negative interactions with humans when they make nests in places such as crawl spaces, under porches or corners of garages or sheds in which to give birth. Learn how to enjoy these wildlife neighbors without problems at WDFW’s Living with Wildlife webpages.

Spring is a busy month for the birth of baby animals. A reminder that if you run into fawns, baby birds, or other young animals, please leave them be, even if they appear to be orphaned or abandoned. Most animals have a parent foraging or hunting nearby. Read our blog to learn about when not to rescue wildlife.

Practice bear awareness this spring

Black bears are common throughout Washington, including suburban areas. Both when preparing for hibernation and awakening from it, they look for high-calorie foods that are easy to obtain. These may include garbage, bird feeders (both seed and liquid), fruit trees, and pet food.

As human populations encroach on bear habitat, people and bears have greater chances of encountering each other. Food sources provided by humans, whether intentionally or not, can attract bears. Removing these attractants is the best way to encourage bears to move along and focus on natural food sources.

Ask your local waste management company if bear-resistant containers are available or if individually purchased bear-resistant containers are compatible with the company’s equipment. Secure your garbage cans, such as in a shed or garage, and put them out the morning of pickup — not the night before. To help reduce odors, freeze meat and fish waste before disposing of it and spray garbage cans with disinfectants.

More information on living with bears is available on our website.

To read reports published prior to 2024, visit the Biweekly Wildlife Program activity reports page.

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Photo by WDFW

Brock Hoenes is the North Central Region (Region 2) Director. Brock started his career with WDFW in 2008 and has held positions with the department including ungulate section manager, assistant district wildlife biologist, district wildlife biologist, statewide WDFW elk specialist, and deer and elk section manager.

Prior to moving to Washington, Hoenes worked for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit on a variety of research projects focused on mule deer, bighorn sheep, elk, cougars, black bears, and pronghorn. Hoenes received his B.S. in Fish and Wildlife Management from the University of Missouri-Columbia and his M.S. in Wildlife Sciences from New Mexico State University.