The official advice from WDFW is to use February to dig out your springer gear, clean it off, get it ready for March.
Pe-shaw, we say! Why didn’t you do that back in January?!?!
While the Columbia can be cold during the second month of the year, past spring Chinook seasons have actually been productive early for the earliest of ocean-returning salmon.
How productive, you ask?
Well, we happen to have the statistics at our fingertips, and they show that when large runs come, so too do early catches.
Now, these aren’t April numbers by any stretch, but the best since 2001 was 2011, which saw 280 retained, followed by 2003, when 209 were kept and 223 were released.
As you can imagine, a certain scrumptious fish is featured on this month’s cover.
But lo, that is not the only finny beast that can be fought in February.
No, there are their distant relatives in the Salish Sea, there are steelhead, there are walleye, and there are rainbow trout.
For more, may we suggest WDFW’s just-out Weekender, completely ripped off (well, except for the tweety-bird stuff) and reposted here, for your reading enjoyment:
NORTH SOUND
With fishing for steelhead and other game fish closing on several rivers in the region, anglers are shifting their attention to the marine areas where blackmouth salmon fisheries are under way.
In recent years, the San Juan Islands have been the most productive for anglers fishing for blackmouth salmon in February, according to fish biologists with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Other areas of northern Puget Sound open for blackmouth fishing include marine areas 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay), 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner), and 9 (Admiralty Inlet). All have a two-salmon daily limit, but anglers must release wild chinook salmon. Marine area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) is closed in February.
Anglers support the blackmouth winter chinook fishery through their license purchase, a portion of which goes to the Puget Sound Recreational Fisheries Enhancement Fund. The fund currently supports a variety of recreational fishing opportunities through the release of more than one million yearling and almost nine million sub-yearling chinook each year.
Before heading out, anglers can check creel reports for information on catch and effort in Puget Sound. Recreational fishery samplers with WDFW collect the information each week at fishing access sites throughout Puget Sound.
Winter is also prime time to jig for squid in Puget Sound. Good spots include the Des Moines Pier, Redondo Pier, Elliott Bay Pier in Seattle and the Edmonds Pier. More information is available on the department’s squid fishing webpage. Information on fishing piers is available here.
Fishing for steelhead and other game fish is closed in many regional river systems. However, some waters near WDFW fish hatcheries will remain open through Feb. 15 to provide anglers an opportunity to catch and keep hatchery steelhead. Those waters include portions of the Skagit, North Fork Stillaguamish, Wallace, Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers. Anglers should check WDFW’s sportfishing regulations pamphlet for details and the emergency rules site for any last minute rule changes.
Anglers planning fishing vacations in North Puget Sound and throughout the state can also look at Great Washington Getaways, a new feature on the department’s website that showcases some of the state’s best family travel and fishing opportunities. The website provides an overview of vacation possibilities. Anglers using the web feature should also consult WDFW’s sportfishing regulations for details on fishing seasons and limits.
SOUTH SOUND/OLYMPIC PENINSULA
Several areas of Puget Sound open to blackmouth salmon fishing in February, as steelhead continue to move into coastal rivers. Razor clam digs also are an option this month.
Two days remain in a razor clam dig that opened in late January. The opening dates and evening low tides for those days are:
Feb. 1, Saturday, 7: 38 p.m.; -1.0 feet; Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Mocrocks, Copalis
Feb. 2, Sunday, 8: 20 p.m.; -0.5 feet; Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Mocrocks
Later in February, WDFW will proceed with another digging opportunity if marine toxin tests are favorable. Tentative opening dates and evening low tides for that dig are:
Feb. 26, Wednesday, 4: 15 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Twin Harbors
Feb. 27, Thursday, 5: 04 p.m.; -0.7 feet; Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Mocrocks
Feb. 28, Friday, 5: 49 p.m.; -0.8 feet; Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Mocrocks
Updates on scheduled digs are available here.
Clam diggers are reminded that they should take lights or lanterns for the nighttime digs and to check weather and surf forecasts before heading out. No digging will be allowed before noon on any of the razor-clam beaches. Harvesters are allowed to take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 they dig, regardless of size or condition. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.
All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2013-14 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, are available on WDFW’s website and from license vendors around the state.
Meanwhile, the hatchery steelhead run is winding down in the northern rivers, but wild steelhead are arriving each week. Beginning Feb. 16, anglers can retain one wild steelhead per license year from one of the following rivers: the Quillayute, Dickey, Bogachiel, Calawah, Sol Duc, Hoh, Clearwater, or Quinault rivers. Those eight rivers are the only waters in Washington where wild steelhead may be retained.
“The abundant wild steelhead populations returning to those rivers also provide great catch-and-release fishing opportunities,” said Mike Gross, WDFW fish biologist. Information on weekly steelhead catches in the Quillayute River system and the Hoh River are available on WDFW’s website.
Farther south, anglers can find hatchery steelhead in the Skookumchuck, Satsop, Wynoochee and mainstem Chehalis rivers, where late-run steelhead are still being caught, said Mike Scharpf, another WDFW fish biologist.
“Fishing was pretty slow on those rivers through most of January due to the lack of rain,” Scharpf said. “But, if the weather cooperates, fishing should improve this month as more hatchery steelhead move into the system.”
In the marine waters of Puget Sound, anglers will have additional opportunities to fish for blackmouth salmon beginning Feb. 1, when marine areas 11 (Tacoma-Vashon) and 12 (Hood Canal) open for salmon. Marine areas 13 (South Puget Sound) and 6 (eastern Strait) are already open for salmon fishing.
Later in the month, anglers will also have a chance to hook blackmouth in Marine Area 5 (Sekiu), where salmon fishing opens Feb. 16.
Anglers can check creel reports for information on catch and effort in Puget Sound. Recreational fishery samplers with WDFW collect the information each week at fishing access sites throughout the Sound.
Winter is prime time to jig for squid in Puget Sound. Good spots include the Des Moines pier, Edmonds pier, Point Defiance and Les Davis piers in Tacoma, and the Illahee State Park, Waterman and Indianola piers in Kitsap County. More information is available on the department’s squid fishing webpage. Information on fishing piers is available here.
Another option is to head to a local lake and hook some trout. Best bets include American Lake in Pierce County, Saint Clair and Black lakes in Thurston County, Leland Lake in Jefferson County, Kitsap Lake in Kitsap County and Spencer Lake Mason County.
Before heading out, anglers should check WDFW’s sportfishing regulations pamphlet for details on all fisheries.
Looking for some competition? Anglers can take part in the Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby over Presidents’ Day Weekend near Sequim. Details are available at the derby’s website.
Wildlife viewing: Have 15 minutes to spare for bird science? That’s virtually all it takes to contribute to the Great Backyard Bird Count, an annual survey of birds sighted over a four-day period. This year’s bird count is scheduled Feb.14-17, when birders of all levels of experience are invited to count the number of birds they see in a 15-minute period and enter their tally, by species, on the bird count website. Participants can conduct their count in their own backyards, in a neighborhood park or anywhere they choose.
SOUTHWEST
While February is generally a slow time of the year for fishing, dedicated anglers can still find ways to reel in dinner from area waters. Hatchery steelhead are still striking lures on the Cowlitz and Kalama rivers, while the bite picks up for walleye preparing to spawn in The Dalles and John Day pools.
Starting Feb. 1, anglers can also catch and keep one legal-size white sturgeon a day in the Bonneville Pool. Only sturgeon measuring 38-54 inches (fork length) may be retained. The fishery will run through Feb. 17 or until 300 to 350 additional sturgeon are caught, whichever comes first.
Waters below Bonneville Dam remain closed to sturgeon retention, but catch-and-release fishing is allowed year-round.
And don’t forget that tens of thousands of rainbow trout are still available in lakes throughout the region, with more on the way. Battle Ground Lake and Klineline Pond are each scheduled to receive 3,000 catchable-size trout this month.
But for many anglers, the main event won’t begin for several more weeks. That’s when ocean-bright spring chinook salmon will begin to move into the Columbia River in large numbers, lighting the fuse for one of the state’s most popular fisheries.
The spring chinook fishery is currently open below the I-5 Bridge, but it usually doesn’t catch fire until March when new rules recently adopted by Washington and Oregon extend the fishery further upriver. The current limit is two adult hatchery fish per day.
“This is a good time to dust off your gear, order your bait, prepare your boat, and maybe do a little prospecting,” said Joe Hymer, a fish biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). “You want to be ready to go when the bulk of the run arrives.”
Pre-season projections anticipate a strong run of 308,000 adult spring chinook to the Columbia River this year, compared to last year’s below-average return of 195,200 fish. This year’s projection includes 81,000 lower-river spring chinook and 227,000 upriver fish bound for rivers and streams above Bonneville Dam.
“The stage is set for a great fishery this year,” said Ron Roler, WDFW Columbia River policy manager. “Not only is the run forecast well above average, but the light snow pack makes it unlikely that anglers will have to contend with high, turbid water as they have in some years.”
Initial seasons set by fishery managers from Washington and Oregon are as follows:
Below Bonneville Dam: Open daily from March 1 through April 7 to boat and bank fishing from Buoy 10 upstream to Beacon Rock. Bank fishing will also be allowed from Beacon Rock upriver to the fishing boundary just below the dam. The sport fishery will be closed March 25 and April 1 (Tuesdays) to allow for potential commercial fisheries. The daily catch limit will be two adipose fin-clipped adult salmon or steelhead in combination, of which no more than one may be a chinook.
Above Bonneville Dam: Open daily from March 16 through May 9 to boat and bank anglers between the Tower Island powerlines (six miles below The Dalles Dam) and the Washington/Oregon state line. Bank anglers can also fish from Bonneville Dam upriver to the Tower Island powerlines during that time. As in the area below the dam, the daily catch limit will be two adipose fin-clipped adult salmon or steelhead in combination, of which no more than one may be a chinook.
Those seasons may be shortened or extended depending on catch and effort, Roler said.
The initial catch guideline for the area below Bonneville Dam is 12,400 adult spring chinook, with 1,325 upriver chinook reserved for the fishery above the dam. Roler noted that those catch guidelines are more than double those in effect last season, due to the higher run forecast and allocation changes approved last year as part of the Lower Columbia River Fisheries Reform Process.
To guard against overestimating this year’s run, the states will again manage the fisheries with a 30 percent buffer until the forecast is updated with information about actual returns.
In a separate action, WDFW recently announced that portions of the Lewis River and the Kalama River will be close Feb. 17 to spring chinook fishing to provide enough fish to meet hatchery escapement goals. In addition, a portion of the North Fork Lewis River will close to all fishing on the same day. For more information, see the WDFW Emergency Rule webpage.
FAR EASTERN
Some of the best fishing in the region is at Lake Roosevelt, the huge Columbia River reservoir off Grand Coulee Dam that stretches along the Lincoln-Ferry and Ferry-Stevens county lines in the northeast district.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)enforcement officer Dan Anderson said he has checked many successful fishers from Lake Roosevelt’s Daisy boat launch south to the dam. “Boaters who are trolling have been very successful, and bank fishers have also been doing fairly well,” he said. “Average rainbow trout size has been 15 to17 inches. If the reservoir levels stay relatively high, as expected, fishing should continue to be very good.”
WDFW District Fish Biologist Randy Osborne agreed that Roosevelt has been fishing really well for both boat and shore anglers. Creel checks show that daily catch limits of five trout are common. “Kokanee fishing at Lake Roosevelt has also been decent for those who can find them,” Osborne said. “Just remember that of your six kokanee daily catch limit, only two can be wild kokanee, or those with intact adipose fins.”
Roosevelt anglers have also been picking up some decent walleye in the Spokane Arm area of the reservoir. Osborne reminds anglers that the Spokane Arm is open year-round, with a daily catch limit of 16 walleye. “The walleye fishing will just get better and better into spring,” he said.
Osborne also reports that the central district’s winter-only lakes – Hog Canyon in Spokane County and Fourth of July on the Lincoln-Adams county line — have been hit or miss. Temperature fluctuations could be part of the reason for inconsistent fishing effort and catch, and anglers need to check conditions carefully before venturing out on ice, he said. Osborne reminds anglers that the daily catch limit at both lakes is five trout but only two over 14 inches may be retained.
The region’s other two winter-only fishing lakes – Hatch and Williams in northern Stevens County – continue to provide catches of rainbows through the ice, although WDFWDistrict Fish Biologist Bill Baker suspects catch rates have slowed.
Both biologists reminds anglers to “use common sense” while ice fishing. Repeated thawing and re-freezing can make ice unsafe. Tips to help keep an outing safe include:
Don’t fish alone. Let others know exactly where you and your fishing partners are going and when you plan to return.
Keep fishing holes small and few. When drilling fishing holes with an ice auger, keep the diameter under eight inches. Bigger holes are not necessary to land fish and can create a safety hazard for others.
Watch your step. Avoid ice fishing near feeder streams or known springs; brush, logs, plants or docks; multiple ice cracks or ice that is popping or otherwise audible; and dark-colored ice that may be weak.
Spread out. Too many people congregated in one area may be more than the ice can safely support. Disperse weight and fishing holes.
Be prepared with appropriate clothing and equipment for weather conditions and emergencies.
Year-round-open Rock Lake in Whitman County is reportedly giving up some decent brown trout, along with a few rainbows. Yellow perch fishing has been very good at year-round Eloika and Silver lakes in Spokane County. However, the perch in Silver Lake are pretty small – six inches or less, Osborne notes.
February is the last month to fish Waitts Lake in southern Stevens County, which has provided decent catches of both trout and perch. The lake closes Feb. 28 and doesn’t re-open until the last Saturday of April.
NORTHCENTRAL
Fishing for steelhead in the northcentral region continues through Februaryon the mainstem Columbia River from Wells Dam upstream to 400 feet below Chief Joseph Dam; Methow River from the mouth upstream to the confluence with the Chewuch River in Winthrop; Okanogan River from the mouth upstream to the Highway 97 Bridge in Oroville; and Similkameen River from the mouth upstream to 400 feet below Enloe Dam.
All steelhead anglers must have a Columbia River Salmon/Steelhead Endorsement and comply with selective gear rules and night closures, except bait is allowed on the mainstem Columbia. Daily bag limit is two hatchery-marked (adipose fin clipped) steelhead. All wild (adipose fin present) steelhead must be released. Anglers must also release all steelhead with a floy (anchor) tag attached and/or one or more round 1/4 inch diameter holes punched in the caudal (tail) fin.
Travis Maitland, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Chelan district fish biologist, is hopeful that the three fisheries that were closed in December – the mainstem Columbia River from Rock Island Dam upstream to 400 feet below Wells Dam; Wenatchee River from the mouth upstream to the Icicle River Road Bridge; and Icicle River from the mouth upstream to 500 feet below the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery Barrier Dam – will be re-opened for steelheading sometime in early February. A re-opening of those waters depends on the numbers of both hatchery and wild steelhead that generally begin moving in this month.
Steelheaders need to keep an eye on WDFW Emergency Fishing Rule Updates, or subscribe to e-mail alerts about rule changes, for an announcement of that possible re-opening.
Other fishing opportunities in the region through February are usually through the ice for trout and spiny-ray fish at lakes open for fishing. But ice conditions have fluctuated this winter to the point of being dangerous, so Maitland advises anglers to be especially cautious, careful and prepared.
Tips to help keep an outing safe include:
Don’t fish alone. Let others know exactly where you and your fishing partners are going and when you plan to return.
Keep fishing holes small and few. When drilling fishing holes with an ice auger, keep the diameter under eight inches. Bigger holes are not necessary to land fish and can create a safety hazard for others.
Watch your step. Avoid ice fishing near feeder streams or known springs; brush, logs, plants or docks; multiple ice cracks or ice that is popping or otherwise audible; and dark-colored ice that may be weak.
Spread out. Too many people congregated in one area may be more than the ice can safely support. Disperse weight and fishing holes.
Be prepared with appropriate clothing and equipment for weather conditions and emergencies.
When safe, year-round Fish Lake, north of Leavenworth, usually produces yellow perch and rainbow trout. Roses Lake, just north of Manson, usually produces mostly rainbows through the ice.
Lakes open in Okanogan County that usually provide good catches this month include:
Davis (near Winthrop) for rainbow trout
Patterson (near Winthrop) for yellow perch and kokanee
Leader (near Omak) for bluegill, black crappie, bass, yellow perch, rainbow trout
Big and Little Green (near Omak) for rainbow trout
Rat (near Brewster) for rainbow and brown trout
Palmer (near Loomis) for yellow perch and kokanee
Bonaparte (near Tonasket) for eastern brook trout and kokanee
Sidley (near Molson) for rainbow trout, home of the 10th annual Northwest Ice Fishing Festival on Feb. 15.
WDFW staff will be available to answer fishing and other questions at the second annual Wenatchee Valley Sportsmen Show, Feb. 21-23, at the Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee.
SOUTHCENTRAL
Winter has cast a chill on most area fisheries, but the action always picks up with the approach of spring. Steelhead fishing usually starts to come alive in late February or early March and walleye fishing should improve as water temperatures start to rise.
Trout fishing options will also improve in February as the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) starts stocking Dalton Lake, Quarry Pond and the Columbia Park juvenile-fishing pond.
But for whitefish, right now is the best time to go. Relatively hard to find during most months of the year, whitefish appear during the winter months and tend to go on the bite after the snow starts to fly. Hardy anglers are now catching whitefish on the Naches and Tieton rivers, and on the Yakima River upstream from Union Gap.
“February is a perfect time to catch whitefish,” said Eric Anderson, a WDFW fish biologist stationed in Yakima. “This is when they start to congregate and the catch levels rise.”
Anglers can catch and keep 15 whitefish per day, but fishing gear is restricted to one size 14 single-point hook. The standard bait is a whitefish fly and a maggot. While bony, mountain whitefish have a dedicated following and are often served smoked.
Whitefish anglers should check the regulations for special rules and river sections, but generally whitefish seasons are open through Feb. 28 on the Yakima River and through March 31 on the Naches, Tieton, Bumping and Cle Elum Rivers.
Trout are another option in the Yakima area. I-82 Pond 4, Myron Lake and Rotary Lake were all recently planted with rainbow trout broodstock weighing up to 10 pounds apiece. Details are posted on the WDFW website at http: //wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/plants/weekly/.
But if you want to catch a big fish, it’s hard to go wrong with sturgeon. Starting Feb. 1, the McNary Pool (also known as Lake Wallula) will be open for retention of one legal-size fish a day. Drawing anglers from throughout the region, the fishery extends from McNary Dam upstream to Priest Rapids Dam on the Columbia River and upstream to Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River.
Only sturgeon measuring 43-54 inches from their snout to the fork in their tail may be retained.
The same daily catch and size limits apply to the sturgeon fishery currently under way in the John Day Pool, also known as Lake Umatilla. Paul Hoffarth, a WDFW district fish biologist stationed in Pasco, said anglers fishing the lake have been busily chiseling away at the 500-fish annual quota. “That quota has been reached very early in recent years, so anglers should go soon – and keep an eye out for updates,” he said.
Meanwhile, anglers continue to catch a modest number of hatchery steelhead at Ringold, both from the bank and by boat. Although fishing has been spotty this winter, catch rates should pick up in late February or early March, Hoffarth said. The lower Snake River is also open for the retention of hatchery steelhead through March 31. The daily limit in the Snake River is three hatchery steelhead and two hatchery steelhead in the Columbia River. Barbless hooks are required when fishing in both rivers.
Walleye fishing can also be slow in winter, but there’s always a chance of catching a lunker. Hoffarth said some of the largest walleye of the year are boated during the winter months near the Tri-Cities – including the 19.3-pound state record taken in Lake Wallula in 2007. The Oregon record, just shy of 20 pounds, was taken on Lake Umatilla during the winter of 1990.
For additional information on all these fisheries, see the Fishing in Washington pamphlet, available online.
Anglers and hunters who want to get prepped for the seasons ahead might want to drop by the Central Washington Sportsmen Show, running Feb. 14-16 at the Yakima Sundome. WDFW will have a booth at the show, which will also feature plenty of outdoor gear, a fly-casting pool and experts on topics ranging from fly fishing to elk bugling.