Columbia Basin: Steelheader.net- Steelhead, Salmon and trout fishing

Columbia Basin waters that opened March 1 are producing 12- to 18-inch rainbow trout, notably the Hamptons, Caliches, Martha, Quincy and Burke lakes. Other March 1-opening trout waters are the scene of good catches. Rainbows up to a pound are being caught at several well-stocked, year-round waters throughout the state. On March 9, three more eastside trout-fishing waters will open – Fishhook Park Pond in Walla Walla County, Pampa Pond in Whitman County and, for catch-and-release only, Amber Lake in Spokane County.
March 1 to rainbow trout fishing got off to a slow start, due to cold weather and some remnant ice. But that only means that these fully-stocked waters will be producing nice catches throughout the spring and summer. Fishhook Park Pond, along the Snake River in northwest Walla Walla County, and Pampa Pond, southwest of LaCrosse in Whitman County, are also rainbow-stocked and open March 9. These ponds warm early and provide better fishing now, so they were changed from a late-April opening date to March 1, starting in 2003; to provide more angler opportunity this season, rule changes were made to allow this month's opening. Rainbow trout fishing was excellent at Lincoln County's Coffeepot Lake on the March 1 opener and should continue through the season. WDFW Fish Biologist Chris Donley reports lots of 14 to 20-inchers caught and released at Coffeepot. Water temperatures are still in the 35-degree range, so Coffeepot's bass and perch won't be hitting lures and flies until later. Coffeepot is under selective gear rules with a two-trout daily keep limit. Another popular selective fishery in southwest Spokane County – Amber Lake – opens March 9 for catch-and-release fishing until April 27, when up to two trout of 14-inch minimum size can be kept. Rainbows can still be caught at the region's winter-only lakes – Hog Canyon, Fourth of July, Hatch, Fishing: WDFW Fish Biologist Eric Anderson reports that anglers are catching recent rainbow trout plants in the Yakima area's year-round open lakes. Recently stocked waters include Myron, Rotary, I-82 Ponds 4 and 6, Sarge Hubbard, and Granger. Myron has selective gear rules (no bait, artificial lures with a single barbless hook) and a one-fish daily catch limit; Sarge Hubbard is for juveniles only (under 15 years of age). The other lakes have the standard five-trout daily catch limit and bait allowed rules. Stocked trout are running about one-third to one-fourth-pound each, but some larger one-pound rainbows were stocked into Myron and Sarge Hubbard. Wenas Lake is scheduled to be stocked soon. Other lakes that are scheduled to be stocked soon in and around the Kittitas Valley or Ellensburg area include North and South Fio Rito Lakes, Denmark, Mattoon, McCabe, Naneum, and Woodhouse. Fio Rito and Mattoon receive a supplemental plant of one-pound rainbows. Naneum Pond is open to fishing by juveniles only. black crappie in the 8- to 9-inch range at the I-82 Ponds near Yakima. The fish are hitting on small white crappie jigs, he says, but the trick is to find the pockets where these fish live. Anglers need to focus on areas with structure, like over-hanging brushy shorelines, deep water pockets near weed beds and wood-strewn areas near beaver houses. Anderson notes that WDFW stocked black crappie fry in 1999 in I-82 Ponds 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 and Rotary Lake in the Yakima area, and in the Fio Rito Lakes in the Ellensburg area. "Looks like that stocking is starting to pay off,"