There’s good news and bad news on the steelhead scene here in Central Washington. The bad news is that the Okanogan River is now frozen from just above the mouth all the way to Omak, and probably beyond. That means that anglers are going to have to wait a while to get at the steelhead in this river. It is not unusual for the Okanogan to freeze early in the steelhead season, and the thaw may not come until late February or early March. When that happens the fishing on the Okanogan can be spectacular. The mouth of the Methow is frozen now, too, and that means the launch above the bridge is out of service. The good news is that the cooler weather has dropped the water temperature in the Columbia and the steelhead are really biting. Areas on the upper Columbia that are worth a try are near Pateros, Bridgeport and below Wells Dam. More good news is that the colder water in the Columbia has driven more fish into the Methow and Wenatchee. There is evidence that there are lots of steelhead headed for these rivers. Steelhead fishing in December and January should be great this season.