Just less than two weeks away is another early spring lake opener that draws hordes of anglers. Known as the “April Fools Opener” the title applies to a whole bundle of lakes that are strung out from O’Sullivan Dam to almost Othello. The lakes are within the boundaries of the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, and most people just call them the Seep Lakes. Most of the ponds are trout lakes, but there are several that offer excellent fishing for spiny ray species in the early spring. This one typically produces as good as or better than the lakes in the March 1st opener, as there has been a full month of spring weather to warm the water and get things going. One of the usual standout lakes is the Hampton, both upper and lower. Large trout, and I mean in the 20-inch class are taken from these lakes every year, and the fishing can be better at Upper Hampton, which requires a short hike to reach its shores. Another big event in April is the fishing seminar that will be held at Town Ford in Wenatchee on Wednesday, April 7th. Shane Magnuson will be talking spring salmon and Gordon Steinmetz will be speaking on spring walleye fishing. I’ll have more details in future reports.