January and the New Year is just around the corner and there are two things that will be on anglers’ minds. One is that they will be going on “ice watch”. They will be looking for a safe layer of ice to form on several popular lakes that will allow them to fish primarily for yellow perch in the winter. Some of the lakes that are main attractions in the region are Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee, Patterson Lake, near Winthrop, Leader Lake, near Okanogan, Moses Lake, Lind Coulee, Rat Lake, near Brewster and the marina at Coulee City. Most of these are good perch lakes, but Rat Lake produces nice rainbow, as does Fish Lake and Patterson. I will try to keep you up to date as winter progresses. Keep your fingers crossed for freezing temperature. This is also the time of year that the sport shows occur in both Western and Eastern Washington. The Tri-Cities Sportsman’s Show in Pasco will take place on January 16th through the 18th this year, followed by the Washington Sportsman’s Show in Puyallup on January 21st through the 25th. Check my Anglers Calendar on my web site for a listing of all the shows in our region.