Good news for anglers who enjoy winter walleye and other fishing in the Wanapum Dam Reservoir. The Grant County PUD has raised the level of the pool by 17 feet and there are some access points available to boaters. Two boat launches are operational at the current river level. One is the Wanapum Upper Boat Launch and the watercraft launch at the Wanapum State Park just south of Vantage. The State Park launch is open from 8 a.m. to dusk. The park is also open for camping on weekends. Several boat ramps remain closed and you can see the list by visiting grandpud.org. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife wants anglers to know that the Sunland Estates and Yo Yo boat ramps remain closed. Improvements have been made to these launches and the armor matting installed could be damaged at these levels of low water. There are areas of the Wanapum Reservoir shoreline that remain closed to the public, and you can learn more about these closures by visiting the department’s web site at wdfw.wa.gov. I want to remind anglers that Grant County PUD is also dredging the channel at Crescent Bar to create access to this popular stretch of the river.