As we get closer to May 4th and the potential of getting back outdoors, I made some calls to see if the fishing at our lowland lakes will be worth the effort. According to Region 2 staff, and I can assume this goes for other WDFW regions in the state, the trout plants are being done pretty much on schedule. So, there should be plenty of fish available when we can get back out fishing. I also checked in with the Colville Tribe about the releases of triploid rainbow trout into Rufus Woods Reservoir. I learned that they started making plants in February of this year, through April so far. The total number of new fish that have been released is just slightly under 20,000. Good fishing is anticipated on Rufus Woods this late spring and summer. I also found out that the Colville Tribe has received funding to expand their ability to monitor and remove aquatic and invasive species, particularly quagga and zebra mussels from Lake Roosevelt and Rufus Woods. The spread of these into Washington waters could be devastating. Check it out on web and you will understand why there is concern. The governor vetoed the funding for the WDFW effort.
This photo from a past opening day of fishing on Park and Blue lakes shows the popularity of these two. Hopefully, we will be able to fish them soon.