I was sure that ice fishermen would be out in force up in Okanogan County, so I checked in with the folks at North 40 Outfitters to ask what was going on. They said that anglers are out on the ice on the more popular lakes. Curlew Lake is at the top of the list since it provides excellent fishing for the largest perch in the region. They said that the area near the State Park is where ice angler start in the early season. In some years the perch move into deeper water and are harder to catch. Palmer Lake is producing good catches of perch at the south end. I should mention that Palmer has some of biggest burbot in the state and are caught through the ice with redsides used for bait. Bonaparte is pretty good for brook trout and tiger trout and some kokanee. Some whopper tiger trout can be caught here. Another good kokanee lake is Patterson, near Winthrop. The perch in Patterson are running on the small side again this year. Leader Lake is another popular spot for anglers in the winter up north. It is known for rainbow trout and a mix of spiny rays.
A family of anglers arrives at Patterson Lake for a day of ice fishing in a past season.