An often-overlooked special fishery is the opening of trout fishing at Bridgeport. This special season is only open from July 1st through August 15th, each year, and is aimed at removing triploid rainbow trout from this area below Chief Joseph Dam. The daily limit is 10 fish. Barbless hooks are required, and only adipose fin clipped fish may be kept. This can be a really fun fishery at times. Anglers either fish with bobbers and jigs or cast white hoochies or tube jigs to the shore. When casting tube jigs, anglers will often push a Corkie into the head of jig to make it buoyant. Some of the more popular spots are on the north shore just below the Highway 17 bridge, the point below the sandy beach on the south shore, and at the “Blow Hole”, which is the outlet at the Colville Trout Hatchery, below the town of Bridgeport. Another often overlooked fishery this time of year is for smallmouth bass in the Okanogan River. Anglers fish above the bridge at the mouth of the Okanogan River and cast crank baits or jigs to the shore. There’s plenty of water from here to the Monse Bridge.