Many years ago, there was a something called the “April Fool’s Opener”, when a significant number of lakes opened to fishing in the Columbia Basin. All of them were in what is known as the Seep Lakes Wildlife Area, in the Columbia Wildlife Refuge. These lakes were scattered from below O’Sullivan Dam down to Othello. When the regulations were simplified these lakes were shifted to the general lowland lake opener, which is the fourth Saturday in April. There are still a couple of lakes that open on April 1st, but it takes some looking at the Sport Fishing Pamphlet. One is Spectacle Lake, located near Tonasket. This is a very popular lake that offers fishing for a variety of species. The other is Washburn Pond which is on Highway 17 past Brewster. It is loaded with largemouth bass and bluegill. You can now use a large boat as long as the big motor isn’t in use. Also, I wanted folks to know I shot a video on tips for catching walleye, smallmouth bass, and trout on Banks Lake. The idea is to help those who plan to fish the Banks Lake Triple Fish Challenge. You can find it on the Dave Graybill YouTube channel.