One of the questions that I am asked most frequently, due to my proximity the Lake Wenatchee, is if there is going to be a sockeye season on the lake. The return of sockeye to our region is something that is watched closely by anglers. The popularity of this fishery exceeds the interest in summer run salmon, particularly since the summer run salmon numbers have dropped significantly. Last year the summer runs season was curtailed and only open for a shore time in certain “bubble fisheries”. Last year the return of sockeye to the Columbia was forecast at 350,000 and the actual return was 168,000. This was enough fish to see the Brewster Pool packed with boats. The forecast for sockeye to Lake Wenatchee was 94,000 and 64,000 showed up. This year the forecast is for 85,000 to the lake, which is plenty of fish for a season, if they appear even close to this number. They need under 24,000 to pass over Tumwater Dam for escapement. You can check out the graph from the Fish Passage Center on my Facebook page to see that sockeye are just now entering the river. They often surprise us and I will keep you posted.