Fresh News from MarDon: Annual Ducks Unlimited banquet set for Sept. 8

Eileen Polensky, of Cle Elum, and Camryn Yurt, of Seattle, hold up a beautiful 7-pound Walleye.

Michael and Sydnee Johnson, of Renton, show off some Walleye as big as they are, courtesy of Ross Outdoor Adventures.

by Mike Meseberg & Nick Barr<br>
| August 20, 2011 3:00 AM

Michael and Sydnee Johnson, of Renton, show off some Walleye as big as they are, courtesy of Ross Outdoor Adventures.

MARDON RESORT - The water level on Potholes Reservoir continues to rapidly drop with our moderately warm August weather. The water elevation is currently at 1,033.3 feet, which is roughly 12 feet low. Sand dune campers on Potholes Reservoir are enjoying a continued higher than average water level with 4-6 feet deep water in the major channels on the west side of the dunes. Crab Creek still has 6 to 25 foot water depths, which allow you to travel more than a mile back into Crab Creek Channel. This continues to allow great access for camping, fishing and watersports!

With our lower water level we are having great reports of people catching fish in the sand dunes, near Goose Island, the Lind Coulee Arm of Potholes, and finally some great Crappie action off of the MarDon Resort Fishing Dock. Plus some jumbo Crappie, Bluegill, and Perch are being reported from bobber & jig fishing over beaver huts. Black Crappie to 13 inches have been showing up around the MarDon Fishing Dock.

As for the Bass and Walleye fishing, both have continued to stay awesome throughout the summer! Largemouth have been annihilating topwater lures throughout the sand dunes, especially the Spro Frog. Trolling the dunes with Rapala Shad Rap has been the ticket for slamming those big Potholes Walleye, along with the occasional jumbo Smallmouth and Trout. Walleye over 10 pounds have been reported almost every day. Try around Goose Island for a smorgasbord of fish species. At this time of year it is an all-you-can-eat buffet for every kind of fish in the reservoir. Whatever sparks your fishing nerve, you can hook into it out at Potholes Reservoir right now.

The seep lakes below O'Sullivan Dam have been receiving very low fishing pressure due to the cooler temperatures and late seasonal activity. This is the time to get out and take a visit to one them.

Watersports families are enjoying swimming pool like water temperatures, with the water temps regularly topping 80 degrees throughout the reservoir. At one time the Sand Dunes on Potholes Reservoir was rated one of the top 10 jet-ski locations in the United States. We also have plenty of beach area at the resort, along with miles of sandy beaches back in the dunes. Come out and enjoy a day riding and swimming through the numerous channels of the Potholes Reservoir Sand Dunes!

Potholes Reservoir is the Northwest waterfowler mecca and the Northern Canadian Provinces waterfowl nesting counts for the Pacific Flyway this year is 27 percent above the 56 year average. Simply put this means more ducks will be in Central-Eastern Washington that we have seen in the past 40 years!

MarDon Resort is proud to announce Heather Green-Nelson as our first ever "Share With Your Friends" Contest winner on our Facebook page! Heather won two free nights in one of our great cottages, a fully guided fishing trip with Bass Guide Nick Barr (www.NickBarrFishing.com) and a great tackle pack from Rapala Lures! Like our Facebook page to get up to date news and special offers!