The Fishin' Magician: Wenatchee Salmon

Anglers are now chasing sockeye salmon on Lake Wenatchee and fishing for summer Chinook in the Wenatchee River. There are over 30,000 sockeye salmon expected to move through Lake Wenatchee on their way to their spawning grounds in the White River. This is well over the 23,000 needed for escapement. The sockeye were late this year, but shot up the river in huge numbers in the last week or so. You can see them surfacing in the large pools in the Tumwater Canyon and above Tumwater Dam.

The Lake Wenatchee sockeye fishery is selective, with no bait or scent allowed and barbless hooks. The two pole endorsement is not valid for this fishery and only a knotless net may be used. The Salmon Steelhead Endorsement stamp is also needed for this fishery. The daily limit is three this year. The daily limit on adipose fin clipped summer Chinook is two per day on the Wenatchee River. Anglers can fish from the mouth of the Wenatchee to 400 feet below the Dryden Dam.

Beginning Sept. 1 the stretch of the Wenatchee from Peshastin Creek to the Icicle Creek Bridge will also open to fishing for Chinook. See the Department's web site for exact details.