Weekly Fishin' Magician Report

Monday, January 7

I get a lot of e-mails this time of year from folks wanting know what the ice conditions are on the lakes in the region. Here are ways to get some current information on the lakes:

For Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee, go to www.lakewenatcheeinfo.com.

There is a web cam on Fish Lake that you can access through this site.

When I see people fishing I go up and double check on it and then report the conditions.

For Patterson and Davis lakes, up the Methow Valley, I call Sun Mountain Lodge. They have cabins for rent in the winter on Patterson and will know if people are fishing on the ice here. The number for the lodge is 1-800-572-0493.

To see if there is ice on Moses Lake and people are out fishing on it call the Best Western, right on the shore, at 509-765-9211.

To check on the ice and road conditions at Rat Lake near Brewster, call Bob at the Triangle Exxon at 509-689-3473.

When I want to know if there are perch being caught at the marina in Coulee City, I call Big Wally's at 509-632-5504.

Wednesday, January 9

There is a new chapter of Trout Unlimited being formed in Okanogan County.

They are having a meeting next week, and anyone that would like to learn more about the group and hopefully become involved is invited.

Greg Bennett, Putmbac Guide Service, is the president of the new group, which is named the Methow Okanogan Highlands Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Greg has been involved with TU since the 70s.

There are a great many tremendous fishing resources in this region and Bennett has been the benefits that Trout Unlimited can bring to an area.

He encourages anyone that enjoys these resources and wants to contribute to their conservation and enhancement come to the meeting.

Everyone in the Methow Valley, Pateros, Brewster, Omak, Okanogan, Twisp and Oroville areas are welcome. It will be held on Wednesday, January 16th, beginning at 6:30.

The meeting is at the Caribou Restaurant and Lounge, located at 233 Queen Street, in Okanogan.

This is steak night at the restaurant and a great steak dinner can be had for just $8.95. For more information on the new chapter, contact Bennett at 509-422-9906.

Friday, January 11

I had a couple of meetings in Moses Lake the other day. That gave me the opportunity to check on the ice conditions on this popular lake.

Moses Lake is known for producing good catches of perch, up to 13 inches, known as "jumbos".

Ice anglers also take good numbers of walleye through the ice in the winter here. I found the lake covered with a skim of ice; certainly not thick enough to stand on.

The weather had turned warm, passing the mid forties that day.

We are due for some chilly weather though and a thicker layer could form soon. I will keep an eye on it.

I also stopped by the Winchester Wasteway on Road 8 out of Quincy.

For years anglers would gather on the banks here above and below the bridge and catch big numbers of small perch. All this ended about five years ago, but I wanted to see if it was making a comeback.

I walked the bank above and below the bridge and found no evidence that anyone had been fishing here.

No one knows exactly why the perch stopped returning to this spot, but it appears that this once-popular fishery is history.