Northwest Fishing Reports

WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov

July 29, 2009
Lake Wenatchee sockeye fishery to open Aug. 5
Action: Lake Wenatchee to open for sockeye salmon fishing.
Effective date/time: Aug. 5, 2009 (one hour before official sunrise) until harvestable fish numbers have been caught.
Species affected: Sockeye salmon
Daily limit: The daily limit per angler is two sockeye 12 inches in length or longer.
Location: Lake Wenatchee (Chelan Co.).
Reason for action: The 2009 return of sockeye will be sufficient to provide for the Lake Wenatchee spawning escapement goal, and additional fish will be present to provide for sport fishing opportunity. While the sockeye run is relatively late throughout the Columbia River, a very robust Lake Wenatchee run is predicted.
Other information: Single point barbless hooks required. No more than three hooks may be used. No bait or scent may be attached to the hooks. Knotless nets are required. A night closure will be in effect. Legal angling hours are one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. Bull trout, steelhead, and Chinook salmon must be released unharmed without removing the fish from the water.
Release sockeye with one or more holes (round, approximately 1/4" in diameter) punched in the tail of the fish (caudal fin). These fish are part of a study and have been anesthetized; the FDA requires a 21 day ban on consumption of these fish.
Information contact: Art Viola, (509) 665-3337 (Wenatchee District Office) (509) 662-0452, Jeff Korth (509) 754-4624.

If you decide to fish Lake Wenatchee for the Sockeye...Make sure you know the difference between a Sockeye Salmon and a Bull Trout. If you don't know the difference the Game Wardens will be more than happy to supply you with a written description (Ticket) when they check your boat prior to you leaving the area.

Here's a couple of photo's to help you identify the difference:

Ocean Sockeye:


Freshwater Sockeye:


Bull Trout: Remember...No Black-Put it Back


Good Luck & I hope to see you on the water.

wish I could go, but I'm taking my son to college that week. There are some old reports from previous seasons I've posted if anyone is interested. It's easy fishing, just like Lake Washington.

Here's a couple articles:

http://www.washingtonlakes.com/ReadArticle.aspx?id=26

http://www.washingtonlakes.com/ReadArticle.aspx?id=297

i will be there

Big D wrote:WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov

July 29, 2009
Lake Wenatchee sockeye fishery to open Aug. 5
Action: Lake Wenatchee to open for sockeye salmon fishing.
Effective date/time: Aug. 5, 2009 (one hour before official sunrise) until harvestable fish numbers have been caught.
Species affected: Sockeye salmon
Daily limit: The daily limit per angler is two sockeye 12 inches in length or longer.
Location: Lake Wenatchee (Chelan Co.).
Reason for action: The 2009 return of sockeye will be sufficient to provide for the Lake Wenatchee spawning escapement goal, and additional fish will be present to provide for sport fishing opportunity. While the sockeye run is relatively late throughout the Columbia River, a very robust Lake Wenatchee run is predicted.
Other information: Single point barbless hooks required. No more than three hooks may be used. No bait or scent may be attached to the hooks. Knotless nets are required. A night closure will be in effect. Legal angling hours are one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. Bull trout, steelhead, and Chinook salmon must be released unharmed without removing the fish from the water.
Release sockeye with one or more holes (round, approximately 1/4" in diameter) punched in the tail of the fish (caudal fin). These fish are part of a study and have been anesthetized]If you decide to fish Lake Wenatchee for the Sockeye...Make sure you know the difference between a Sockeye Salmon and a Bull Trout. If you don't know the difference the Game Wardens will be more than happy to supply you with a written description (Ticket) when they check your boat prior to you leaving the area.[/b]

Excelent point on identification "D". All though the differences between a flaming red sockeye and a Bull or King is kinda like the difference between an cow and a grizzly. Lets hope everyone brings pictures. =)

curado wrote:i will be there

Hey! now you stay away from those anesthetized fish........... When you get done with the socks and the kitty litter hits the river, give me a shout and I'll throw the tub in and we go for a pink fest.

Bodofish wrote:Excelent point on identification "D". All though the differences between a flaming red sockeye and a Bull or King is kinda like the difference between an cow and a grizzly. Lets hope everyone brings pictures. =)

Hey Bodo,
You're 100% correct. Most of us have no issues telling the difference between Sockeyes and Bull Trout but I've seen the Wardens burn through ticket books like they were on fire. Lots of tickets were written for retention of Bull Trout followed by the over limit and barbed hook tickets.
I guess my point is if you fish Lake Wenatchee during the Sockeye season you're going to be checked by the Wardens. Make sure you know the regs and stick to them.

thats sad people cant tell the difference between a bull and a sockeye. hey here are some pics from tumwater canyon dam 1st one is a kinger the second is a sockeye

How do you catch the sockeye if you don't have downriggers, or doggers. I guess I can buy doggers, but it would be nice to know what the other options are. Thanks in advance.
Bob

Hey slicbob,
Downriggers are the most effective way to catch Lake Wenatchee Sockeye, but a 4- to 8-ounce lead crescent sinker attached to a 0-size chrome dodger with a short 9- to 12-inch leader pulling two barbless bare red, blue or black hooks will work just fine. Troll slow...1 mph or less.

and don't cut in front of other boats!

You've got that right Mike.
Every boat on the lake will be trolling so don't follow too closely behind or cut across anyone wake either.

especially if you're long-lining. So many guys have DR now. Off topic, but it's getting the same way with steelhead float fishing vrs. drift fishing. Used to be hardly any float guys, now it seems like there are more of them than the drifters. OK, back to sockeye!

When we fished there several years ago the evening bite was kind of tough, but the morning bite - unreal! off the water by I think 9am?? It was amazing, and the fish although dark were just as edible as lake WA sockeye. yum!

here is my lake wenatchee sockeye

Lake wenatchee closes aug 11

curado, i think that we have the same boat. think myabe you could send me a couple pics of your boat and the custom things you have done to it? for example, how you guys made the downrigger mounts. thanks. by the way, nice fish!!!

curado wrote:Lake wenatchee closes aug 11

A little more info:
No sooner than it had opened the Lake Wenatchee sockeye fishery will close Aug. 11, one hour after official sunset.
According to state Fish and Wildlife's press release sockeye mortality, both substantial and unexpected, has occurred during migration up the Wenatchee River
due to high water temperatures. Consequently, sufficient numbers of sockeye are not available to continue the Lake Wenatchee sport-fishing season.
As of 10 August anglers have caught 2,040 sockeye from Lake Wenatchee.