by Jason Brooks, February 27, 2015

With daylight lingering a few hours past dinnertime and sunshine warming our afternoons March can be a very frustrating month. For those of us that would rather be outdoors casting a line or toting a gun instead of munching down nachos watching college basketball March can be downright depressing unless you like to go trout fishing. Yes, trout fishing and though the general statewide opener is several Saturday’s away the lakes around the small town of Quincy open on March 1st. There are 16 lakes that make up the Quincy Lakes Wildlife area, most open in March and some have special restrictions but the two main lakes: Burke and Quincy have great access and are planted each year with fry that are perfect pan size by the opener. They also receive a few extra “Jumbo” rainbows as well.

Don Talbot who works the fishing counter at Hooked On Toys in Wenatchee doesn’t miss the opener for anything; not even college basketball. For both lakes which sit side by side and are similar in size and depth they fish pretty much the same. Soaking dough baits like Pautske Fire Bait or Berkley’s Powerbait are the most common baits but don’t forget salmon eggs and marshmallows or small chunks of salad shrimp. Talbot let out a little secret when I chatted with him a few years ago. During a recent day out trout fishing he pulled out some of his “Sockeye corn” as he called it and caught fish at one of the basin’s lakes. Don didn’t say if he used the standard white shoe peg corn or some yellow corn but he did say that the whole thing was an accident. He had placed some corn into a container and soaked it in bait scents to be used on the Brewster Sockeye. That next spring he found his brined corn still soaking in the bait sauce and decided to give it a try. Talbot was pretty excited when we talked saying how the corn turned on a bite and the trout couldn’t resist it. Just remember that if you use bait then each fish you catch is counted towards your daily limit of 5 fish whether kept or not, and if you use corn you might as well keep the fish since the fish can’t digest it very well and could cause mortality anyway.

Though both lakes are close in proximity Talbot let onto another secret about Burke Lake. The bottom is a little rockier and he uses an aquarium net to look at and even catch bugs for bait. Damselfly nymphs are becoming prevalent in the lakes during March and any pattern that looks like the nymph will catch fish. Try Mack’s Lure smile blade fly in olive green, black, and brown trolled slowly behind a small boat, canoe or pontoon. If using a spinning outfit put on some small split shot to get it down a few feet or a sinking line for those who like to use fly rods. During the morning hours the fish will be deep since the night air is still near freezing this time of year and the surface water temps can be very cold. As the sun warms up the air the surface temperature rises and bugs become more active and so will the trout. As the surface water temperatures rise Talbot will give the tried and true flatfish f4 its turn while trolling in the middle of the lakes. Frog pattern, orange and black with silver flake are top producers. Late in March fly fishing can be great in the desert lakes around Quincy. Try Carey Specials, Whoolybuggers, and one of my favorites a small black Choronamid under a strike indicator.

While I was talking with Talbot he started to say how shore bound anglers should use small spinners too since the trout will be looking for bugs along the cattails and weeds in the shallows near shore. Again he pointed towards the Wenatchee tackle company Mack’s Lures and their Promise Keeper spinner in 1/8 oz. with his recommended colors of brown and olive green. Yakima Bait’s Roostertail in black with a silver blade does well and you can add some split shot in the leader for longer cast if you need too. But again Talbot had a “secret lure”, a spoon called “Kamloops” from the ACME Company of British Columbia. If you can’t find them in your local tackle store stop by Hooked on Toys and ask Don to show them to you.

Burke Lake: Located 4 ½ miles from the town of Quincy is this 70 acre lake. It has three boat launches and several places to park for shore fishing. Two boat launches are near the west end, one on the southwest corner and the other one the west point of the lake. The third launch is on the far eastern end of the lake so those with small boats or pontoons don’t have to row or kick to the other end to fish. Bathroom facilities can be found at the boat launches along with some limited camping. For the bank access it’s mostly parking along some dirt pullouts and hiking trails down to the edge of the lake.

Don Talbot suggested those with boats head to the middle of the lake and troll the deep water. There is a small rock island and the water around it can be very productive. This also gives the shore bound anglers some freedom from boats trolling through their holes. If you get away from the bankies and find a spot of cattails or shallow waters that are a bit warmer break out the fly rods and strip back damselfly nymph patters, such as the whoolybuggers, carey specials or Mack’s smile blade fly’s. This is a great way to catch and release a lot of fish and over 20 fish days are common.

Quincy Lake: Located next to Burke Lake is 54 acres. This lake is a bit smaller with one boat launch on the southwest corner that has a toilet facility and limited camping. Talbot said the cove on the west end of the lake can be popular early in the season because it’s shallow and has more bug activity. He again stressed to troll this lake in the middle deeper water if you have a boat otherwise work the edges in a pontoon or if bank bound then to use longer leaders to get your bait above the bottom weeds.

Both lakes are located in the Quincy Lakes wildlife area which means public access and no worry of walking across private property to get to the lakes shores. You can find the entrance to the Wildlife Area off of White Trail Road, which is a loop that connects at the west side of Quincy and the south side at the golf course. Make sure you display your WDFW vehicle pass or Discover Pass. If you decide to venture to the many other lakes in the area read the current regulations. Some have bait and catch restrictions. Put down the television remote and listen to the college basketball game while driving to Central Washington’s Quincy Lakes area. I also advise not trying to eat nachos while driving.

Sidebar: In recent years the Quincy Valley Tourism Association sponsors a family fishing derby. This year it will be at Burke Lake on March 7th. Top prizes for heaviest fish, cumulative catch, and three fish are tagged for cash prizes of $500, $1,000, and $2,000. There will also be raffles and a lot of fun. Costs to enter the derby is $25 for anglers over 16 years of age and $10 for anglers under 16. You can pre-register at several locations or register the day of the derby before 9:00 am. More information can be found at QVTA website: Quincy Valley Tourism