Northwest Fishing Reports

i guess this one is for Mike S. the fisheries biologist. Crocker lake in Jefferson county. I remember it being good then suddenly shut down. The rumors i heard were northern pike were found in the lake.Any truth to that and any chance of it re-opening?

what does WDFW say about it?

Call the appropriate WDFW district office. Mike is in area 2 and unless Jefferson county moved it's in a different district.

Yup someone put northerns in there and they shut it down and killed off the lake. I'm guessing no to it being re-stocked since it hasn't been open for over 10 years now.

You never know. WDFW Rotenone'd 2 of the I-82 ponds on the Eastside when I was a kid, and then used them for a spiny ray test program. When the program was over they opened them back up to the public. They were closed waters for at least 10 years, but re-opened a few years ago.

My favorite time of year is soon comming. I fish the i-82 ponds during the summer.I go over early and fish then pick up my produce and head home. Those are my favorite fishing adventures. I believe the one I like most is in Buena. Or very close to. I always have a good time fishing i-82 ponds. (of course I stop at the Darigold Plant in Sunnyside for ice cream then Fiesta Foods in Yakima then home) Hehehe.
Ive noticed at some of the ponds you need a certain parking decal . Is that an either or deal if you have your state given pass? Which comes with the license?

State decal should be good at any of the state managed lakes not on US Forest Service land. "Buena Pond" (I-82 Pond #6) the one right off the free way exit is my all time best producer for number of fish. My GrandPa and I slayed 'em here year after year. If you pull into the parking lot and park on the left side, when the water is clear you can see a large diameter corrugated metal pipe underwater. This is a fresh water inlet as far as I know. It runs about 50' out from the bank at an angle. There is a deep depression at the end of the pipe quite a bit deeper than any of the surrounding water. This was my honey hole. Pond #4 (where you walk through the tube under the freeway) never produced the numbers for me but I caught several 2+lb German Browns out of there the largest being close to 4lbs.

My favorite spots are going home over Chinook Pass and stopping at the fruit stands in Naches, getting fresh Applets and Cotlets, and having lunch on the way back at Whistling Jacks. Otherwise on I-90, I either stop @ Owen's Brothers Meats in Cle Elum for jerky and pepperoni, then cut up to Leavenworth to stop at the Cheesemonger's Shop, then lunch at the Sausage Garten or Munchen Haus.

/hijack

racfish wrote:My favorite time of year is soon comming. I fish the i-82 ponds during the summer.I go over early and fish then pick up my produce and head home. Those are my favorite fishing adventures. I believe the one I like most is in Buena. Or very close to. I always have a good time fishing i-82 ponds. (of course I stop at the Darigold Plant in Sunnyside for ice cream then Fiesta Foods in Yakima then home) Hehehe.
Ive noticed at some of the ponds you need a certain parking decal . Is that an either or deal if you have your state given pass? Which comes with the license?

From what I remember, it's that stupid $100 pass the state input about 2 years ago to fish certain areas or to get into certain "wildlife refuge" areas in the state and it is needed. I remember seeing the sign about it when I've fished pond 4. It's separate from the decal they give you with your fishing license.

I don't expect Crocker to open any time soon.I spoke with a bio from WDFW a couple years ago and the term "Nursery" was used for the lake in regards for salmon and steelhead. If your looking for a good spiny ray lake in the same locale,I suggest Lake Leland,its excellent and also has a decent campground.

The permit really isn't a decal. It is something you receive when you purchase your license that you hang on your mirror or place on your dash. If there is a fee it is included in you license fee. Mr. Greenpants will ticket you if you are fishing state land and if you fish the I82 ponds, count on being glassed. A few years ago I took my daughter down on the Yakima River to take some pictures in the fall. We were not fishing or hunting, but just taking pictures with a nice natural background. When we got back to my truck, guess who was waiting with his ticketbook out. I got a nice fine for taking pictures on state land. Wow!!

crappiemaster wrote:The permit really isn't a decal. It is something you receive when you purchase your license that you hang on your mirror or place on your dash. If there is a fee it is included in you license fee. Mr. Greenpants will ticket you if you are fishing state land and if you fish the I82 ponds, count on being glassed. A few years ago I took my daughter down on the Yakima River to take some pictures in the fall. We were not fishing or hunting, but just taking pictures with a nice natural background. When we got back to my truck, guess who was waiting with his ticketbook out. I got a nice fine for taking pictures on state land. Wow!!

So what was the ticket for?