Lake Wenatchee Opens for Sockeye

[Mike Carey]

Dave Graybill just sent me this WDFW notice:

Lake Wenatchee sockeye fishery to open
Action: Lake Wenatchee opens for sockeye salmon fishing.
Effective date/time: Aug. 3, 2013, (one hour before official sunrise) until further notice.
Species affected: Sockeye salmon
Daily limit: Two sockeye, 12 inches in length or greater.
Location: Lake Wenatchee (Chelan Co.)
Reason for action: To date, more than 27,000 fish have made passage at Tumwater Dam on the Wenatchee River. About 30,000 total sockeye are projected with 7,000 estimated to be available for harvest above the natural spawning escapement goal of 23,000 fish.
Other information:
Selective gear rules (up to three single barbless hooks per line, no bait or scent allowed, knotless nets required) in effect.
A night closure will be in effect.
All sockeye with a floy (anchor) tag attached and/or one or more round ¼ inch in diameter holes punched in the caudal (tail) fin must be released. These fish are essential to ongoing studies being conducted by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Bull trout, steelhead, and Chinook salmon must be released unharmed without removing the fish from the water.
Two-pole endorsement is not valid for this fishery.
Anglers must have a current Washington fishing license as well as a Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE). Revenue from the CRSSE supports salmon or steelhead seasons on many rivers in the Columbia River system, including enforcing fishery regulations and monitoring the upper Columbia River steelhead fisheries. The endorsement has generated more than $1 million annually for WDFW to maintain and increase fishing opportunities throughout the Columbia River basin.
NOTE: The Lake Wenatchee sockeye fishery may be closed on short notice depending on participation and catch rates. Anglers are advised to check the fishing hotline at 360-902-2500 or Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website daily.

Information contact: Travis Maitland, District 7 Fish Biologist, (509) 665-3337 (Wenatchee District Office). Jeff Korth, Region 2 Fish Program Manager (509) 754-4624.

[Steelheadin360]

hmmm... as long as the fishing is better then baker im down for a trip

[natetreat]

I know right? I'll wait on a few reports, but I sure would like to catch me a cooler of reds. I've never fished Wenatchee, do they have any size to them? Baker fish have been big for me, not the size that I'm hearing about at brewster...

[Steelheadin360]

they are comparable to the brewster fish, no real size to them

[Bodofish]

Nice red color from what I've seen in the past.

[Mordalphus]

I used to fish Wenatchee with my grandfather 10-20 years ago. Beautiful fish that taste great. Size is pretty standard for sockeye from what I've seen

[Mike Carey]

I used to fish Wenatchee with my grandfather 10-20 years ago. Beautiful fish that taste great. Size is pretty standard for sockeye from what I've seen

+1. We fished it (my sons and I) years ago, caught easy AM limits with standard gear. Fish a bit smaller than Baker, but not as small as what I have heard on the Columbia. But that was then.
Here's an article with pictures:

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

[natetreat]

Well, if I get in the mood for some sockeye and have some downtime, I may head over there. It's 96 miles from my place to Wenatchee, and 97 to Baker, so it's the same drive time.

[Bodofish]

Well, if I get in the mood for some sockeye and have some downtime, I may head over there. It's 96 miles from my place to Wenatchee, and 97 to Baker, so it's the same drive time.

But over one or two passes depending on your chosen path. The plus is it's freeway all but the last couple miles. I love to crest the summit at Stevens just at daylight, time it for a little dark side of the moon, awe inspiring. You could always cruise another hour and troll by the dam on the C in the afternoon. One thing I will warn you about is wind!!!!! Fierce wind every day. Morning is good but as the ground heats up, the wind comes screaming down out of the mountains...... Every day, all afternoon, then it calms in the evening.

[Mike Carey]

yes, and the best fishing (as I remember) is at the far end of the lake, into the wind (but running back with the wind at your stern)

[natetreat]

I'm not sure how I feel about the wind. My boat grabs the wind like a sail!

[Mordalphus]

Oh but it feels so nice on one of those 100 degree days. Me and my grandpa never had trouble on his little 14 foot aluminum boat

[Matt]

Wenatchee fish tend to be quite a bit darker than the Baker and Brewster fish as well, just FYI.

IMO some of them look like not much for table fare.

[sjrose24]

I fished Lake Wenatchee for the first time last year and caught this fish, which was a good sized one for this lake. The fish don't have much farther to go to spawn so they are colored up pretty good. The meat was surprisingly still very red and tasted great out of the smoker. I'll be making another appearance or two this year, probably see a few of you guys on the water!

[Bodofish]

As stated before, nice and red......

[sjrose24]

As stated before, nice and red......

and slimy...

[natetreat]

Wenatchee fish tend to be quite a bit darker than the Baker and Brewster fish as well, just FYI.

IMO some of them look like not much for table fare.

Yea, maybe if Baker starts to bite I may make the trip for sockeye, I don't like the idea of driving for small slimies. There are bright pinks in the snohomish already, I'd rather eat one of those then a red red anyway.

[sjrose24]

Has anyone fished lake Wetsnatchee since the opener last week? just curious how the fishing was and the shape of the fish.

[Mike Carey]

Dave Graybill's latest article reported good fishing. It's in the articles link tile.

[sjrose24]

Dave Graybill's latest article reported good fishing. It's in the articles link tile.

The "Fishin Magician" is a good source for this area, however he rarely ever gives a negative report. I'm curious if anyone else had similar luck with what he described.