What to do

Fishing

Winter Fishing
Enjoy a winter angling vacation in Washington by catching species like walleye, steelhead, crappie and more. The state’s winter fisheries are generally open November through March (and some year-round) providing you plenty of opportunities to catch your favorite winter game fish. Open waters available on the Coumbia, Methow and Okanogan Rivers. Always go to the State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife for current regulations and restrictions.

Suggested Ice Fishing Opportunities
(depending on weather, temperature, etc. Always check with WDFW before heading out!)

• Davis Lake
• Cougar Lake
• Campbell Lake
• Rat Lake
• Green Lake
• Palmer Lake
• Osoyoos Lake
• Sidley Lake
• Lake Bonaparte
• Beaver Lake
• Beth Lake

Summer Fishing
Explore more than 200 high mountain lakes, 400 lowland lakes, 200 water and wildlife access areas and 300,000 acres of publicly owned land. This is the number one recreational fishing region statewide - that includes warm water fisheries and cold water trout and steelhead fisheries. It also boasts the most popular bass fishing sites in the state.

 

For the wheel chair bound Okanogan Country offers many fishing opportunities. Persons in wheel chairs may visit Sidley lake near Molson which is along a paved road. This is a slower part of Okanogan Country and you will find fishermen and women along the road in their chairs.

 

Conconully is a small resort town in the Cascade foothills. Its two reservoir lakes offer spectacular fishing. Conconully's annual Trout Derby is held opening weekend of fishing season. (877-826-9050).

 

The Methow Valley offers excellent fishing in Little and Big Twin Lakes, Pearrygin Lake and Patterson Lake. Moccasin Lake is a premiere, private fishery offering rainbows up to 10 pounds.
Call 509 996-4735. The Methow River also offers wonderful catch and release fly fishing.

 

LAKES IN THE AREA

Aeneas Lake
27 acres. 20 miles SE of Tonasket. Fly fishing only, no motors. Rainbow and brown trout. One-fish daily limit. Restroom.

Alta Lake
184 acres. 2.25 miles SW of Pateros. State park and private resort available, public access. Rainbow trout.

 

Big Twin Lake
79 acres. 2 miles S of Winthrop. Resort and public access
with restroom. Selective gear rules. Rainbows plus Lahontan cutthroat.

 

Blue Lake
160 acres. About 10 miles N of Conconully. Rainbow and brown trout. One-fi sh daily limit, selective gear rules. Gravel launch, restroom. Disability access.

Bonaparte Lake
160 acres. 18 miles NE of Tonasket. Resort, fi shing pier at USFS campground. Kokanee, rainbows, mackinaw, and brook trout.

 

Buffalo Lake
541 acres. About 5 miles NE of Elmer City. Kokanee, small and largemouth bass, eastern brook trout. Public access.

 

Chopaka Lake

149 acres. About 6 miles N of Loomis. Rainbow trout. Restroom,
camping. No motorized boats. Fly fishing only.

Conconully Lakes
313 acres. Near Conconully. Rainbow trout, largemouth bass. Gravel boat launches, restrooms.

 

Conconully Reservoir
450 acres. Rainbow trout. Boat launches, resort, restrooms.

 

Curlew Lake
870 acres. N of Republic. Rainbow trout, largemouth bass, Tiger muskies must be released under 36 inches. Camping, resorts, public boat access. State park.

Fish Lake
102 acres. About 4.5 miles NE of Conconully. Rainbow trout. Boat launches, restroom. Disability access.

Forde Lake
24 acres. About 6.5 miles S of Loomis. Brook trout. Disability access.

 

Green Lakes
Green, 45 acres, Lower Green, 9 acres. About 5 miles NW of Omak. Catch-and-release. Rainbow trout. Boat launch, restrooms. Disability access.

 

Lake Roosevelt
Damming of the Columbia River produced the 130 mile long lake. Excellent Walleye fishing. Kokanee, small & largemouth bass. Public access.

 

Leader Lake
159 acres. About 4 miles W of Okanogan. Rainbow trout. Boat launches, restrooms, camping.

Lost Lake
46 acres. Rainbow and brook trout. Boat launch, restrooms at Forest Service campground. Disability access.

Methow River
(Winthrop/Twisp) Catch and release trout fishing, selective gear rules. River closed to steelhead, dolly varden, bull trout fishing. Camping, public launch sites, resorts.

Columbia River
From Pateros and north to Bridgeport. Chinook salmon and thirty other fishes. Multiple boat launches.

Rufus Woods Lake
By Chief Joseph Dam. Rainbow trout, silvers and walleye. Shore fishing requires Colville Tribe fishing license (available at Bridgeport hardware store.) Boat ramps, 24 feet of dock, state park.

Okanogan River
(Oroville to Brewster) Small and largemouth bass, walleye, perch, crappie, catfi sh, carp. Closed to trout fishing. Public launch sites, lodging nearby.

 

Omak Lake
3,244 acres. Seven miles SE of Omak. Record for Lahontan Cutthroat trout at 18.04 lbs. set in 1993. Boat access on the north end of the lake.

 

Osoyoos Lake
5,723 acres, 2,036 US. North of Oroville. Rainbow trout and kokanee. Largemouth and smallmouth bass. State park facilities. Disability access.

 

Palmer Lake
2,063 acres. 4.5 miles N of Loomis. Smallmouth bass, some largemouth. Kokanee, yellow perch, crappie, burbot, northern pikeminnows. Campgrounds, restrooms, rough boat launch.

 

Patterson Lake
130 acres. About 3.5 miles W of Winthrop. Rainbow, eastern brook trout. Resort, public access with restrooms and launch.

 

Pearrygin Lake
212 acres. N of Winthrop. Rainbow trout. State park, public & disability access. Launch and restrooms.

Sidley Lake
116 acres. Near Molson. Rainbows, daily limit 2. Boat launch, portable toilet at lake.

Sinlahekin Creek
Creek runs north of Conconully, from Blue Lake to Palmer Lake. Brook and rainbow trout. Selective gear rules.

Spectacle Lake
314 acres. About 9 miles NW of Tonasket. Rainbow trout. Three resorts, public access with restroom facilities and launch.

 

Wannacut Lake
411 acres. Near Oroville. Rainbow trout. Resort and public access with restrooms and launch.

Whitestone Lake
173 acres. About 5 miles N of Tonasket. Largemouth bass, bass slot limit. Good access with launch, restrooms. Camping. Disability access.