People travel for many reasons: business, leisure, family vacation and sightseeing are just a few. No matter your reason, there can be a lot of stress involved in planning and executing a trip. This is why I try to make at least one trip per year a simple, unscheduled, and relaxing personal getaway. One of the best ways to do that is to get back to basics and connect with nature - outdoorsman style. While there are many hobbies that fit under this category, one of my favorites is fishing. With a confluence of beautiful rivers, glacier-fed lakes, and dozens of natural mountain streams and ponds - Wenatchee, Washington should be your fishing destination.
A few of the most widely known fishing areas are the big ones. Lake Chelan has plenty of docks from which to launch a boat or just dangle your legs and cast out. The nearby rivers offer some more variety and plenty of fish, whether you are standing near shore on the Wenatchee river or are out in a boat on the Columbia river. But many hidden lakes are where the locals love to go for serenity. The hills around our valley have beautiful mountain lakes full of fish. Some of the bigger ones are Lily Lake, Beehive Lake, Rose Lake, and Clear Lake. To find these lakes, you will take Squilchuck Road south of town as if you were driving to Mission Ridge. Then make a cutoff to Wenatchee Heights road which connects into Stemilt Loop road. From there you drive into the hills and travel up just about any public dirt road with a discover pass - most of them lead to a lake, but you can always consult a map.
While I am by no means an expert fisher, I recently employed a local acquaintance to take me out and teach me some local tips to share with readers.
Starting the day at 4AM from a launch dock below the new Pybus Public Market at the base of Orondo Street - we boated up to a point north of Walla Walla Point park. I got an opportunity to see all of the special salmon gear, tackle, lures, boating equipment, etc. Having recently opened up, salmon season is expected to be quite productive this year.
A few of his favorite local fishing spots include: Wells dam, Banks Lake, Chelan falls, and the Columbia river. Using a depth finder or fish finder, one can find a deep trench along the west side of the Columbia river. If none of this equipment is available, it seems pretty easy to follow the line of boaters up river. Moses Lake is another popular fishing destination worth mentioning, about an hour drive from Wenatchee.
Salmon is a huge attraction to fishers near and far. What makes Wenatchee such a great salmon fishing area? The local PUDs have enacted innovative fish ladders, juvenile fish bypass systems, close monitoring, and many other techniques to make the spawning process seamless. The local Columbia valley is the most impressive place to fish because it is a fish highway - direct from ocean to thousands of tributaries and estuaries. Of course there are plenty of other species ready for the taking. Local agencies are actually encouraging fishers to go after certain populations that have exploded and may off-balance the ecosystem. A gentle breeze on your arms as the sun peaks over rolling hills of wheat - the beauty of the Wenatchee valley also helps add to it being such an optimal fishing destination.
We ended the day at a local fishing supply store where locals go once they are done reeling in. We walked the aisles with a couple of these folks and I was overwhelmed with the thousands of fishing products available locally. Finding out what works best was a bit tricky - I was informed that what works in one lake may not work in the next, or what works one day may not work tomorrow. Essentially, stick with the basics. Plenty of scent - with scent bombs being about the best advice I received universally. Of course many other products promise to help, depending on what you are in the market for.
Any final thoughts or words of encouragement? Do not be afraid to ask for advice from locals. Get out and try it. Wenatchee is waiting.
Marshall Tramp, CHA, HOST - General Manager
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Article summary: Wenatchee fish are bountiful with our many rivers, lakes, and streams. Read local advice for catching the best fish
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