Great news! Washington has given fishing guides the green light to take customers fishing! I’m so very excited to get back on the water with all of you and get back to catching some fish after a long hiatus. Right now we are in full blown Kokanee salmon beat down mode on a daily basis.
Kokanee are landlocked sockeye salmon that reside in many Washington and Oregon lakes that are both stocked and naturally produced. Two of the best lakes in either state are right in my backyard. Lake Merwin, and Yale Lake. Limits of kokanee are caught on both these lakes on a daily basis and we are so fortunate to have them.
Both lakes have beautiful scenery, and Yale has a great view of Mt. St. Helens! The daily limit of kokanee are 10 per person, which adds up to quite a bit of delicious fatty sockeye salmon meat. If you’ve ever eaten a kokanee, you know that they are some of the richest, oily and hearty fish for their size. Kokanee on merwin average 12 inches, but in late spring we find fish that are pushing 15-17 inches daily.
It’s tough to contemplate going fishing for such a small fish, but what they lack in size, they make up for in flavor and constant action. Kokanee fishing is a great fishery for kids as well. Kokanee fishing is definitely one of the best ways to get those kids out to enjoy fishing without getting bored.
After we’re done kokanee fishing, it will be time to start targeting sockeye salmon and steelhead on the Columbia River. Sockeye fishing will start heating up in the first week of June and will last through the end of the month. Their will be a ton of fishing opportunities coming this summer so get ahold of me asap to discuss what else there will be to do this year and when. Fishing season is finally in full swing, let’s go catch some!
