Methow Valley
     Alta Lake: Fishing should be excellent for 11- to 12-inch yearling rainbows, with carryovers up to 16 inches.
     There are a public boat launch, a state park with full facilities, a resort and an 18-hole golf course on the road to the lake located two miles southwest of Pateros.
     Low water conditions can limit use of a boat launching facility.
     The lake, which is ideal for small boats and canoes, has a season that runs April 26 to Sept. 30.
     The 184-acre lake is reached by driving 1.5 miles west of Pateros on Highway 153, then south for about a mile.
     Those staying at the resort can have larger boats launched.
     Andrews Creek: Open June 1 to Oct. 31, Andrews offers native rainbows. Dolly Varden (bull trout) no longer may be caught legally in the creek.
     There is a two-fish limit. Fish must be eight inches long.
     Depending on the snow pack, the creek is best fished in late June.
     Andrews is located 19 miles north of Winthrop on Chewuch River Road. The U.S. Forest Service maintains a campground next to the creek.
     Aspen Lake: This semi-remote lake, .7 mile southwest of Moccasin Lake, received triploid eastern brook and tiger trout plants the past few years.
     The lake, which tends to suffer winterkill, has a season of April 26 to Oct. 31.
     The fish and wildlife department owns the land on which the lake is located.
     Aspen can be reached by taking the Twisp River and Big Buck Lake roads. The last half-mile is on foot.
     Big Buck Lake: The seldom-fished lake, which has been planted with catchable rainbows, has a season of April 26 to Oct. 31.
     Jateff said he may not plant the lake this year as he's considering putting it on a rehab list due to largemouth bass.
     The small lake, which can suffer winterkill, is located due south of Moccasin Lake (a private lake) on state Department of Fish and Wildlife land.
     The easiest way to reach the lake is follow the same directions to reach Aspen Lake off the Twisp River Road.
     Big Hidden Lake: This lake, located in the Pasayten Wilderness, is for those looking for a little adventure. Located about 34 miles northwest of Winthrop, it annually produces decent sized rainbows in the 10- to 14-inch class.
     The 71-acre lake lies at about 4,300 feet elevation and sees a lot of action from backpackers and horse packers.
     Travel about 20 miles from Winthrop on the Lost River Road past Mazama and onto the Mazama Road. A one- to two-day hike to the lake starts at the head of Lost River at the Billy Goat Corral.
     The season runs April 26 to Oct. 31, although best fishing is early to mid-summer.
     Black Pine Lake: Open all year, this 18-acre lake at 3,900 feet elevation now is managed for cutthroat.
     Jateff said fish planted a few years ago should be showing up as legal-size trout this year.
     The lake had been managed for eastern brook trout.
     There is a paved, handicapped-accessible route along a part of the lake.
     Drive two miles west of Twisp on the south side of the Twisp River, then take the left fork at the river bridge about seven miles south up Poorman Creek Road. The lake also may be reached via the Buttermilk Creek Road a few miles farther up the Twisp River.
     There is a Forest Service campground and boat launch.
     Campbell Lake: A catch-and-keep season (five fish limit), with bait allowed, runs Sept. 1 to March 31 at this 11-acre lake at about 2,900 feet in Pipestone Canyon near Winthrop.
     A catch-and-release season runs April 1 to Aug. 31. Anglers must use selective gear with barbless hooks. No bait is allowed.
     The lake is stocked annually with catchable rainbows prior to its spring opener.
     Though small and capable of being fished out in days, it often is productive in the winter for snowmobilers.
     If winter conditions are mild, the lake can produce carryovers to 16 inches.
     There is a Department of Fish and Wildlife access site with toilet, but there are no boat launching facilities (car-top boats or float tubes only). The lake is difficult to get into and out of with a boat and impossible from the shore.
     Travel 2.5 miles south of Winthrop on the Twisp-Winthrop Eastside Road, go east about a mile on Bear Creek Road and another 2.5 miles east past the Davis Lake turnoff on Road No. 1624.
     Chewuch River: The river, which flows from the Pasayten Wilderness to Winthrop, is open for all game fish (except Dolly Varden and endangered steelhead) from its mouth to Eightmile Creek June 1 to Aug. 15 for a catch-and-release season. Selective gear applies, with barbless hooks and no bait allowed.
     The river is closed from Eightmile Creek to the Pasayten Wilderness boundary.
     Several tributaries remain closed, including Lake Creek from the mouth to Black Lake.
     New this year is the closing of the upper part of Lake Creek where it comes into Black Lake, to Three Prong Creek to protect spawning bull trout. The new regulation will be reflected in the May 1 pamphlet.
     Whitefish can be caught during a Dec. 1 to March 31 season. Hooks must be size 14 (3/16 inch) or smaller. Bait is allowed.
     Cougar Lake: Open Sept. 1 to March 31, the nine-acre lake is located south of Winthrop in the Methow Wildlife Area at about 3,400 feet elevation. Cougar gets little pressure because only snowmobilers have access during winter months.
     Planted with rainbows in the spring, the lake doesn't get near the attention of nearby Davis Lake. By fall the fish should be legal size.
     There is a campground nearby with a graveled boat launch for smaller watercraft.
     Travel 2.5 miles south of Winthrop on the Twisp-Winthrop Eastside Road, go east about a mile on Bear Creek Road to the Davis Lake turnoff, then north 1.5 miles and east for a mile on County Road No. 3514.
     Crater Lakes: Open April 26 to Oct. 31, this Highland lake chain located at 6,900 feet elevation includes one 15.8-acre lake managed for cutthroat.
     Cutthroat planted recent years are not expected to have much size to them.
     Several lakes are nearby and may or may not have fish.
     Located in the Sawtooth Ridge area on the north side of Whiskey Mountain, the Crater Lakes offer cutthroat to walk-in anglers.
     Go northwest 18 miles on Highway 153 from Pateros to the mouth of Gold Creek. A Forest Service road follows Gold Creek for eight miles. A good trail of five miles leads to the lakes.
     Davis Lake: This popular Methow Valley lake near Winthrop is open to catch-and-release, selective gear anglers April 1 through Aug. 31.
     Electric motors can be used during the selective gear rules season.
     Davis then switches to a "catch-and-keep" special winter season from Sept 1 through March 31 without selective gear rules. The popular, 30-acre acre lake is fished intensely opening day. It's a favorite for many Labor Day weekend anglers.
     An estimated 1,200 anglers have been counted on past opening days, with about 75 percent of the lake's rainbows being taken by the end of the hunting season.
     Fishing should be good for 11- to 13-inch rainbow trout. If there's no winterkill, carryovers can be found in the 12- to 15-inch range.
     There is a state Department of Fish and Wildlife access site with a graveled boat launch.
     Travel 2.5 miles south of Winthrop on the Twisp-Winthrop Eastside Road, go east about a mile on Bear Creek Road before heading south a mile to the lake.
     Duffy Lake: The nine-acre lake, situated at 6,500 feet elevation, contains cutthroat. Open April 26 to Oct. 31, Duffy Lake is ice-free in June.
     Take Forest Service Road No. 4420 (old No. 338) for 10 miles west of Twisp up Oval Creek to the Oval Creek Trail. Hike 4.5 miles south, then cross country east for a mile.
     Eightmile Creek: Native rainbows and eastern brook live in this creek, located eight miles north of Winthrop.
     Take the Chewuch River Road north for eight miles to the mouth of the creek.
     The season is June 1 to Oct. 31.
     Gold Creek: The creek, located about four miles south of Carlton off Highway 173, is closed from its mouth to the confluence with North Fork Gold Creek.
     The creek is open from the North Fork upstream, and sports rainbows and a few cutthroat.
     The season runs June 1 to Oct. 31.
     There is a two-fish limit in this area of Gold Creek.
     Selective fishery regulations pertain to the creek. No bait is allowed.
     Foggy Dew Campground is at the junction of the north fork of the creek and Foggy Dew Creek.
     Lost River: The river, which drains into the Methow River about five miles northwest of Mazama, is closed from its mouth to Monument Creek.
     From Monument Creek to the outlet of Cougar Lake there is a catch-and-keep season June 1 to Oct. 31. There is a two-fish daily limit and a 14-inch minimum size.
     Anglers must use selective gear, including barbless hooks. Bait is not allowed.
     A well-marked trail starts just past the bridge.
     Louis Lake: This 27-acre lake, which receives a lot of pressure, contains mostly cutthroat though a few rainbows still roam the water.
     As with most alpine lakes, it is planted on a three-year rotation.
     To reach this 5,300-foot elevation lake, travel 22 miles west of Twisp along the Twisp River to South Creek Campground, then hike two miles up South Creek to Louis Creek Trail and another three miles to the lake.
     Louis Lake is open April 26 to Oct. 31, although ice is not off until late May.
     Methow River: National Marine Fisheries Service (now called NOAA Fisheries) in 1998 designated steelhead runs in the upper Columbia River Basin (including Methow River tributary) in danger of extinction, which ended seasons except by emergency order.
     The last several years emergency openers allowed fishing for steelhead for several months during the winter. The steelhead seasons depend on run forecasts exceeding natural production and hatchery brood stock requirements.
     When open for steelhead fishing, the river is the best in the region of the first few miles from its mouth.
     Under an emergency opening, anglers can keep only hatchery fish.
     The definition of a hatchery steelhead or cutthroat trout was changed this year to state any steelhead with a "clipped" adipose fin or a ventral fin with a healed scar at the location of the missing fin.
     The revised definition says "clipped" instead of "missing," which makes allowance for the fact that these fins sometimes are only partially clipped, according to a state Department of Fish and Wildlife announcement.
     Catch-and-release trout fishing is available in portions of the river during a June 1 through Sept. 30 season, with selective gear rules in effect. Check the regulations pamphlet for boundary restrictions.
     Dolly Varden/bull trout fishing is prohibited to help improve numbers of these native char.
     Camping is available but steep river banks are not very accessible to wheelchair users.
     Anglers are advised to check current sport fishing rules as the Methow has various open and closed areas along the entire length of the river.
     The river starts high on the east Cascade crest at the head of the Methow Valley and runs to the Columbia River.
     There are several access areas along Highway 153, which intersects with Highway 20 south of Twisp, and parallels the river to its mouth. Five Forest Service campgrounds with toilets border the upper reaches of the Methow River above Mazama.
     The river no longer is planted with rainbows in an effort to protect growing steelhead, salmon and bull trout/Dolly Varden populations. The state does stock steelhead and Chinook salmon.
     Anglers should consult a state pamphlet for seasons along certain sections of the river.
     Patterson Lake: This 143-acre lake, which is about 3.5 miles west of Winthrop and open April 26 to Oct. 31, has switched management from brook trout to cutthroat.
     The lake also includes some largemouth bass and a good-size perch population.
     Expect cutthroat in the 10- to 12-inch range. A few carryovers may reach 15 inches.
     Recent introductions of spiny ray fishes (bass, crappie, and yellow perch) have provided some additional fishing opportunities in Patterson Lake, said Jateff, who stressed anglers should try the perch fishery.
     Follow Patterson Lake Road from Twin Lakes. A resort and public access with toilets and a launch are available at this popular Methow Valley lake.
     Pearrygin Lake: This very popular lake in the Methow Valley was rehabbed in the fall of 2006, so it's ready to boot out yearlings in the 11-plus-inch range with a very few carryovers.
     The lake was replanted the spring of 2007 with 30,000 catchable rainbows 10-12 inches in size. The lake also received 600 triploid rainbows that could be up to two pounds now.
     The 212-acre lake has a season of April 26 to Sept. 30.
     The lake features resorts, a state park with hook-ups and a fish and wildlife department boat launch. Toilets, camp sites and a fishing pier are handicapped accessible.
     Pearrygin is located 1.5 miles northeast of Winthrop. A road from the center of town leads to the lake.
     Tungsten Lake: This small lake, which contains cutthroat trout, is located about 55 miles north of Winthrop. Anglers, starting at the trailhead at the end of the Chewuch River Road, will hike several days to the lake, located near Aspen Mountain.
     Although Tungsten Lake's season runs April 26 to Oct. 31, anglers have best success in mid-summer after the ice is off.
     Cutthroats propagate naturally in the lake, meaning fish range in size from one to 14 inches. Heavy pressure from hike-in anglers minimizes the amount of larger fish.
     Twisp River: A large tributary of the Methow River, the river remains closed for all fishing from War Creek to the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness boundary.
     There is a catch-and-release season for rainbows and cutthroat of June 1 to Aug. 15 from the mouth to War Creek. Selective gear restrictions are in effect, including barbless hooks and no bait.
     Twisp River Road follows the river from Twisp for 25 miles upstream, with numerous campsites available.
     Anglers should check the state pamphlet for areas where the river is closed.
     War Creek: The creek is open June 1 to Oct. 31. Like all creeks in the Methow Valley watershed, War Creek contains small rainbow (six to nine inches).
     It is illegal to catch bull trout (Dolly Varden) in the creek.
     This creek is only for those hardy enough to fight through the brush to get to the fish.
     The creek joins the Twisp River at the Forest Service's War Creek Campground about 15 miles west of Twisp.
     A road follows the creek for two miles and a trail runs parallel to the creek for another 10 miles to its headwaters at War Creek Pass.