Okanogan Highlands
     Beaver Lakes: These small lakes that are open year round northeast of Tonasket are managed exclusively for rainbow trout though brook trout appear to be reproducing naturally in a nearby creek. A few catchable rainbows have been planted at the lakes to boost the fishery, said Jateff.
     The lakes will produce better catches early in the season. Fishing, especially with a fly, picks up again in September and October.
     The lakes should be ice-free for the opener, although they lie at about 2,700 feet elevation.
     The 5.7-acre Little Beaver Lake, located 1,100 feet east of Beaver Lake, holds eastern brook. Catch rates are slow, but there are some very nice fish available.
     Go east on Highway 20 from Tonasket for about 18 miles, then north 12 miles past Bonaparte Lake.
     From Oroville, drive east on the county road through Chesaw and take Forest Road No. 9480 to reach Beaver Lakes and Beth Lake. Signs along the way also will direct travelers to Lost and Bonaparte lakes.
     The main Beaver Lake features two boat ramps and a Forest Service campground. Another campground is at the smaller lake.
     Beth Lake: Located about one-half mile northwest of Beaver Lake, this 13-acre lake gets better as the season goes along for rainbows.
     Catchable rainbows that are planted in the lake, which is open all year, reach 13 to 14 inches by the fall.
     Annual planting is needed because of winterkill, though some years there are a few carryovers.
     Take County Road No. 9480 from Little Beaver to Beth Lake. There are a boat launch and Forest Service campground.
     Bonaparte Lake: Bonaparte is considered the most diverse state-managed lake in the county, with eastern brook, tiger and rainbow trout, kokanee, Mackinaw (lake trout) and smallmouth bass.
     The 160-acre lake, which is open all year, should be ice-free sometime in late April.
     Only one trout over 20 inches is allowed in the five-trout daily limit.
     Best fished in early May, the lake holds brook trout in the 11- to 13-inch range. Reports of large Mackinaw are rare, Jateff said.
     Kokanee (8-12 inches) were raised at the Omak Fish Hatchery, which was expected to be closed this spring under state cost cutting measures.
     A smallmouth bass population appears to be increasing, Jateff said. Smallmouth bass bag limit is 10 fish with one being 14 inches long.
     Bonaparte is located about 20 miles east of Tonasket and north off Highway 20. A resort and a national forest campground with a boat ramp and fishing pier are available.
     Bonaparte also may be reached from Oroville via a scenic route through Chesaw. Follow signs to Bonaparte or Lost Lake.
     A resort is available with boat launching facilities, plus a fishing pier at the U.S. Forest Service campground.
     Crawfish: Crawfish, which is open April 25 to Oct. 31, is managed as a rainbow trout lake.
     Fishing should be fair for rainbow 9-11 inches and a few brook trout in the 10-12 inch range.
     The south half of Crawfish lies within the Colville Indian Reservation. A Forest Service campground and graveled boat launch are available on the north end.
     Those fishing from shore on the reservation portion of the lake must possess a reservation license. A state license will suffice if fishing from a boat in reservation waters.
     The 80-acre lake, at 4,475 feet elevation, can be reached by traveling northeast 14 miles up Tunk Valley out of Riverside or by going north from state Highway 155 on the Lyman Lake-Moses Mountain Road to Crawfish Lake Road.
     Long Lake: The 17-acre lake east of Tonasket in the Aeneas Valley chain of lakes should produce 10-12 inch rainbows with a few carryovers to 15 inches during a season of April 25 to Sept. 30.
     Take state Highway 20 east from Tonasket to Aeneas Valley Road, then east seven miles to the lake shore. Less than one-quarter mile away is Round Lake. Access is available to both lakes, which lie on private property.
     There is a well-developed concrete boat launch available at the lake, though low water conditions mean anglers may have to carry boats a short distance to the lake.
     Lost Lake: This quiet lake north of Bonaparte Lake is open all year and managed for eastern brook (10- to 12-inches; carryovers to 15 inches).
     There are no size limits, where internal combustion motors are prohibited.
     An added incentive is viewing loons at the lake.
     The 46-acre lake is best fished in the spring and fall. Warm, summer waters cause brookies to become night feeders at the lake, located at an elevation of 3,817 feet.
     There is a Forest Service campground with graveled boat launch available at the north end.
     Take Highway 20 east out of Tonasket for 15 miles to the Bonaparte Lake Road, then north 13 miles to the lake.
     Lost Creek: This is one of several creeks in the Highlands offering natural eastern brook in the six- to 10-inch range. Other creeks include Toroda, Bonaparte and Myers. Lost Creek is open June 6 to Oct. 31.
     Most of the land surrounding the creeks is private. Anglers should get permission from landowners before fishing.
     Lost Creek is located about 24 miles southeast of Tonasket on Aeneas Valley Road. The creek is a tributary of the San Poil River’s west fork.
     A road one mile west of Aeneas leads south up the creek for about 10 miles. There is a Forest Service campground about two miles up the creek.
     Lyman Lake: The rich lake, which is best fished in the fall, has been planted the last few years with fingerling (3- to 4-inch) eastern brook or rainbow trout.
     Open year around, the four-acre lake that is prone to winter kill is located 2.5 miles southwest of Aeneas on Forest Service Road No. 357.
     There is a Forest Service campground on the lake, elevation 2,880 feet.
     Molson Lake: The 20-acre lake has not had any problems with kills for some time, which means rainbows are getting to grow to good size after starting in the 10- to 11-inch range.
     Molson, which is planted each spring, is open year around and lies next to Sidley Lake.
     Take the Tonasket Creek Road for eight miles east of Oroville, then north five miles through Molson to the lake.
     Myers Creek: Although access is limited because most of the creek travels through private land, local anglers enjoy fishing for rainbow and brooks up to 10 inches.
     The creek, best fished in the fall on the lower end, is open June 6 to Oct. 31.
     Take Havillah Road, then Nealey Road from Tonasket northeast for about 20 miles. The creek runs adjacent to the road for several miles.
     Round Lake: This small lake of less than 20 acres, located next to Long Lake in Aeneas Valley, normally attracts a lot of anglers on opening day for rainbows in the 11- to 12-inch rainbow trout and some larger fish to 15 inches.
     The lake, which is open April 25 to Sept. 30, can be reached by taking state Highway 20 east from Tonasket to the Aeneas Valley Road, then east seven miles to the lake shore.
     Both Round and Long, located a quarter mile away, are located on private property.
     Anglers may have to carry a boat a few feet from a state boat launch due to low water conditions.
     Sidley Lake: Management of this 109-acre lake located near Molson at 3,675 feet includes planting different sized rainbows to help with survival.
     Anglers often start in April to fish the lake, which is open all year and offers some of the best winter fishing in the county.
     Sidley should provide good quality rainbows in the 11- to 12-inch range, with carry-overs up to 16 inches. There is a two-fish limit.
     The lake benefits from an aerator operated jointly by a local property owner, the Oroville Sportsmen’s Club and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
     The lake, which has good shore access from a road that parallels the lake, is located one mile south of the U.S.-Canadian border and .7 mile from Molson.
     Take Chesaw Road up Tonasket Creek for eight miles east of Oroville, then north five miles on Molson Road through Molson and past Molson Lake.
     Summit Lake: This small lake located 5.5 miles southeast of Oroville near Mount Hull is most recently was stocked with native cutthroat.
     Past plants at the 11-acre lake have included eastern brook and tiger trout.
     The lake, which is open year round, has not been great fishing the last few years perhaps because of winter kill.
     Best fished in the fall, Summit lies at an elevation of 4,320 feet.