By Al Camp
Chronicle staff

     Anglers fishing on the Colville Indian Reservation should have found lakes in great shape for the April 14 opener.
     The tribe's season always starts the second Saturday in April. Last year's opener was as early as it could be. That compares with it being the latest it could be this year.
     Jerry Marco, senior fish biologist with the tribe, said the late opener meant just about every water was ice free. That made resort owners at Twin Lakes happy.
     "I think we are in pretty good shape," said Marco, who is in his 30th year as a fish biologist. "We should have pretty good carryovers this year. Some lakes already have ice off, like Buffalo."
     Marco said he's not heard anything about winterkill at Buffalo, but had heard of some winterkill at Little Goose and Big Goose lakes.
     Marco said he's putting off retirement until a Chinook salmon hatchery area near Bridgeport is up and running.
     The step 2 submittal for the project (out of three steps) was planned to be entered in June. Construction could start in early 2009, barring any unforeseen technicalities.
     The current hatchery raises about a million plants each year for tribal waters.
     Like the state's general fishing season, the tribe's season on most lakes runs until Oct. 31.
     About the only regulation change was the addition of a free three-day weekend (Presidents Day weekend) for winter fishing.
     The weekend, good for lakes such as Buffalo, Summit and both Twin Lakes, will be Feb. 17-18, 2008. A special winter season (a winter permit is required) for those lakes runs Jan. 1 to March 15.
     "What we're trying to do is promote a little more interest in some of the winter fishing that is provided now," Marco said.
     Anglers can expect great fishing at Buffalo and Twin Lakes, which receive triploid rainbow and brook trout in the one-pound range, and McGinnis, which gets fewer of such plants but gets larger-than-normal-size plants.
     A seasonal permit allows anglers to fish 19 lakes and five creeks or rivers on or adjacent to the Colville Indian Reservation, which encompasses 1.3 million acres within Okanogan and Ferry counties.
     Marco said the total could go down next year with the subtraction of Apex,
Cook and Duley.
     Anglers will continue to find some of the most diverse fishing experiences in the Northwest on the reservation, with species including rainbows, jumbo rainbow (triploids) and eastern brook trout, bass, Lahontan cutthroat, walleye and kokanee.
     No longer are permits sold according to which lake an angler wants to fish.
     The best deal comes when you tack on a winter permit while buying a $35 regular season license. Cost is $5. If you buy a winter permit later it will cost $10.
     There is a separate price schedule for buying a regular license (required even when fishing on winter waters) and winter permit for specific amounts of days.
     "We're trying to promote a little more winter fishing," Marco said.
     A tribal license runs to March 31.
     Marco said the tribe tries to mirror state regulations on boundary waters.
     Anglers should check the back of the tribe's fishing pamphlet for the latest changes.
     Anglers should remember:
     • It is unlawful to launch or recover a boat using a boat trailer in an area that is not designated a boundary water boat launch.
     • Anglers using bait now must count all fish landed of legal size in their daily catch limit, whether the fish are kept or released.
     Marco said conservation officers using binoculars noticed anglers yanking hooks out of five-pound trout in Lake Rufus Woods so they might have a chance to land larger fish, which can reach 20 pounds.
     Trout catch limit on Rufus Woods is two fish.
     • It's unlawful to operate a boat within 100 feet of a diver's marker, a swimmer or shoreline angler.
     • Boundary waters are closed to catching sturgeon.
     • Anglers should read the tribal regulation pamphlet carefully for where it's legal to fish on the San Poil River arm.
     • A tagging program includes non-toxic markers in a fin or behind an eye on hatchery fish, which also should sport a clipped adipose fin. Anyone catching the fish should contact the tribal fish and wildlife office.
     • Reservation and state licenses are required when fishing from the reservation shoreline of boundary waters, which include Crawfish Lake, Lake Rufus Woods (Chief Joseph Dam pool), Lake Pateros (Wells Dam pool), Washburn Island Pond, Okanogan River and Lake Roosevelt (Grand Coulee Dam pool).
     Those fishing in a boat in boundary waters adjacent to the reservation need only a state license. A tribal license is not required as long as the angler fishes from a boat.
     License prices remain the same as the last several years.
     A one-day permit is $7.50, a three-day permit is $18, a seven-day permit is $25 and a seasonal permit is $35.
     A spouse or tribal descendant license is $15. A second fishing rod stamp is $7.50.
     Anyone blind receives a free permit. Those 65 and over, who live on the reservation, can get a permit at half price.
     Tribal licenses and pamphlets are available where reservation licenses are sold and from the tribe's fish and game department office on School House Loop Road (Old TSI Road), two miles west of the tribal agency campus near Nespelem.
     Area outlets selling tribal licenses include Wal-Mart, Omak; J&J Smoke Shop, Okanogan; Dave's Gun and Pawn, Riverside; Tom's Tackle Box in Tonasket; Bridgeport True Value; Triangle Texaco, Brewster; Jackson's Service Station. Nespelem; Pateros Ace Hardware; Eich's Mercantile, Republic; Keller Community Store; Twisp Chevron; HiCo Gas and Convenience Store, Grand Coulee, and Big Wally's, Coulee City.
     Those wishing to use a campfire or stay at a tribal campground may need additional permits.
     More information about campground permits is available from the Colville tribal parks department, (509) 634-3145.
     More information about campfire permits is available from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs fire management office, (509) 634-2194.
     Most tribal regulations, such as those for trout or bass limits, match state rules. Still, anglers would be wise to check tribal regulations prior to fishing.
     Unless otherwise noted, the daily catch limit for trout, including kokanee and other landlocked salmon species, is five fish with not more than two longer than 20 inches. Minimum size is eight inches. Possession limit is two daily catch limits.
     Only on Lake Roosevelt, anglers can keep two kokanee (marked or unmarked) in addition to a daily trout catch limit. This means a bag limit of up to seven trout.
     Steelhead, salmon, sturgeon and bull trout are closed to fishing. There were emergency openers last year that allowed fishing for steelhead and salmon on some boundary waters.
     Reservation waters, mostly in Okanogan County, include:
     Apex Lake: Few anglers fish the three- to five-acre lake, which used to contain largemouth bass. Bullheads have been found in the lake, which drains into Borgeau Lake about three-quarters of a mile south.
     The lake, located in Ferry County about four miles south of Inchelium, has yet to be rehabbed to remove the bullheads.
     Marco said he's considering removing the lake from open waters after bass planted in the lake a few years ago did not do well.
     He said the lake's small size means it probably won't be rehabilitated.
     "I don't think we can control the issue of winterkill in there," he said. "It's so small it's not really worth putting an aeration system on it."
     Big Goose Lake: This large, shallow lake 17 miles southeast of Omak that contains bass could improve with an updated aeration system.
     The problem with the two current windmills at the lake (paid for by the Bonneville Power Administration) is that they work only if the wind is blowing.
Marco is looking at tapping power from a nearby pole for an electrical compressor system at the lake, which is about 11 feet at its deepest.
     "We did experience a little bit of winterkill on bass this year," said Marco, emphasizing "a little bit."
     "There should be some pretty good fish in there now, as it's been a couple years since it was restocked with bass," he said. "Anglers last year caught a lot fish out there but not a lot of big fish."
     Recent higher water should make for better access to the lake for those with boats, and better fishing.
     In past years Big Goose received plants of largemouth bass and pumpkin seed fish from Rebecca. Marco said the program is no longer being done.
     Marco is evaluating creel census information, which is required of every angler.
     "We're trying to get the fishermen to help us a little bit," Marco said. "We're not getting too much feedback from folks."
     There is a daily catch limit of 15 bass with not more than two over 14 inches.
     Fish can get large fast in the shallow lake because of scuds. Bass average 11-13 inches, though could go larger with higher water.
     Large pumpkin seed fish, perhaps even one big enough for a state record, also reside in the lake.
     A concrete ramp on the east side of the lake may reach to the water line if levels rise.
     Borgeau Lake: The 22-acre lake, located 4.5 miles south of Inchelium, will be good opening day again this year for rainbows, including nice-size carryovers.
     Largemouth bass range up to four pounds, though an angler did catch a six-pound bass in early 2005. Bass are best fished once the lake warms up.
     There is a seldom-used boat ramp along with a picnic table and outhouse.
     Buffalo Lake: Two miles in length, this 540-acre-plus lake is 7.25 miles southeast of Nespelem should hold bigger-than-normal plants.
     This year's rainbow plant prior to the opener was about two fish to the pound compared to five-fish-per-pound normally.
     There are a few eastern brook and kokanee that have spawned naturally in the lake since the 1950s. A few triploid rainbows planted a couple years ago could also remain.
     Though the lake is managed for trout, largemouth bass averaging less than two pounds (some reach up to five pounds) also reside in the lake.
     There is a 25-bass daily catch limit. All bass caught must be kept as outlined in the general regulations for bass.
     A crayfish season, where the limit is five pounds in the shell, runs July 1 through Sept. 15. The season is later and longer than in the past.
     The kokanee daily catch limit is 15 fish, which could help reduce the fishes' numbers and increase the amount of plankton available for other fish.
     A winter season, which requires a winter fishing permit, runs Jan. 1 to March 15.
     A boat access is on the west side.
     There is a resort on the northeast end of the lake. RV hookups are available at the resort.
     Cook Lake: This lake could be taken off the list of open waters next year due to it seldom being fished.
     Expect spiny ray fish such as bass and pumpkin seed fish in this tiny, lake on Cameron Lake Road about a half-mile west of Little Goose Lake.
     A windmill aerator, which was expected to get oxygen into the shallow lake to prevent summer kill, probably will be removed due to few anglers working the lake, said Marco.
     "We'll probably store them for a while, then decide what to do with them," he said. He said the system might be added to Big Goose if an electrical system could not be installed.
     Crawfish Lake: Crawfish lies partly on tribal land and partly on state land. Its season matches the state's general fishing season, April 28 to Oct. 31. (See listing with Highlands waters.)
     Those who fish from shore on the reservation portion of the lake must possess a reservation license. For those who fish from a boat in reservation waters, a state license will suffice.
     Marco said the tribe interacts with the state over management of the lake, but the state does all the planting at the lake.
     Duley Lake: This shallow lake near Okanogan is about eight miles south of Little Goose Lake on upper Cameron Lake Road.
     Duley was part of an experiment started a few years ago to see if it could support some kind of fish.
     The lake received channel catfish and bass in the pass. A recent sampling of the lake found no fish at all.
     "We'll leave it on the list one more year then probably pull it out of open lakes," Marco said. "We don't want to send people to lakes without fish in them."
     LaFleur Lake: The season at this primarily largemouth bass lake opens the first Saturday in May, which will be May 5 this year, and runs to Oct. 31.
     Bass in the two- to three-pound range roam in the lake, with some reaching six pounds.
     The lake was planted with rainbows, about two to the pound, early this year.
     There also are a few brook trout.
     The 25-acre lake is nine miles north of Inchelium. There is a boat ramp.
     Lake Roosevelt: Colville and Spokane tribes, along with state fish and wildlife, manage the lake behind Grand Coulee Dam for kokanee that range from 16-18 inches.
     A kokanee program releases fingerlings each year. Wild kokanee return to the San Poil. Two kokanee can be added to a daily catch limit of five trout.
     The lake is stocked from fish in various net pen rearing projects at Keller Marina, Hunters, Kettle Falls, Hall Creek and Seven Bays.
     Lake Roosevelt runs from Grand Coulee Dam, which lies at the junction of highways 155 and 174, and extends east and then north past Kettle Falls.
     Lake Roosevelt, which is open all year, carries several special regulations.
     The lake is closed to sturgeon fishing.
     Anglers must become familiar with physical landmarks where the San Poil River and Lake Roosevelt meet. (See section on San Poil River.)
     Daily catch limit for trout is five fish, not more than two over 20 inches. Possession limit is two daily catch limits.
     The daily walleye limit changed this year. It's eight fish, not more than one over 22 inches. The 16-inch minimum no longer applies.
     The lake sports smallmouth bass and a few largemouth bass. The fish are in the one- to two-pound range, with a few pushing four pounds.
     Daily bass catch limit is 10 fish with no minimum size limit, only one bass greater than 14 inches may be kept.
     Lake Rufus Woods: Marco said he's hopeful that an agreement can be worked out with the new operators of a fish farm on the lake so that good-size fish can be planted.
     "That fishery is getting very popular," said Marco, noting a recent survey found it was the second-most liked area behind Twin Lakes (which has two resorts).
     Because of the interest, Marco said a creel survey will be done along with interviews of anglers to find out about how many hours they spend to catch a fish and on the size of fish being caught.
     "We're not sure if what we are purchasing and releasing is adequate," he said. "And how many rainbow come down from Lake Roosevelt?
     "There are some big fish out there," Marco said.
     Past fingerlings planted in the reservoir behind Chief Joseph Dam produced many fish in the three- to five-pound range.
     Marco said he is seeking more funding to continue the program in which fish were bought from the fish farm. No fish were planted this March due to no funding.
     He estimated it would cost $240,000 to plant the river with as many big fish as in the past.
     Marco said the goal is to purchase several thousand triploids (compared to up to 40,000 in the past) to put in the reservoir.
     Marco said the tribe also wants to improve access to the area.
     Many larger triploid rainbows have been pulled from the lake, including a state-record 29.6-pounder by Norm Butler, Okanogan, on Nov. 11, 2002. At the time, the fish broke the previous record, set the same year, by nearly four pounds.
     In recent years, fish weighing 27.07 and 23 pounds have been landed.
     The sterile fish benefit from feed flowing from a net pen operation near Nespelem Creek.
     The lake also gets a lot of fish passing from Lake Roosevelt through Grand Coulee Dam.
     Some smallmouth bass and walleye live in the reservoir.
     There is a bass slot limit with a daily catch limit of five fish less than 12 inches or over 17 inches. No more than one fish can be over 17 inches.
     Wild kokanee, which contain special genetic material, must be released in Nespelem River Bay from July 15 to Nov. 30 to protect naturally spawning fish. (For more on the lake, see state listing with major lakes and rivers.)
     For approved boat launch sites, check the back of the tribal fish pamphlet. There is a launch near Chief Joseph Dam and a ramp near Seaton's Grove.
     There's also unimproved access off Columbia River Road at the Timm Ranch and Coyote Creek. Check the tribal pamphlet to learn more.
     Little Goose: This small lake east of Okanogan was to be planted with some half-pound rainbows prior to the opener.
     Little Goose, which has a boat access, is located nine miles east of Okanogan on Cameron Lake Road.
     Lost Creek: Rainbow and brook trout live in the creek, located in the north central part of the reservation and starting near the headwaters of Crawfish Lake northeast of Riverside.
     The creek flows east, staying mostly in the reservation, and feeds into the west fork of the San Poil River north of the reservation's boundary.
     Last year the creek received some legal-size rainbows that reached the 14-inch range by fall.
     Marco said he expects many tribal streams may be tough to fish early because of spring runoff.
     "My guess is Lost Creek probably is going to be unfishable until sometime in mid-May due to high water," he said.
     Some of the creek flows through private land, so anglers need to get permission before fishing.
     The creek can be reached via Highway 155 through Lyman Lake.
     McGinnis Lake: This is a brook trout-only lake, with very nice carryover up to 20 inches and several pounds.
     Brook trout (two to three fish to the pound) were planted prior to the opener because ice was off the lake.
     Larger boats can be launched at the 115-acre lake a mile south of Buffalo Lake and 9.5 miles southeast of Nespelem.
     Nicholas Lake: The limited-access lake has a season for rainbows from the first Saturday in May (May 5 this year) to Oct. 31.
     The late opener allows a mid-April plant of legal-sized rainbows an opportunity to settle down, said Marco, noting a muddy road to the lake needs time to dry out before a truck can maneuver to the lake for a plant.
     Some years the lake suffers a severe winterkill. Ice was off the lake in early April.
     The two-acre lake is located 11.6 miles north of Inchelium.
     Okanogan River: A large portion of the river, which is open all year, forms the western edge of the reservation. Tribal and state regulations close the river to the taking of trout, salmon and steelhead. (See listing with state waters.)
     When salmon can be taken, only tribal members can take them from the tribe's side of the river, said Marco.
     The river is open all year from the mouth to the Malott bridge for all game fish except trout, salmon and steelhead fishing. An emergency regulation may open the river for steelhead fishing in the fall.
     From Dec. 1 to March 31 gear is restricted to a single hook, no larger than size 14.
     Upstream from the Malott bridge the season runs June 1 to Aug. 31 for all game fish except trout, salmon and steelhead.
     Anglers are allowed to use bait north of the Malott bridge. Selective fishery rules no longer apply since the state considers the river a warm water fishery.
     Bait is prohibited from the mouth to the Malott bridge, with the stretch of water considered a selective fishery.
     The daily bass limit is five bass less than 12 inches or more than 17 inches, with no more than one bass over 17 inches. (Same as the state's regulation).
     Omak Creek: This creek located east of Omak is closed to non-member fishing due to a summer steelhead program.
     Rainbows are no longer planted in the creek.
     Omak Lake: There is limit of three Lahontan cutthroat (not more than one being over 18 inches) at this 3,000-acre lake seven miles southeast of Omak off Highway 155, and those fish are consistently in nice shape.
     A mandatory creel census at the lake shows anglers are catching lots of fish 18 inches or larger.
     Marco described a Tri-Cities angler who came to the office to fill out a census after forgetting to do it at the lake. He and a partner kept several pages of notes that showed they caught and released 80 fish between 18 and 30 inches in two days.
     Plants were made early this year, as space was needed at the tribal hatchery.
     The lake has a year-round season. A catch-and-release season runs March 1 to May 31.
     Fish can reach up to 18 pounds, which is the current state record set in 1993 at the lake.
     Non-members can access the south end of the lake north of Baines Beach. Access from Baines Beach south is for tribal members only.
     Two boat accesses are available on the north end of the lake - Nicholson Beach off Columbia River Road and Mission access at the end of the road past Paschal Sherman Indian School off Highway 155.
     The north embayment (next to the Mission boat ramp) is closed to boating and fishing March 1 to May 31. All islands are closed to access from March 1 to April 30 while birds are nesting.
     Anglers may use artificial lures and flies with barbless hooks only; no bait fishing is allowed. Fishing time is from dawn to dark daily. Anglers are required to furnish creel census information.
     Rebecca Lake: Water levels were good though still not as good as they were prior to a dam being removed at this lake about eight miles north of Nespelem.
     Marco said he thought removal of the dam would end the fishery as the lake would not be deep enough to support bass.
     "It dropped some but there still was enough depth to support a bass fishery," he said. "It's doing OK."
     Bass normally average four to six pounds at the lake, which is 1.5 miles southwest of Buffalo Lake.
     The lake has received trout plants in the past, but Rebecca is better known as a bass lake.
     There is a bass slot limit with a daily catch limit of five fish less than 12 inches or over 17 inches. No more than one fish can be over 17 inches.
     There is an unimproved boat launch facility.
     San Poil River: The tribe continues its transition to redband trout, raised at its hatchery, for the river.
     "We're trying to re-establish (the native fish) in San Poil drainage, not just the river," said Marco, who said the fish also is being planted into feeder streams.
     Some of the larger tributaries contributed donor stock that got the program under way.
     Redband trout were native to the drainage, said Marco, but disappeared over the years. Trips to the far reaches of tribal streams produced enough eggs over time to get a fishery started at the tribal hatchery.
     The program has grown big enough so that only redband trout are being planted and coastal trout no longer are being introduced into the river.
     "These fish are more adapted to these streams around here, more productive," said Marco, who said plans call for re-introducing the trout to more tribal steams. "They grow well."
     There is a year-round season from mouth of the San Poil River upstream to a location extending across the river from French John's Lake/Manila Creek on the west shoreline and Dick Creek on the east shoreline.
     The season upstream from this location to the free-flowing reach of the river is open to fishing from June 1 to through Dec. 31.
     The short season helps rainbows that are staging in Lake Roosevelt prior to entering the river to spawn.
     The free-flowing reach of the system is open to fishing from May 1 to Oct. 31.
     Walleye and smallmouth bass also inhabit the river.
     A catch-and-release trout season May 1 to Oct. 31 covers the area from Thirty Mile Bridge to the reservation boundary. Only single hook, artificial flies and lures with barbless hooks may be used. No bait fishing is allowed.
     There is a wild kokanee release in effect.
     There is a 25-fish daily catch limit for walleye and smallmouth bass. There are no walleye or smallmouth bass size limits in the river section.
     Regulations differ for the river and Lake Roosevelt, into which the river flows. A bay formed where the waters meet fluctuates by season, causing regulations to fluctuate as well.
     With the river not reaching the high water mark, at an elevation of 1,290 feet, the definition of the flowing river can change by as much as one to three miles.
     Anglers should have a tribal permit if they're fishing for walleye and smallmouth bass in the San Poil and be aware of differences in seasons and bag limits between the San Poil and Lake Roosevelt.
     Tribal regulations are an effort to rebuild the wild rainbow population in the San Poil River by putting pressure on San Poil walleye.
     The river produces best in the fall for rainbows up to five pounds.
     Highway 21 parallels the San Poil River for 58 miles from Republic to the Columbia River.
     Stranger Creek: The creek is closed from Inchelium/Gifford Road downstream to the mouth.
     Best success lies in beaver ponds. Anglers should get permission before fishing on private property that borders the creek, which runs out of Twin Lakes near Inchelium.
     The creek, which is planted in June when water levels recede, contains naturally spawning brook trout and plants of sterilized rainbows 13-14 inches.
     Season is April 14 through Oct. 31.
     Summit Lake: This lake has a regular season of April 14 to Oct. 31.
     It also has a winter season, which requires a separate tribal winter fishing license that runs Jan. 1 to March 15.
     The lake receives plants of brook trout in May. Anglers can expect fish averaging 9-11 inches. There are a few carryovers each year.
     The lake is up a steep hill about six miles east of Disautel and 11.5 miles northwest of Nespelem at about 3,500 feet elevation.
     A few carryover rainbows planted in the past can reach up to four pounds.
     Twin Lakes: This is the most popular area for fishing on the reservation, with good-size bass, brook trout and rainbows available.
     The regular season runs April 14 to Oct. 31 this year. A winter fishery, which requires a tribal winter fishery license, runs Jan. 1 to March 15.
     Bass range in the 10- to 16-inch range. There is a 15-fish limit with not more than two over 14 inches.
     Plants this spring include legal-size rainbows and a few brookies. More brook trout normally are planted in the fall.
     It is lawful to fish to the base of the Stranger Creek outlet structure.
     Twin Lakes covers about 2,000 acres and is located eight miles west of Inchelium. There are two resorts and a public access at North Rocky Point.
     Washburn Island Pond: The season at this 13-acre pond, managed for bass and lying partly on the reservation and partly on state land, runs April 1 to Sept. 30.
     There is a bass slot limit with a daily catch limit of five fish less than 12 inches or over 17 inches. No more than one fish can be over 17 inches.
     Largemouth bass run up to a couple pounds at the pond, located four miles east of Brewster off Highway 17.
     The lake also contains bluegill.
     Anglers must possess state and Colville tribal fishing licenses if fishing from shore. A state license is required for fishing from a boat. The use of internal combustion engines is prohibited.
     The boat launch area includes toilets and parking.
     Wells Reservoir: Often called Lake Pateros, the pool is formed on the Columbia behind Wells Dam up to Chief Joseph Dam. The reservoir is open all year.
     The reservoir is closed to salmon and steelhead fishing, though emergency measures may open limited seasons in the fall for summer Chinook salmon and steelhead.
     A trout season runs June 1 to Aug. 31, with a daily catch limit of two fish. Only fish 12 to 20 inches can be kept. Artificial lures and flies with barbless hooks are required. There's no bait fishing allowed.
     Possession limit is one daily catch limit.
     The reservoir, which is managed by the state, is closed to shoreline fishing from the base of Chief Joseph Dam downstream to the Highway 17 bridge on the reservation side (Okanogan County side).
     Closed waters are at Chief Joseph Dam between the west end of the tail race deck downstream 400 feet to the boundary marker.
     Bass and walleye also live in the reservoir.
     There is a bass slot limit with a daily catch limit of five fish less than 12 inches or over 17 inches. No more than one fish can be over 17 inches.
     Wilmont Creek: This creek is closed to all fishing from Silver Creek Road downstream to mouth to protect spawning rainbows.
     The creek, located 20 miles south of Inchelium, receives plants (above the falls) of rainbows and contains a few naturally spawning brook trout.
     The creek may not be fishable early due to runoff from a sizeable amount of snow received in the region.
     In the past, the creek received 1,000 eight-inch rainbows after high water receded.
     The bigger fish, which start at 13 inches, can be found in backed-up water behind beaver dams. The lower two-thirds of the creek borders private land, so anglers should seek landowner permission before fishing.