Run Down On March 1st Seep Lake Opener

Here's the run down on the Seep Lakes that will open up in Eastern Washington on March 1st.

• Always weather dependent if they’re fishable each year, but with the weather we’ve been having and if it holds fishing should be pretty good everywhere.
• Lenice and Nunnally.  They’ll be the same good fishing for mostly 14-16” trout.  If not windy, catch rates should be high for anglers (low to mid double digit CNR).  There will be some fish pushing closer to 20”, but not a ton.  Lenice will get most/all the love on the opener, but Nunnally can be just as good.  Stocking at both lakes hasn’t changed in a long time (spring and fall catchable plants to a total of ~50 fish/acre).
• Burke Lake.  Rehabilitated last fall, so only 11-13” catchables will be planted prior to the opener.  Catch rates should be good.  Bigger fish next year and years after.
• Quincy Lake.  Better bet in the Quincy Wildlife Area.  Variety of fish sizes up to and maybe exceeding 20”.  The Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce will have their annual derby there a couple weekends after the opener.
• Quincy Walkin Lakes (U/L Spring, Crystal, Cliff, Cup).  Anglers should fish most/all in one trip to get a decent catch for the day.  Some of these lakes produce some of the largest carryover trout we see all season.  No one fished them last year so not sure how they’ll technically fare this year. 
• Martha Lake.  Pretty much automatic limits of 11-13” fish.  Crowds are highest here.  Few carryover trout.  Great place to get kids on fish.
• Upper Caliche Lake.  Same/similar as Martha Lake, but better chance of catching a large carryover.
• Dry Falls Lake:  Now a March 1^st opener.  Fishing here has been tough.  Fish size is nice, but catch rates are low.  We’re still “monkeying” with the stocking rates (reduced them in 2015 due to the “flats area” (southwest side of the lake) going dry for several years in a row is now more of a wetland reducing the actual size of the lake.  We starting ramping up the stocking rates some to find that balance between fish size and catch rate. 
• Other Option (Year-round waters).  Canal, Windmill, and Heart should have some decent fishing.  It’s been >10 years since they were cleaned out and now there’s a bunch of small sunfish in there (and who knows what else) likely reducing the trout fishing quality.  Some walkins including N Windmill, NN Windmill, June, Virgin, and Janet lakes have been good.  FYI….E/W Sage and Katey lakes were rehabilitated last fall and won’t receive catchable until later in the spring.