Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 334
OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider approving revisions to rules addressing sources of conflict between people and wildlife, such as wildlife damaging crops or harming livestock, at a meeting Nov. 13-14 in Olympia. The commission also will hold a public meeting on Puget Sound and Washington coast sportfishing rule proposals and consider land transactions in Asotin and Cowlitz counties. The commission, a nine-member panel that sets policy for the Washington D... Full story
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is offering anglers opportunities for tight lines rather than long lines on the day after Thanksgiving. The “holiday specials” include thousands of large trout averaging 15 to 16 inches in length and weighing 1-1/4 pounds. The Department is currently preparing to stock lakes in southwest and western Washington in time for Black Friday, Nov. 27. In eastern Washington, thousands of smaller trout stocked in lakes last year should have... Full story
OLYMPIA – With some 125,000 trout scheduled for stocking in western Washington lakes, area anglers should have an excellent chance at phenomenal fishing this fall and through the holiday season. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will stock 44 western Washington lakes with catchable-size trout this fall. “Fishing at lakes throughout the region should be great over the next few months,” said Larry Phillips, WDFW’s inland fish program manager. “Most of the trout are 11 to 13... Full story
PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department is urging sportsmen who are invited to participate in the Sportsman's Values Mapping Project to take a few moments to identify lands they cherish for their hunting and angling values. The department soon will be mailing postcards to a random sample of individuals who have purchased Arizona hunting and fishing licenses, directing them to a website where they can draw their favorite areas on a map. The Sportsman's Values Mapping Project is part of a... Full story
Tip Of The Week Two "old reliable" summer high-country lakes are Kinnickinick and Ashurst lakes near Flagstaff. Kinnickinick Lake is spring-fed, but it is best fished from float tube, canoe or kayak this time of year. Ashurst may not provide the most scenic high-country escape, but it can be one of the more productive ones. It also has some pike (please catch-and-keep all you can to help this fishery). The Reel Deal Hot desert nights are made for bottom dwellers - catfish and carp. Relax on the... Full story
If you enjoy wildlife and the outdoors, you won't want to miss the new season of Arizona Wildlife Views Sundays on Phoenix PBS Channel 8. The Emmy-award winning television program will open your eyes to the best of our state's wildlife, wild places and outdoor adventure through spectacular video and compelling stories. It is produced by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and hosted by Jim Paxon. The August premiere visited the "Wings Over Willcox" nature festival, which has become a staple... Full story
We know the weather has been hot, but it's time to make fishing hot again in the Community waters. Our first catfish of the season will be coming the third week of September. Get the fishing poles ready, and check out the Sept-Oct. CFP stocking schedule. New community water coming to Casa Grande After months of working through required paperwork, we are on track to finalize an agreement with the City of Casa Grande to add Dave White Regional Park Pond to the Community Fishing Program. The park... Full story
A Summer Favorite One summer favorite for high country anglers is Bear Canyon Lake in the Mogollon Rim. This deep canyon lake has decent shoreline access, but don't expect to fish the bottom with your PowerBait. There is a steep drop-off along most of the shoreline. There is a slight hike into this lake, which keeps most people away. There's no store, no facilities (other than a bathroom in the parking lot), and it is only dispersed camping nearby - a good thing for minimalists. The Reel Deal... Full story
Action: Lake Wenatchee opens for sockeye salmon fishing. Effective date: July 30, 2015 (one hour before official sunrise). Species affected: Sockeye salmon. Daily limit: The daily limit per angler is 4 sockeye, minimum size of 12 inches. Location: Lake Wenatchee (Chelan Co.). Reason for action: Based on current passage over Tumwater Dam, at least 30,000 sockeye are projected to enter into Lake Wenatchee. This provides at least 7,000 sockeye for harvest above the natural spawning escapement goal... Full story
Summer fisheries are now in full swing, providing some of the best fishing opportunities of the year. Washingtonians are reeling in salmon off the coast, pulling up pots full of crab in Puget Sound, and casting for trout in alpine lakes on both sides of the Cascades. Also this month, hunters will take to the field to hunt for black bear in the first big-game hunt of the season. Many others will also be out scouting hunting areas to prepare for deer and elk seasons beginning in September.... Full story
Action: Methow River closed daily to fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight. Effective date: Aug. 5, 2015, until further notice. Species affected: All species. Location: The Methow River (Okanogan County) from County Road 1535 Bridge (lower Burma Road) upstream to Weeman Bridge (8 miles upstream of Winthrop). Reason for action: Afternoon water temperatures in the Methow River are approaching the upper limit for survival of trout. The Methow River receives significant fishing pressure during the summer.... Full story
OLYMPIA – State fishery managers are seeking public comments on proposed sportfishing rules for the freshwater areas of Puget Sound and the Washington coast. As part of that effort, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has scheduled four meetings to discuss rules proposed for the 2016 season with the public. All but one of the proposals is specific to the rivers and lakes of the Puget Sound and coastal regions. The exception is a proposal for the lower Columbia River that was h... Full story
Tip Of The Week If you are in Apache County, don't ignore Nelson Reservoir. It's often ignored by anglers zooming to Luna, Big Lake and beyond, but it's a decent late-spring rainbow producer. It even has some crappie. And of course, Big Lake is providing some of the best fishing in the state for wild-like rainbows, cuts and brookies. The Reel Deal Trout Hot Spots Luna Lake: This 27-inch, 7.5-pound rainbow trout was recently caught. The lake has more large holdover trout. Thanks to The Friends... Full story
The wonderful thing about living in Arizona is that we have such a range of altitudes and ecosystems. When it's too cold up north, we can mess around in the desert, and when the desert is broiling, we can either keep cool at one of the desert reservoirs or head up to higher altitudes and enjoy cooler weather. We enjoyed an unseasonably cool and wonderful May, but now that June and July are here, the summer weather has fully set in. So here are my picks of the top ten ways to enjoy the summer out... Full story
Largemouth bass fishing is a great bet at Bartlett Lake, and the dropshot technique using plastic worms is usually the most reliable method of catching these fish. Before heading out, see a video shot at Bartlett Lake with local semiprofessional angler Gary Senft on how to fish a dropshot rig using Bobber Stoppers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35ATjA3DL4g&feature=youtu.be THE REEL DEAL Let's get right to some recommended Fourth of July weekend fishing waters, starting with the high country:... Full story
OLYMPIA – State fishery managers have stocked King County’s Morton Lake with trout months ahead of schedule due to drought conditions. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) recently released the 1,500 rainbow trout, averaging one pound each, into Morton Lake near Kent. Typically, WDFW stocks the lake in October. This year’s drought, however, has reduced water flows at the department’s Soos Creek Hatchery, to levels that won’t support holding these trout until October. “While th... Full story
OLYMPIA – Kelly Flaherty of Priest River, Idaho, has set a new state record for the largest tiger trout caught in Washington, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) confirmed today. The 53-year-old angler caught the 18.49-pound fish measuring 32.5 inches on Cinco de Mayo, May 5, while bait fishing with a worm and egg at Bonaparte Lake, near Tonasket in Okanogan County. “The fish skyrocketed out of the water,” said Flaherty, who was fishing from a boat launch. “As soon as I hooke... Full story
Action: Change size restrictions and daily bag limits on rainbow trout; add increased limit on brook trout. Effective dates: July 18, 2015, until further notice. Species affected: Rainbow trout and brook trout. Location: Ross Lake (Whatcom County) Size and daily limits: Rainbow trout, one fish per day, minimum size 16 inches. Brook trout, five fish per day, no minimum size. Reasons for action: Recruitment of rainbow trout has been poor in recent years. Rainbows are growing faster than in the... Full story
OLYMPIA – State fishery managers are closing or restricting fishing on more than 30 rivers throughout Washington to help protect fish in areas where drought conditions have reduced flows and increased water temperatures. The closures and restrictions take effect Saturday (July 18) at 12:01 a.m. The changes will remain in effect until further notice. Fishing will be closed in some waters, and limited in others each day to the hours between midnight and 2 p.m. These “hoot-owl” restrictions will... Full story
OLYMPIA – State fishery managers will host four public meetings in late July to discuss plans to treat several lakes and a stream in eastern Washington with rotenone, a naturally occurring pesticide commonly used to remove undesirable and illegally stocked fish species from lakes and streams. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is proposing to treat No Name Lake in Pend Oreille County; Williams and Badger lakes in Spokane County; and Green and Lower (Little) Green lakes, Rat La... Full story
Action: The hatchery steelhead daily limit will be increased to 3 fish. Up to two hatchery adult spring chinook may be kept as part of the daily limit for salmon on the upper Klickitat River. Effective dates: June 1 until further notice Species affected: Salmon and trout, including hatchery steelhead Locations: Lower Klickitat River from the mouth upstream to the Fisher Hill Bridge (located approximately 3 miles upstream from the mouth); Upper Klickitat River from 400 feet upstream from #5... Full story
OLYMPIA-Dedicated volunteers carried 35 pound backpacks with gallons of water and thousands of delicate trout fry miles up steep trails to stock mountain lakes year after year. Another group traversed Washington's marine areas and coastlines to provide scientific data and analysis on species ranging from porpoises to puffins. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) recognized the contributions of these organizations and other top volunteers and landowners during its 2015 citizen... Full story
Tip Of The Week Trout stocking in our mountain streams has begun and will continue every week until September. In the White Mountains region, big holdover trout have been caught at Big Lake, Luna Lake, Carnero Lake, and Becker Lake (there are special regulations at Carnero and Becker.) The Reel Deal The recent full moon helped trigger a heavy wave of spawn activity in the Phoenix/Tucson-area desert lakes. Although largemouth bass spawn through June, this will likely be the final such apex of... Full story
Eleven waters that are part of the Department's program expansion, as well as Tempe Town Lake, have recently received catfish. Those waters included Pacana Pond (Maricopa), Discovery, and McQueen Ponds (Gilbert), Roadrunner Pond (Phoenix), Eldorado Pond (Scottsdale), Bonsall Pond (Glendale), Friendship Park Pond (Avondale); Fortuna, Yuma West Wetlands, Redondo (Yuma), Council Ave Pond (Somerton), and Tempe Town Lake (Tempe). Did You Know? The Department purchases almost all the fish for the... Full story
Fish hatchery workers across the nation are preparing for their busiest time of the year. During the next two months, Arizona Game and Fish Department employees and volunteers will stock more than 500,000 catchable "farm fresh" trout, providing the public an opportunity to engage in conservation - some for the very first time. State-run aquaculture not only enables families to etch lifelong fishing memories, but also it is a leading driver for conservation of America's ecosystems. The Goal Unfor... Full story
