Great WA Hunting and Fishing Opportunities

Hello Boys and Girls......just trying to stimulate some more conversation on the WA forum. I recently replied to a post on this forum by a guy from Utah, considering moving to WA, with concerns about hunting and fishing. So without giving up too much information or honey holes, how about a discussion on hunting and fishing opportunities in WA!!! I'll start: How about ice fishing for perch at Fish Lake....the lake freezes over every year, and ice fishing for perch has kind of become a big social event. I use a Swedish Pimple with a perch eye, fished off the bottom. I only fished three times this year, but previous years I have fished 8+ times; usually catching my 25 fish limit each time......lots of fish fries!!!

Next, I really hope to take advantage of the High Hunt for deer......I haven't been able to make since moving here due to work obligations. I have seen a few great bucks in WA, as they migrate through, well after deer season. So, I am convinced that they remain way up high at or above timberline, until the snows drive them down. I love hunting big mulies, and my bet is that the best chance for them, beyond drawing a controlled or quality late season tag, is to chase them up high during the high hunt.

I'll go next to the Lake Wenatchee sockeye season. It has become a great fishery, with up to six fish per day limits!!! For most of the season, the fish are in great shape. By the time they start to turn, I already have a good supply in the freezer and have quit fishing for them.

Let me hear from you all about great hunting and fishing opportunities in this state!!!

I grew up in WA state in Lewis County matter of fact, i hunted Peterman ridge, and up the 23 and 25 road, often crowded i'd get away from the other folks because Peterman can become like the interstate during rifle season, but i hunted both archery and rifle, so the late season black tail hunt on peterman as always been good, especially after first snow fall in November, there on the move everytime, nothing giant but just the amount of deer you see, my elk are up 23 and 25, but those are super big areas not to mention when i hunted it one of them roads across the road was the Margaret unit which was special draw then, my fishing areas was the tilton river there in Morton where i grew up, did fish alot of creeks for trout, Cowlitz is good if you can get away from all the city slickers, which i've found some good spots i've never seen folks, Wynoochie river also a great fishery!!

P.S. i did reply on previous post about WA, Hoping to do out of state hunt there in the next 2 years, I moved to Utah 4 years ago, much rather be in WA state!

I am having a good time here in Washington, but I sure miss the southwest hunting.......even the trout fishing is better in my opinion......too many restrictions here due to salmon, steelhead, and bull trout. There are some beautiful rivers and creeks here in Chelan County, but you can't fish most of them. I appreciate the mushroom hunting, and huckleberry picking up here.

I'm not a fan of the desert. So I hate it here in Utah. Hopefully moving soon. So much more to do in WA in my opinion too. But there is reasons why they have restrictions to a point. But you go to the west side an fish alot more Rivers. I'm not a fan of fishing here in Utah. Yeah probably better trout fishing but I wouldn't cause I do very little to no fishing. I really miss the clam digging on the beaches. Being at the beach all the time. I live in Central Utah so really nothing to fish for it all unless I go to fish or strawberry lakes. But those are to far of drives. And Yuba lake has no water in it from little snow fall each last 3 years.

I was introduced to clam digging three years ago, and love it? I drive 5.5 hours from Leavenworth to Long Beach, spend a bunch of money on lodging and food, just to come home with two 15 clam limits. I've done the trip to Westport for one king salmon and 15 rockfish too! Yes, I have come to appreciate the Cascades and a lot of the state, but my home is New Mexico, and I miss it a lot. I guess ideally, I would have a home in New Mexico, one in Chelan County, and one in Alaska!!! I have a friend here who ended up with a house here at Lake Wenatchee, one in Alaska, and one in Hawaii.....that guy lives the dream!

My home is WA state. So I guess I can agree on the loving my home cause I do. Cascades are beautiful!

That is supposed to be an exclamation point after love it, and not a question mark!!!

Figured that. Lol.

And you ever hunted blacktail or Roosevelt elk??

Nope, never hunted them, but I was in Lake Crescent Lodge one time, and there are two Roosevelt elk mounts in there, that are almost as big as New Mexico and Arizona elk!!!

Ever get the chance. I'd highly recommend it. Amount of deer you see during late buck on the westside and it's just crazy!