The March 1 opener is history and anglers from all across the state enjoyed the first weekend of the season. In addition, the Quincy Trout Fishing Derby was held last Saturday. The results of the derby were not available at the time of this writing.

Here is the opening report from Fish and Wildlife Fish Program District Biologist Chad Jackson in Ephrata:

General summary

Anglers fishing the production lakes of Upper Caliche, Martha, Quincy, and Burke Lakes on the opener caught near limits of trout averaging approximately12 inches in length and carryovers ranging in size from 15 to 24 inches.

Angler effort this year was about the same as last year, moderate to high. Aside from some sustained 10 to 15 mph winds in the morning, the weather was very pleasant on the opener with air temperatures in the 50s and cloudy skies with sun breaks.

Anglers camping out at Quincy and Burke Lake made a relaxing day of the opener. Fish and Wildlife creel checkers spoke with several anglers who woke up early in the morning to catch a few trout, relaxed in camp for a little while, and then headed back later to round out their limit.

Quality Lakes

The quality lakes of Lenice, Nunnally, and Dusty Lakes fished mostly well on the opener with several anglers having double digit trout catches. Lenice and Nunnally Lakes fished better than Dusty Lake on the opener and had better weather conditions too. Water temperatures in Dusty Lake tend to stay colder longer making trout a little less active on the opener. Trout size from all three lakes was about the same ranging from 12 to 20 inches in length, with most fish caught being equal to or greater than 14 inches.