Roses Lake is primarily known as a stocker trout and catfish lake, but the little water just north of Lake Chelan and the town of Manson, Wash., is putting out some nice perch of late.
Jason Brooks, a Northwest Sportsman contributor who grew up in the area, passed along a fresh fishing report from his pa, Al Brooks, the guide and area sportsman, that included an image of a pretty stout yellowbelly cooling on the ice beside a pair of rainbows.
(AL BROOKS)
"Roses was never really known for perch, but it looks like things are changing," emails Brooks The Younger, who jokes, "Another Fish Lake in the making???"
Fish Lake would be the water further south in Chelan County, near Lake Wenatchee, a popular destination for perch and ice fishermen.
Dunno about that, but the perch do merit a mention in the weekly fishing report from Anton Jones of Darrell & Dad's Guide Service, which also notes other action around the region.
To wit:
What continues hot is bait fishing for Triploid Rainbow Trout on Rufus Woods Reservoir near the lower net pens. Also hot, is trolling the Narrows on Lake Chelan for big Lakers. Roses Lake is pumping out planter rainbows and jumbo perch for ice fishermen.
Fishing with Fire Bait near the lower pens on Rufus has been very good. Mallow Balls O’ Fire was the flavor de jour on our last trip up there. We continue to be able to get fish to bite jigs for some catch and release action.
THE BURDETTE CLAN OF DEER PARK, WASH., CLEANED UP ON TRIPLOID RAINBOWS AT RUFUS WOODS LAKE RECENTLY. (DARRELL & DAD'S GUIDE SERVICE)
On Chelan, fish the deep water on either side of the Narrows near the Yacht Club. Our “go to” lure here is a T4 purple glow flatfish. Silver Horde’s Ace Hi Fly and Mack’s Lures Cha Cha Squidders in glow colors baited with a strip of Northern Pikeminnow also works great in this area. Fish out to the 380’s bench before turning around. Most fish have been biting from 260 to 340 feet deep. Numbers of Lakers can be caught in the trench. Ace Hi flies and Worden Lures U20 flatfish are a great bet there.
Roses Lake has been getting fished hard by anglers for both trout and perch. The perch numbers really seemed to have climbed. Anglers are mostly dangling dough baits through the ice for planter rainbow trout. Worms and jigs will catch your first perch. Then a perch eye on the jig hook is a premium bait to use.
Your fishing tip and kids tip of the week is to attend those Sportsman’s Shows to get new tools for your fishing toolbox or to learn more. The latest and greatest gadgets will be there as well as a variety of instructional seminars. Your younger kids will shake off cabin fever by catching a trout out of the ubiquitous kids fishing pond as well as looking at all the attention getting exhibits. The Yakima Show will have a live bear exhibit! We just finished at the Tri Cities show. As I write this we’re preparing to travel to the Western Washington Sportsman’s show in Puyallup, followed by the National Boat Show in Spokane. We’ll also attend the Yakima Sportsman’s show in the middle of February. Come see us at our booth.
Your safety tip of the week is to remember that four inches of clear ice is the minimum for safe ice fishing. Be very observant before venturing out on the ice. Carry spikes on a tether to haul yourself out if worse comes to worse.
That last one's a good tip to remember. The forecast for the middle of this weeks looks on the craptacular side in the Chelan area -- freezing rain, snow, highs into the upper 30s -- but by this weekend it's supposed to clear off and get cold.
ANGLERS FISHING THROUGH THE ICE AT ROSES LAKE EARLIER THIS WEEK. (AL BROOKS)
Before the weather got crazy last week, I got another ice fishing report from elsewhere in North-central Washington.
"WENT TO RAT LAKE OUT OF BREWSTER AND CAUGHT SEVERAL FISH FROM 8 TO 12 INCHES," REPORTED ERNIE BUCHANAN OF OKANOGAN ON JAN. 12. "THE ICE WAS 10-12 INCHES AND FIRM. THERE WERE EVEN TRACKS FROM MOTORIZED VEHICLES ON THE LAKE. PERFECT CONDITIONS WITH JUST A SKIM OF SNOW SO WALKING WAS EASY. HERE MONTY CATCHES A 12-INCHER ON JIGS AND POWER BAIT." (ERNIE BUCHANAN)
Does anyone know what the condition of the ice is on Roses Lake as of Feb. 2nd? We've had some warming so just wondering if it's still fishable or worth driving up to check on it. Thanks
lemme check on that for you.
Kirk, I've asked two sources in the area and should hear back from them soon.
Here's what WDFW put in its Weekender report yesterday:
Fishing: WDFW Chelan District Fish Biologist Travis Maitland of Wenatchee reports fishing at year-round-open Fish and Roses lakes has been “relatively good.” Mostly rainbow trout and yellow perch, with the occasional brown trout, are being caught through the ice at both lakes. Roses Lake, about a mile north of Manson, is also producing an occasional largemouth bass. (Fish Lake is about 16 miles north of Leavenworth.)
Maitland reminds anglers to be aware of changing conditions at this time of year, because repeated thawing and re-freezing can make ice unsafe.
And in case you can venture further afield, here's what Dave Graybill reports on his blog (http://nwsportsmanmag.com/2012/01/24/jumbo-perch-biting-for-roses-lake-ice-fishermen/)
When I got home I contacted Keith Roe, and he filled me on some of the ice fishing activity that is going on in Okanogan County. One of the top producers for ice anglers is Patterson Lake, which is near Winthrop. The lake is providing anglers with good action on rainbow trout, perch and even kokanee. I have caught rainbow as large as 16 inches on Patterson, and the perch average about 10 inches. The kokanee, which are being caught incidentally to the rainbow and perch average about 10 inches, too. He suggests that you try the shallower south end of the lake for the perch, while the trout and kokanee are found in the middle.
Kirk, second update for you on Roses. Jason Brooks, one of my contributors, called his dad, Al Brooks, the local guide in Chelan, for a report. Here is what he said:
I just got off the phone with him. He was down there yesterday and said its good fishing with a mixed bag of rainbows and perch with a fish about every 20 minutes BUT the ice was getting "sloppy" and they are expecting it to warm up over there...so it might be short lived with a warm breeze at night and sun in the day...the fish usually get about a month of thin ice until it melts away from the launch (which is shaded this time of year so the ice blocks the launch while the lake might be opened up in the middle). Then the fishing gets real good in March.
And yet another updated on Roses, Kirk, this from Jeff Witkowski, the local guide:
My friend, Al Brooks, asked me to email you to say his previous report was incorrect. He went to the lake, ice is at least 6" thick and solid, guys were getting 2 perch for every trout, a fish about every 1/2 hour. Plenty safe and decent fishin'...
Keep in mind, one day it's got standing water on it from warm winds and sunshine, then re-freezes and gets solid...and as noted in the WDFW Weekender Report, this can cause "bad ice" or what we refer to as "rotten ice", as the water fills in cracks, then freezes and creates week points in the ice...just be careful! But you probably only have a week or two left and it will just be too dangerous to attempt.
How thick is the ice on Roses Lake? Perch still biting?
Thanks for the update.
Haven't received a recent report from over there, but I'll look around.