Discover North Central Washington

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Landscape with trees and mountains
Photo by WDFW

North Central - Region 2

Customer service staff in the Ephrata Regional Office are available for walk-in service 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Counties served
Adams, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Okanogan
Office hours
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. excluding legal holidays
Phone
509-754-4624
Email
TeamEphrata@dfw.wa.gov

1550 Alder Street NW
Ephrata, WA 98823-9699
United States

Director
Brock Hoenes

Fishing tips and news

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Trout
Photo by Michael Lockleer

March trout opener 

Martha and Upper Caliche Lakes are usually the top producers on opening day with near limit catches of quality size fish. In addition to spring fingerling plants of rainbow trout, these lakes were stocked with 500 ‘catchable’ 11to13-inch rainbow trout in fall 2023 and each will receive 1,500 in April 2024.   

Quincy and Burke Lakes, on the Quincy Lakes Unit of the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area, are expected to have good fishing on the March 1 opener. Both lakes have good numbers of rainbow trout in the 13 to16-inch range.


Lake Lenore is a selective gear, Lahontan cutthroat trout fishery just north of Soap Lake. Lenore is an excellent choice for anglers in search of large fish. Fisheries surveys in ‘22 and ‘23 found the average size of fish collected was 18 inches. In late-March anglers should look for large pre-spawn fish cruising in shallow water.   


Lenice and Nunnally Lakes, which are located near Beverly, are consistent producers of rainbow trout in the 13 to18-inch range. Lenice tends to draw more attention from anglers during the first few weeks of the season; however, both lakes fish well. These lakes provide little in the way of shore fishing and require anglers to carry their float tubes or prams about ¼ mile to launch.

Within the Quincy Lakes Unit of the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area there are many walk-in lakes that open March 1. These lakes can provide not only good fishing, but also solitude. Dusty Lake is a selective gear fishery that has good fishing for rainbow trout as well as brown and tiger trout. Just southeast of Dusty is a collection of small lakes that are stocked annually with rainbow trout. Cliff, Crystal, Cup and the Spring Lakes are small enough that they can all be fished in a morning. These lakes receive spring fingerling rainbow trout and produce good catches of trout in the 12 to 14-inch range.
 

Year-round-open waters

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Columbia River
Photo by WDFW

Anglers should find good fishing at Rocky Ford Creek near Soap Lake this spring. This is a catch-and-release, fly-fishing-only stream, and only fishing from the bank is allowed. There are plenty of 16 to 20-inch rainbow trout for anglers to catch in this stream and a few hundred larger (4-pound and larger) fish that were recently stocked. Columbia River reservoirs Lake Roosevelt and Rufus Woods Lake are two of the top winter and early spring choices for large-sized rainbow trout along with bragging size kokanee.

The Chelan Hatchery will begin stocking the Rock Island Ponds (Putters, Pit, Big Bow and Hammond) sometime in March with catchable and jumbo-sized rainbow trout. All these lakes/ponds are year-round waters. Kokanee catches on Lake Chelan should start gradually ramping up in March with the onset of warmer spring temperatures. 

Boating safety

With freshwater fishing season openers in March and April, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Boating Program reminds you to take a boater safety education course, if you haven’t already, to be prepared for the season. In Washington, boaters who operate a vessel with a 15-horsepower engine or greater must carry a Boater Education Card to prove they passed an accredited boating safety education course.

New license reminder

With the spring fast approaching, Washingtonians should consider purchasing 2023-2024 recreational hunting and fishing licenses before current licenses expire after March 31. Those age 15 or older must have an applicable fishing and/or shellfish license.

Hunting opportunities and news

Goose hunting

A late season hunt in Goose Management Areas 2 and 4 will end after March 2 or 9 and is open on Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays only. Before you go check the WDFW pamphlet and/or website for specific areas where hunting is allowed, dates, rules and bag and possession limits. Hunters can also learn more at our goose identification testing webpage. For more information, visit the Waterfowl hunting webpage.

Small game hunting

The statewide cottontail and snowshoe hare season is open through March 15. For more information, visit the Small Bird & Small Game hunting webpage.

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Two people walk down a lane with turkeys on their backs
Photo by Marc Nelson

Wild turkey hunting 

The statewide spring wild turkey hunting season runs April 15 to May 31 for the general season, and a special youth only hunt takes places April 1-7. For more information, visit the Wild Turkey hunting webpage, and click here for hunting prospects.


Multi-season tag

Deer and elk hunters have until March 31 to enter their names into the drawing for a 2024 multi-season tag, which can greatly increase the opportunity for success in the field.

WDFW will hold the drawing in mid-April, randomly selecting names for 8,500 multi-season deer tags and 1,000 multiple-season elk tags.

A multi season application can be purchased from authorized license dealers, online at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/, or by calling 866-246-9453. The application costs $7.10 for residents and $110.50 for nonresidents.

For more information, go to https://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/special-hunts/multi-season, or call the Licensing Division at 360-902-2464.

Hunter education

Hunting season may be in the rear-view mirror for the most part, but it is best to prepare ahead on taking the hunter education course. These courses reinforce important firearm and hunting safety principles, hunting ethics, basic survival and first aid, wildlife identification and conservation. For more information, visit the Hunter Education webpage.

Wildlife watching and recreation

Regardless of the targeted species (birds or large mammals), wildlife viewers are urged to avoid disturbing wintering wildlife at this critical time of year and do their viewing from open roads, parking areas or winter-maintained trails, and avoid off-road/trail travel.

Sandhill Crane Festival

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Flock of seven sandhill cranes in flight
Photo by Jim Cummins

The annual Othello Sandhill Crane Festival is March 22-24 and registration for limited-capacity bus tours, field trips, and other presentations are underway online. This event celebrates the annual migratory stopover of nearly 35,000 sandhill cranes in the Columbia Basin, along with lots of other early spring wildlife activity.

Sandhill cranes are large, prehistoric-looking birds that migrate through the Pacific Flyway, stopping to feed and rest in the Columbia Basin on their way to nesting sites in Alaska. The greatest concentration of cranes are found in the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge marsh units: Frenchmen Reserve, Potholes Reservoir, Scootney Reservoir, and Winchester Reserve.
 

Bird migration

In addition to cranes, March is a great month for birdwatching throughout the North Central region. Large numbers of migrating waterfowl- including mallards, pintails, and Canada geese- are prevalent in the area even in wintry conditions. The wetlands throughout the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area provide excellent birdwatching opportunities.

Open waterways throughout Okanogan and Chelan counties draw a variety of waterfowl, too. Later in the month, blue grouse will be begin mating. Give the birds some space to conduct their courtship displays by using binoculars and scopes to watch.

Other migrants- including bluebirds, blackbirds, grosbeaks, killdeer, and robins- are also being spotted throughout the region.

Deer, moose, and elk

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Elk herd counted during the 2023 North Cascades elk herd survey
Photo by WDFW

A reminder not to feed wildlife this time of year (or ever) even if they appear to be hungry coming out of winter. Sudden shifts from a natural diet to hay or other feed can be unhealthy. Feeding also concentrates animals where they can be more susceptible to carnivores, disease, or collisions with  vehicles on roads.

 

Negative wildlife interactions

Small mammals like raccoons, skunks, and marmots are abundant throughout the region in rural and urban environments this time of year. They can create negative interactions with humans when they make nests in places such as crawl spaces, under porches or corners of garages or sheds in which to give birth. Learn how to enjoy these wildlife neighbors without problems at WDFW’s Living with Wildlife webpages.

Conserving species and habitats

Habitat at home

Did you know that snags and logs make excellent wildlife habitats that support increases in local biodiversity? 

Biodiversity, simply put, is a variety of life. It is the term we use to describe the variety of species in an area, the variety of the populations within that species type, and the different ecosystems that exist within an area. The higher the biodiversity (or the more variety), the more resilient species and ecosystems are to external forces such as climate change, habitat loss, disease, invasive species, overexploitation, and pollution. Supporting biodiversity supports a better environment for us all. 

Other Spring-Cleaning Tips for Biodiversity 

  • Trim limbs that could damage property but leave trees standing when possible. 
  • Leave snags and fallen trees to support biodiversity.  
  • Incorporate logs into your landscaping
  • Choose native plants to best support local good chains for wildlife.  
  • Leave the leaves and other yard debris until after our first full week of 50-degree weather, this allows overwintering insects to hatch or awaken. 

A snag, which is sometimes called a wildlife tree, is a dead tree that is left upright to decompose naturally for as long as it is safe. Snags and logs release heat as they decompose which makes them ideal habitats for entire ecosystems of plants, insects, and animals. They also provide perches, roost, nest, and den sites for many species.  

Learn more about supporting wildlife habitat where you are with Habitat at Home.   

Shed antlers

February is a difficult time for wintering deer and elk, and we recommend that serious shed hunters postpone until April. Collecting naturally shed deer and elk antlers is legal but there are some ethical considerations to keep in mind and a few places that are restricted or off-limits (see Methow closures above). The easiest antler hunting is, of course, where deer or elk concentrate in the winter. But if many antler hunters descend on that area when animals are most energetically challenged, the disturbance can threaten their survival at the harshest time of year. Public lands across the state may have rules regarding shed hunting, so do your homework before going afield, and secure permission from private landowners before entering their properties.

Report bat observations

Have you seen a bat flying during the day or in freezing weather? These could be signs of a serious disease called white-nose syndrome. Please report your observations online or call 360-902-2515. White-nose syndrome does not pose a threat to humans, pets, or other wildlife. 

Meet your Regional Director - Brock Hoenes

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Brock Hoenes
Photo by WDFW
Brock Hoenes, North Central Regional Director

Brock Hoenes is the North Central Region (Region 2) Director. Brock started his career with WDFW in 2008 and has held positions with the department including ungulate section manager, assistant district wildlife biologist, district wildlife biologist, statewide WDFW elk specialist, and deer and elk section manager.

Prior to moving to Washington, Hoenes worked for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit on a variety of research projects focused on mule deer, bighorn sheep, elk, cougars, black bears, and pronghorn. Hoenes received his B.S. in Fish and Wildlife Management from the University of Missouri-Columbia and his M.S. in Wildlife Sciences from New Mexico State University.