Fishing Magician: February 6, 2026

The ice prevented anglers from getting at the good numbers of perch near the I-90 Bridge on Moses Lake probably won’t last long. The forecast is for very warm weather for February, so the ice here and other lakes in the region may either thin or disappear.

I got word that there was safe ice on Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee, so I drove up there to check it out. Tumwater Canyon on Highway 2 is closed so I want to mention that there are flaggers and pilot cars on the Chumstick Highway. My wait in line only lasted about five minutes going and coming back. I headed out on the ice and noticed that the anglers were fishing quite a distance out from the Cove Resort, in about the middle of lake. I stopped to talk to two anglers who were hunched over their holes in the wet snow that was falling. One of them was from Everett and the other from Marysville. They had a great time the previous day, taking home lots of perch. There was over five inches of clear ice under the snow that had fallen that morning. They said that the perch were bigger than usual this year and released one while I was there. I measured one on the ice they had kept for bait, and it was over 9 inches long. We always used to keep those! I always advise caution before venturing out on the ice anywhere, and with warmer weather on the way, be especially careful.

The good fishing for perch on Moses Lake has been interrupted. The recent cold weather put a layer of ice on the lake, both at the I-90 Bridge and at the Blue Heron Boat Launch. Bummer. I could see where people had been tossing rocks onto the ice off the rip rap shore of Moses Lake, trying to open up enough water to get a bait through. There is a narrow strip of open water at the bridge fishing site, but it didn’t appear that anyone was fishing there. It’s just been too cold. Now we are in that awkward stage where you want the ice to get thick enough to walk on and drill holes with an ice auger or wait until the warm weather that is forecast clears it off. Meanwhile, we can’t fish. It’s tough knowing that there’s a bunch of fat perch under the ice and we just can’t get at them. I have a feeling that the shore fishing for trout at Medicare Beach is on hold as well. Unless we get some high winds to break up the ice, fishing on Moses Lake and on Potholes will be at a standstill.

I had a hunch that the conditions were just right for good fishing at Rocky Ford Creek, near Ephrata. Many fly fishers, me included, like to fish this mile-long spring fed stream in the winter. The water temperature from the spring is high enough that it doesn’t freeze, and the whopper rainbow in the Ford stay active throughout the colder months of the year. When I arrived at the first parking lot, I noticed a couple of anglers fishing the very upper end. I talked to one that said he had already caught and released a couple. I looked up and saw the person on the bridge set the hook on a fish and run down to the bank to land it. I shot a short video of him bringing it to the shore and releasing it without even touching the fish. Nice job. I like to fish the upper end, but far below the handicapped dock. There is good flow here, and although I am casting in the reeds and hang up my back casts sometimes, I usually get some dandy fish here.

I recently posted a video about Brandts Landing, a very popular area for anglers who want to fish Rufus Woods Reservoir from the shore. This isn’t the only place that offers good shore access to the reservoir. The Debris Basin Recreation Area is just above Chief Joseph Dam and offers two places to fish from shore. When I visited this spot the other day, there were anglers fishing at both of them. Take a left off the highway just past Chief Joseph Dam when you see the sign to the Debris Basin. Then take the first left and follow the gravel road and you will arrive at a parking area with a restroom. There is a steep trail that leads to the shore, and there is plenty of room for anglers to set up to make their casts. If you go straight ahead after exiting the highway you will find a parking area at the base of a power line tower. There is a short trail that leads to the shore and a flat area where people make warming fires and even a place to rest your fishing rod. This week’s photo was taken at this spot in the Debris Basin Recreation Area.

One of the most popular areas on Rufus Woods Reservoir for anglers and their families and friends is the Willow Flats Recreation Area. This is just past the Debris Basin Recreation Area and has even more amenities. As you enter the recreation area you will see the parking area for the boat launch. It is usable year-round and there is often a barrel of sand for the ramp when it gets icy. Next to the boat launch is an area with shaded picnic tables, and there’s a large overflow parking lot. If you continue down the access road you will see several places that have picnic tables right by the water. One even has a dock. These fishing accesses wind around the shore and there is a soccer field and volleyball net nearby, and a play area for the kids. Around the corner is another large parking area and restroom. This is just upriver from the power line tower I mentioned earlier. This fishing access has a handicapped pier, several fireboxes with picnic tables nearby and several spots within easy reach of the water. There were groups of anglers at every place I stopped trying their luck and picnicking.