06-24 REELLIFE digital - Flipbook - Page 10
fishing
All winter long we kept
hearing about the Pacific
Northwest's lack of
snowpack and how it
would affect our summer. A
call for a drought, possible
bad wildland fire season,
lack of drinking water,
and all the “doom and
gloom” news agencies use
to sell us fear. Sure, the
snowpack is low but spring
rains came and filled our
reservoirs so the threat of a
significant wildfire season
is still lingering but what
I kept hearing all winter
and spring was how the
backcountry would be
snow-free very soon. My
normal backcountry fishing
trips usually start around
the 4th of July and continue
well into late fall. However,
this year the trails will likely
be open and navigable,
streams will be receding,
and lakes will be ice-free
10 | NWFISHING.net
come mid-June and that
means it is time to strap on
the boots, load the tent into
the backpack, and grab the
lightweight fishing gear.
Before you load up the
pack and throw it in the
small tackle container it is
best to check mountain
conditions. Even in June,
you should always be ready
for some chilly weather
and high stream crossings.
The SNOTEL Washington
website provided by
the U.S. Department of
Agriculture will give you
up-to-date data on current
snowpack. Then do a quick
search for river levels at the
USGS website to let you
know how much of that
snow is melting. Once you
figure out if the lake you are
trying to get to is not only
ice-free and if any streams
you might have to cross to
get there are safe to wade
then one last web check for
trail conditions at websites
like the Washington Trails
Association can provide you
with important information
such as any hazards on
the trail, or if downed trees
and other useful tidbits
have blocked the trailhead.
The main reason you want
to research before you
go is that June can be
an interesting month for
those trying to get to the
backcountry. South-facing
slopes will be open and
snow-free but any northfacing slopes might still
have lingering snow and
making it impossible to get
to the lake.
As the month wanes on
most of the high country
will be opened up and
access will not be as much
of an issue. Bugs will be
hatching and though that
makes for great fishing
it also means a bit of an
annoyance.
