07_2025_REELLIFE_digital - Flipbook - Page 28
THE TEMPERATURE AND THE SUNSHINE WON'T BE THE ONLY THINGS THAT'RE HOT THIS SUMMER.
Every year in July and
August, Sockeye fever hits
Washington. I'm sure you've
scrolled through social
media this time of year
and seen glory shots of the
delicious red-meat salmon
limited out on your feed.
While some of us make it
look easy, there is definitely
a learning curve that leaves
many anglers scratching
their heads.
For those who don't know
what a Sockeye is, I'll give
a brief biology lesson.
Sockeye are one of the 5
species of Pacific salmon
we have here on the West
Coast. They start their
lives in cool, clear waters,
often adjacent to a large
lake. What makes Sockeye
unique is that they use
a nursery lake to rear for
about 2 years before
heading to the ocean.
THE COLUMBIA RIVER:
These fish start crossing
over Bonneville Dam in
These Sockeye make up
Late May and early June,
the majority of their diet of
with the run peaking there
shrimp, krill, and plankton,
around the 1st of July. Most
which give them that
delicious sought-after meat. of the fish are destined for
the Okanogan River, Lake
After 3 to 5 years (most
Wenatchee and Redfish
Sockeye return at 4 years
old), they return to the rivers Lake on the Snake River,
with a handful going up
where they were born.
While there are a handful of Yakima and Deschutes
naturally occurring Sockeye rivers.
populations in Washington. As they make their
way upriver, they can
The main ones that I will
be targeted at several
focus on are the Columbia
River, Baker Lake, and Lake different areas, including
below Wanipum Dam,
Wenatchee. Most of these
Wells Dam, and the everfisheries target Sockeye
popular Brewster pool. The
trolling from a boat.
Brewster pool is where
However, bank anglers
the fleet will fish for the
do have success plunking
spinning glows and shrimp majority of the season and
for good reason.
close to shore in certain
areas of the Columbia and
Skagit Rivers.
