Rock Island dam

[quadrafire]

Inlaws live in Wenatchee, drive by this dam all the time. Have never seen anyone fishing above or below. I know there are alot of Wallys caught in the columbia, what about this section of water. For that matter how is fishing above this to the Rocky Reach dam?

[kyle78]

Fishing between the dams can be great. The salmon are running and plenty are being caught. In the spring, walleyes are the Target. Water is very high and fast right now.

[uplandhunter870]

usually see a few guys fishing below rock island every once in a while, i imagine for sturgeon and wallies, typically between rock island and rocky reach is more popular. i think mainly because of ease of access and the mouth of the wenatchee.

drove over the obedashin (sp?) bridge the other day on my way to work and there were about two dozen boats all doing the merry go round about 200 yards down stream of the mouth of the wenatchee.

problem right now is the water is stupid high, so high that they had to relocate the fireworks launch pad at walla walla park for tonights show, last i saw rock island and rocky reach were all doors wide open but the salmon are here and from what i heard from the guys that fished the opener they are running around a 20 pound average size

[quadrafire]

Thanks for the info. Yes looks like all the doors on the Rock Island were open (crazy high water). The nearest launch  below that would be at Cresent Bar?
Speaking of Cresent Bar I saw a dead elk on the highway just above it near the wind sock. This was sunday. What herd would it be from do you think?

[vandeman17]

Thanks for the info. Yes looks like all the doors on the Rock Island were open (crazy high water). The nearest launch  below that would be at Cresent Bar?
Speaking of Cresent Bar I saw a dead elk on the highway just above it near the wind sock. This was sunday. What herd would it be from do you think?

That would be the closest launch to get up there. I actually saw that same dead cow on Monday morning on my way to work and wondered the same thing. I see them across the river all the time but not much on the CB side.

[Feanix]

Thats the clockum herd. They swim over from West Bar every once in a while.

[uplandhunter870]

heard about the elk, id bet its from the colockum heard they swim across every once in a while, saw them at spanish castle a year or two ago.

nearest launch would probably be crescent bar but im not sure if thats open to the public or a private launch.

[kyle78]

It's public but I believe it'll cost you $10 or so.

[Heredoggydoggy]

Thanks for the info. Yes looks like all the doors on the Rock Island were open (crazy high water). The nearest launch  below that would be at Cresent Bar?
Speaking of Cresent Bar I saw a dead elk on the highway just above it near the wind sock. This was sunday. What herd would it be from do you think?

That would be the closest launch to get up there. I actually saw that same dead cow on Monday morning on my way to work and wondered the same thing. I see them across the river all the time but not much on the CB side.

No, the closest launch to the dam is down from just inside the Dept. of Wildlife gate on the West side of the river when you get into the Tarpiscan area.  It's a steep climb coming out, and if the road is bad, you will need 4x4 to pull the hill at the bottom.

[teal101]

There is a launch right below Rock Island at the sand bar, dont recall if it is public or not though.  Otherwise yes there is a launch just before the Tarpiscan that is really just a ramp cut into the side of the river.  It would be one hell of a deal to launch there with the water like it is.  It is un-improvised.  Below that is Crescent Bar which is public but costs $20 a day or you can buy a year long launch pass for $100 or so.

Fishing below Rock Island is generally for Sturgeon and Walleyes.  The fishing between Rock Island and Rocky Reach is generally for Walleye and the Salmon.

[Heredoggydoggy]

There is a launch right below Rock Island at the sand bar, dont recall if it is public or not though. 

The launch/swimming area at the sandbar right below Rock Island Dam has been closed to the public for years.

[Happy Gilmore]

Fish for salmon on the east side of Rocky Reach. Go to the hatchery and walk around behind their fence. Fish egg clusters on a bobber rig near the harchery water outfall. Bite is subtle. When it tips, lay into it HARD and hold on.

Used to clean up there when I lived in Weht-snatchie.

[remington300mag]

Bad advice Happy! That area is now closed to fishing....The snaggers finally pushed the gamed department to closing it down inside the buoy line. Sucks cause I have fished that area for years. Just wanted to make sure no one was sent there and got a ticket.

[Happy Gilmore]

Bad advice Happy! That area is now closed to fishing....The snaggers finally pushed the gamed department to closing it down inside the buoy line. Sucks cause I have fished that area for years. Just wanted to make sure no one was sent there and got a ticket.

Whoops! Been a while since I lived in Wenatchee- My good buddy used to work at that hatchery and I'd meet him and the other guys there all the time to fish- He's up at Wells now.

[teal101]

Bad advice Happy! That area is now closed to fishing....The snaggers finally pushed the gamed department to closing it down inside the buoy line. Sucks cause I have fished that area for years. Just wanted to make sure no one was sent there and got a ticket.

And when did they do this?

[remington300mag]

This year.....Also at Wells dam! There goes another good stealie spot!

CLOSED WATERS - at Rocky Reach Dam and Rock Island Dam between the upstream line of the dam to
boundary markers 400' downstream of the fish ladders.

CLOSED WATERS - at Wells Dam between the upstream line of Wells Dam to boundary markers 400' below
the spawning channel discharge (on Chelan Co. side) and fish ladder (on Douglas Co. side).

[MtnMuley]

This year.....Also at Wells dam! There goes another good stealie spot!

CLOSED WATERS - at Rocky Reach Dam and Rock Island Dam between the upstream line of the dam to
boundary markers 400' downstream of the fish ladders.

CLOSED WATERS - at Wells Dam between the upstream line of Wells Dam to boundary markers 400' below
the spawning channel discharge (on Chelan Co. side) and fish ladder (on Douglas Co. side).

Nothing has changed at Wells Dam.  It's been closed there forever.

[remington300mag]

This year.....Also at Wells dam! There goes another good stealie spot!

CLOSED WATERS - at Rocky Reach Dam and Rock Island Dam between the upstream line of the dam to
boundary markers 400' downstream of the fish ladders.

CLOSED WATERS - at Wells Dam between the upstream line of Wells Dam to boundary markers 400' below
the spawning channel discharge (on Chelan Co. side) and fish ladder (on Douglas Co. side).

Fished above the dam last year several times. Never less than 10 others there and even checked by a fish and game officer a couple times. As far as I know if you walked in it was still allowed but not any more.


Nothing has changed at Wells Dam.  It's been closed there forever.

[MtnMuley]

This year.....Also at Wells dam! There goes another good stealie spot!
CLOSED WATERS - at Wells Dam between the upstream line of Wells Dam to boundary markers 400' below
the spawning channel discharge (on Chelan Co. side) and fish ladder (on Douglas Co. side).

What this is referring to as the "upstream line of Wells Dam", is the dam itself.  So, basically it's saying that from the dam to 400' below (which has always had a small vertical marker on the Chelan Co. side and a Sign on the Douglas Co. side) is closed.  This isn't referring to anything above the dam.  Hope this helps.

[Ripper]

I have launched at the Tarpiscan rough launch before. It wasn't a problem, but you do need to be careful. Especially with the water so high and fast right now. That area is dangerous as well with all the underwater islands. It has taken more than a few lower units off!

[teal101]

This year.....Also at Wells dam! There goes another good stealie spot!

CLOSED WATERS - at Rocky Reach Dam and Rock Island Dam between the upstream line of the dam to
boundary markers 400' downstream of the fish ladders.

CLOSED WATERS - at Wells Dam between the upstream line of Wells Dam to boundary markers 400' below
the spawning channel discharge (on Chelan Co. side) and fish ladder (on Douglas Co. side).

Fished above the dam last year several times. Never less than 10 others there and even checked by a fish and game officer a couple times. As far as I know if you walked in it was still allowed but not any more.


Nothing has changed at Wells Dam.  It's been closed there forever.

Like said above "upstream line" is referring to the dam itself.  Those closed waters have been in the regs for YEARS.  I've been checked down there multiple times with no issues.  They did however remove the anti snagging and night closure rule up there

[remington300mag]

I hope that is the case....I will run it past my gamie buddy just to be sure....I was thinking it was referring to the buoy lines above the dams.

[teal101]

I hope that is the case....I will run it past my gamie buddy just to be sure....I was thinking it was referring to the buoy lines above the dams.

The only thing that changed in the regs was the lack of anti snagging rules for this area and it's been the same wording/reg for years.  We havent had any issue while being checked before, havent been checked this year.  It's SLOWWWW there right now.

[MtnMuley]

It's SLOWWWW there right now.

It's actually FASTTTTT there right now, literally.

[teal101]

It's SLOWWWW there right now.

It's actually FASTTTTT there right now, literally.

    Literally yes it is, kinda scary wading in that mess right now.