Chelan and Icicle 5/21 to 5/23

Ok, there's a springer run open on Icicle creek.  It's about 5 miles out of the way on the way to Chelan.  We'll be hitting Icicle creek Friday night/Saturday morning.  I'm gonna anchor my inflatable in hopes of getting some AOTY points.  Mid day Saturday gonna hit Chelan and get out for the evening gloss and hopefully land some lakers.

Sadly, no time for rock climbing those beautiful granite walls in the Icicle creek area   

Hi Lee,

I'm going to be in Leavenworth on Friday evening -> Sunday evening and was reading about the Icicle fishery.

I'm going to do it, but don't have a clear idea what technique to use. I could bring kayaks, or just hit the bank, or even do a float tube if that makes any sense.

Any ideas? Have you fished this one before?

- Matt

I haven't fished this particular river.  I have rock climbed the area before, and would NOT recommend a regular SOT kayak of any type.  I'm contemplating anchoring up my inflatable SOT (it's designed for whitewater) just so I can get AOTY points, but it's a bank fishery.  Standard drift fishing with waders.

If I recall correctly, the Icicle can be a dangerous river.  I wouldn't even think about fishing it in a kayak.

-Allen

It's whitewater.  If I see a safe pool, I'm gonna shoot some rapids to get to it, anchor up, and start casting.

But, likely the only pools will be where people are casting.  I'm just dreaming myself into some springer points   

For some reason I thought there was a hatchery near Leavenworth and all the fishing was downstream of it not in the whitewater. Cool if there is fishing upstream!!

The Salmon fishing is specifically below the hatchery.  If that's calmer water, then great!

The Announcement with specifics:

May 11, 2010

Salmon fishing opens on the Icicle River

Actions:   Opens salmon fishing on the Icicle River (Chelan County).

Effective dates:   May 13 through July 31, 2010.

Species affected: Chinook salmon.  

Location: Icicle River, from the closure signs located 800 feet upstream of the mouth to 500 feet downstream of the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery Barrier Dam.

Reason for action: In-season run analyses predict that about 11,000 salmon are currently enroute to the Icicle River. Although upper Columbia River spring chinook have been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the salmon returning to the Icicle River are not listed under the ESA.  About 1,000 salmon are needed to meet hatchery broodstock. The 2010 return ensures that the hatchery will meet its escapement needs; the remaining fish will be available for harvest.  

Other Information: Daily limit two salmon, minimum size 12 inches.  Night closure will be in effect.  Release fish with one or more round holes punched in the tail of the fish (caudal fin).  These fish are part of a study and have been anesthetized; the FDA requires a 21 day ban on consumption of these fish.  

Information contact: Art Viola (509) 665-3337, Wenatchee District Office (509) 662-0452; Jeff Korth, Ephrata Region 2 Office (509) 754-4624.

this is the actual section of river: Google Maps

It looks pretty calm, but who knows with the snow melt?!  I know I'm going Whitewater rafting on the 5th of June on the Wenatchee, and this river feeds the Wenatchee.

 Release fish with one or more round holes punched in the tail of the fish (caudal fin).  These fish are part of a study and have been anesthetized; the FDA requires a 21 day ban on consumption of these fish.  

[quote/]

Dude, this fish is on drugs!!

i don't know it's got all it's teeth, must not be meth

look how lethargic it is?

hmm, must be a stoner

i wonder if we will get high if we eat it?

i like mine smoked....

Fished with a few friends from 6-8 pm on Saturday night. No fish caught, and no body who fished longer seemed to have caught any either. Was 800 ft below the barrier dam by the hatchery.

This could be a kayak friendly fishing spot, albeit a bit swift in spots, although make sure you get out before you drain into the Wenatchee!

GF and I fished Icicle Creek for several hours on Saturday morning.  1 bite, nothing else all morning.  Everyone we talked to had the same results.  Gonna try again in two weeks.

The lower end of icicle creek (the part open to salmon fishing) is EASILY driftable in a SOT. 

Chelan... yeah skunked.  Grrr.

Ok, so to summarize this trip:

Friday got a late start.  My initial plan was to leave directly from work, but that turned into leaving from the house (20 miles in the wrong direction) and having to deal with an extra 2 hours of "Friday! OMG EVERYONE DRIVE LIKE IDIOTS ON THE FREEWAY" on the freeway, traffic.  We get to Leavenworth around 8:30, in fact, we got there 3 minutes before sunset, so it was actually 8:24pm.

That night the GF's tummy starts acting up, and she starts getting clausterphobic in the tent (4 season Marmot Alpinist).  NOT a good night.  At 4 am I'm driving through Leavenworth looking for something open with some pepto bismol.  Nothing was open (very small town) and we end up going back to the campsite around 5:30.  Being exausted and irritated with it all, I decide not to fish and head back to camp.  We stop at the bridge over the Icicle and I talk to some guys anchored up in a drift boat, they had nothing to show and hadn't had any hits.  I look down in the river with my X-ray polarized lenses and see no fish.  We get to the tent and pass out until 9.

At 10am I'm on the river and we're both fishing.  The sun is out and things are better - at least my mood is!  Still no fish, and I don't even see anything in the water.  We found a nice deep hole that would hold Chinook if there were in there and nothing.  The other guys out there had nothing and said they been trying for days.  The fish just aren't that far up yet I suppose.  We head to Chelan.

(It should be noted that while overshadowed by a crappy evening, and no fish in the river, the scenery at icicle creek is amazing.  Things were green everywhere, and a few hundred feet up, everything was covered in snow.  I really like that area and look forward to trying it again in June)

We get to Chelan and I find the DR not working, so I try Jigging.  Don't SEE anything on the FF, but it's a POS (see other thread) and I keep trying anyway.  Then the wind picks up and I'm paddling back through 20+ mph wind with waves coming all the way over the bow and into the cockpit, even over the sides.  Normally this would be fun and challenging, but at this point it just irritates me.

I get back to the campground and visit Knobb Creek, take a shower, light the fire, and things are better.  GF's tummy is better and I put us in the 3-season tent, which is much better in respect to the clausterphobia!

Sunday morning I track down some tools, sort of fix my downrigger, and head out.  Still can't see jack on the fishfinder, but over 3 hours I trolled between 140 and 240 feet deep (probably 100 and 180 after factoring in blow-back) with no success.  The other people around me had no luck either.  The rain comes in and the wind picks up, and I head for base.

When I got back wonder woman had everything already packed.  I was really thankful for that.  We had lunch at a mexican place in Chelan and drove home, stopping at Iron Horse creek off of 97 to fill some targets with about 80 rounds of .40 S&W from my new Springfield XDm 3.8".  That was fun and we headed home.

stopping at Iron Horse creek off of 97 to fill some targets with about 80 rounds of .40 S&W from my new Springfield XDm 3.8".  That was fun and we headed home.

That always relieves a little stress. Sounds like a tough fishing weekend(still better then working).