Anglers flock to Lake Sammamish for Opening Day | Community recreation news

Published 10:37 am Tuesday, August 21, 2012

When Eli Rico began fishing Lake Sammamish in the mid 1990s, word around town was the salmon weren’t worth the trouble.

Rico, a fishing guide for the past 23 years in Florida and both sides of the Cascade Mountains in Washington, heard the rumors that the salmon in Lake Sammamish couldn’t be caught. But as he looked into Issaquah Creek from the backyard of the apartments he lived in, Rico knew he had to put his own techniques to use. So he took to his boat with two local clients and set out to change the trend.

“Our fishing techniques are way different from what is done in Western Washington,” Rico said. “I brought out two clients and we got two salmon that first time.”

Fresh salmon in tow, Rico waltzed into the old Buffalo Bill’s sporting good store to the amazement of the local fishing brain-trust. When a reporter came to the lake to chronicle Rico’s unlikely catch a few days later, he was left with a non-story after neither of the two fish that came into the boat were salmon.

But two decades later, with an increased effort on returning salmon migration to healthy levels in Lake Sammamish, Rico and the flocks of anglers that return each summer no longer have to worry about getting skunked.

“It’s not a matter of if we will catch fish,” Rico said. “But how fast we’re going to get them.”

Above-average temperatures during the first three days of the season tempered the salmon’s presence in Lake Sammamish, but Rico said as the weather cools, he has no doubt the fish will migrate in from the deeper, colder pools in Lake Washington.

At least two dozen boats were at the boat launch by midday on Friday in anticipation, hoping to snag one of the large King Salmon the lake has become known for. Rico said he corralled one and saw at least one other boat that was able to get into the action. He added that each generation of salmon that migrates to Lake Sammamish is inclined to slightly different colors, scents and even presentations of lures, which means keeping in tune with the finer points of the process will separate the empty boats from the full ones.

Rico’s clients can look forward to not only an afternoon on the water, but a complete King Salmon fishing experience in his 21-foot River Jet. For those who live on the lake, that comes complete with a dockside pickup and barbecue dinner.

“The biggest thing I hear from my clients is they don’t know there are King Salmon here,” Rico said. “Then they see the size of the fish and can’t believe they go swimming in that water.”

The salmon season continues on Lake Sammamish until November 30 and only fish 12 inches or longer may be kept. The daily limit is four and up to two Chinook may be retained. Sockeye salmon must be released and all fishing is closed within 100 yards of the mouth of Issaquah Creek.

Three boats go into Lake Sammamish for opening day of salmon season. Josh Suman, Issaquah-Sammamish Reporter

Boat haulers filled the parking lot at the Lake Sammamish boat launch on opening day of salmon season. Josh Suman, Issaquah-Sammamish Reporter

Contact and submissions: jsuman@bellevuereporter.com