how exactly will one find out if they open it up for sockeye this year? i would love a crack at fishing for them in our local waters, when is their run at its highest?

My recollection is that Lk. Washington Sockeye would open around July 4th. It is best to fish as soon as it opens. They don't open this fishery until a god awful lot of fish have passed the locks, 350,000 I think. The fishing is good for at least two weeks, then starts to taper off.
Thanks to Ron Sims for canceling the paid for spawning channel. We'd have a sockeye run every year! I'd get some buddies and go to Port Alberni on Vancover Island for my sockeye. Limit is 4 per day, 8 in possession.

check this out... seattle times

Tyler

The peak of the run is right around 4th o' July. If it is going to be open you will hear about it in the news. This fishery is the largest urban fishery in the U.S. Every one and there sister does it. It is a complete zoo! It takes an hour to get your boat in the water and it takes an hour to retrieve it.

...but well worth the hassle for what is in my opinion the finest tasting salmon that can be found. Plus pretty darn easy to catch and a lot of fun to boot!

i've always dreamed of getting to go sockey fishing on lake washington and have always though there's no way it's going to happen. i'll never forget driving along the lake and across I-90 about five or six years ago and seeing all the people hooking up with solid fish. after i moved i always thought i'd never get a crack at them. now that i'm back i would jump at the opertunity even if it takes a hour to launch my boat, fortunately i live about a mile from sawyer's launch so if it does happen i'll live on the water.

so why do sockey take a bare hook behind a flasher?

regaurdless of if there are sockey i'm looking forward to the silver's, i don't exactly know how to catch'em but i WILL figure it out!

The theory is that sockeye feed on tiny krill and bare hooks "match the hatch". Be sure to look back in the archives for lake Washington for tips on catching sockeye and silvers on lake washington. The archives go back to 1996 so you will find a ton of information on how to catch these fish. Also there is an in-depth sockeye article in the article archives section.