Boating & Fishing, Rain Or Shine

LYONS FERRY - The weather in the Snake River area may still have rain and chill in the air, but the recreational boating and fishing season is under way.

"The catfish are biting like crazy," said Jim MacArthur, who runs the Lyons Ferry Marina on the Snake near Starbuck with his wife Angela.

The marina opened March 1 and will switch to its summer schedule on May 23. That means breakfast for boaters and campers will be added at the restaurant seven days a week to the current lunch and dinner schedule.

This weekend, Lyons Ferry will have the grand opening of its new outdoor seating area and host its Come Camp & Care weekend during which campers get one weekend night free if they pay for one night, the proceeds of which will help fund summer camp activities for kids with cancer.

The grand opening at the marina will feature an oldfashioned catfish fry at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.

MacArthur said the marina is filling up with only a handful of the 84 slips left for the season.

"We're getting real busy," he said.

Already, one lucky boater caught a 17-pound, 4-ounce walleye perch, just 2 pounds off the state record for such a catch.

Meanwhile, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineer announced its summer schedule for recreational boaters using navigation locks on the Columbia and Snake rivers goes into effect on Sunday, May 15.

Boaters can use any one of five half-hour periods to pass through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam locks: 9:00 - 9:30 am; 12:01 - 12:30 pm; 3:00 - 3:30 pm; 6:00 - 6:30 pm; and 9:00 - 9:30 pm.

The lockage schedule is the same for eight Corps dams in the Walla Walla and Portland districts, making it identical throughout the entire Columbia-Snake river system where the agency maintains 350 miles of navigation channel.

In the Walla Walla District, navigation lock facilities are available at McNary Dam near Umatilla; Ice Harbor Dam near Burbank; Lower Monumental Dam near Kahlotus; Little Goose Dam near Starbuck; and Lower Granite Dam near Pomeroy.

The schedule remains in effect until Sept. 15. Recreational vessels have precedence over commercial vessels during the designated times. At other times, recreational vessels may lock through with commercial craft at the discretion of the lock master.

Lockage outside the scheduled times will be considered for flotillas or other organized events sponsored by yacht clubs, marinas and other groups, provided 24- hour advance arrangement are made.

To schedule special lockage, call 541-922-2231 for McNary, 509-543-3231 for Ice Harbor, 509-282-3218 for Lower Monumental, 509- 399-2233 (ext. 231) for Little Goose; and 509-843-1493 (ext. 231) for Lower Granite.

All vessel owners and operators lock through at their own risk and must comply with the Corps' safe-lockage policy.

For more information about the Lyons Ferry Marina, call the MacArthurs at 509-399-8020. For camping reservations, contact 1-800- 562-5418.