If you are traveling from the west on the highway into town, you may notice a cluster of boats on the river just before you reach Pateros. They will be fishing the area known as "The Rocks." The river narrows slightly here, and anglers will start drifting their bobbers along the shore above here and quit when the current starts sweeping them downstream, which also makes it difficult to control their bobbers.

Boaters have other options here. Across the river and down from the mouth of the Methow are several small bays. The number of steelhead that hide in these tiny bays always surprises me. Some of these bays are areas in which you will be fishing way below your bobber; you couldn't really fish this water any other way.

One of the most popular fishing areas for those who are bound for Pateros is just above Wells Dam. There are two fish ladders here, and on the west side of the dam a large riprap-lined bay provides a great fishing area for the bobber-and-jig crowd.

Boaters will also run down from Pateros or use a launch about two miles upriver from the dam to fish at Wells. There is a buoy line above the dam, and boaters will fish near here (out of range of the casts from shore anglers), and they will cast in all directions to find cruising fish.

Speaking of launches, there are two of them in the town of Pateros. One is just above the bridge over the Methow, with good parking, a small dock and even a fish-cleaning station. The other is just down the street from the Lake Pateros Inn. This ramp is steep; take extreme caution using this ramp when snow and ice are present. Having a bag of sand could save the day at this one. It is often necessary to use this ramp, as the one above the bridge can freeze in extremely cold temperatures.

Although I have dedicated this article to bobber fishing, I would not rule out plug fishing completely. There are those who troll the Columbia here with success. It's kind of like trolling for rainbow trout in a lake. Backtrolling, however, is not possible because of the lack of current.

Try the bobber fishing. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to use this setup, and when you get a big steelhead on the line, you'll know why so many anglers use this technique. It's just part of the appeal of fishing for Pateros metalheads in December.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Another nice aspect of steelhead fishing at Pateros is that everything is close at hand. You'll find everything you need to enjoy your time here within a couple of blocks. There are some good restaurants, a sporting goods store, an RV park and a good hotel.

The Pateros Super Stop is one of Pateros' landmarks. This Chevron station has been situated at the mouth of the Methow River for years and truly has something for everyone, including fuel, snacks, bait, a great restaurant and RV spaces right on the river. To check for RV space, you can call the Pateros Super Stop at (509) 923-2200, ext. 181. For more information, you can e-mail questions to judyasmussen@msn.com, or you can check out their Web site at www.paterossuperstop.com.

Also right on the Columbia River is a great motel: the Lake Pateros Motor Inn. This has nice, comfortable rooms at very reasonable rates and a place to dock your boat. You can call the Lake Pateros Motor Inn toll free at 1-866-444-1985. You can get in touch via e-mail by typing in lkpatinn@nwi.net. Check out their Web site at www.lakepaterosmotorinn.com.