Temperatures have dipped below zero in the Methow Valley, so anglers can be certain that safe ice will soon be available for fishing up north. Popular lakes like Leader Lake and Patterson are high on the list of ice fishing prospects for the winter. Leader offers a good mix of perch, bluegill, crappie and trout. Once the road is plowed anglers will be out after them. At Patterson, anglers will mostly be targeting perch, but there are other species available. Trout are the most commonly caught by ice anglers while fishing for perch, but both trout and kokanee can be caught in good numbers when they change tactics. My long-time fishing buddy Keith Roe has told me that when bringing up to check bait he has caught both trout and kokanee. When he dropped his line back down to about 15 feet he could get them to bite. He prefers a small, white jig, and I know he likes to tip the hook with a meal worm, when he can find them. The kokanee are 10 to 12 inches on Patterson and while the rainbow are mostly about 12 inches there are fish to 16 inches taken through the ice on Patterson in the winter.