As we approach the end of the October it is a great time to be chasing trout on our region’s lakes. It is also a time to check to see if your favorite lake will be open after the end of the month. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife went through a long process of rule simplification to try to reduce the size of the rules pamphlet and the volume of lakes that were listed. It is still thick and there are many lakes with different opening and closing dates. One of the lakes in Spokane County that is open year-round now is Waitts Lake. This now offers anglers who like to catch big brown trout a chance to fish for them right until the lake freezes. There are others and I won’t try to list them all. I do suggest that you spend some time reviewing the pamphlet to check lakes that you typically fish this time of year and see if they close at the end of October or have been changed to year-round status. There are many great trout fisheries in the region in the fall and early winter. I plan to fish some that haven’t been to before. It’s exciting!