Fishing Report
Spiny rays, Washington
Three-hundred anglers, eager to catch perch, crappies and bluegills after a long period of sub-zero temperatures, swarmed over the ice in the upper end of Sprague Lake on Sunday.
Most were disappointed. They couldn’t find schools of desirable-size perch, they couldn’t catch bluegills and the crappies eluded them.
For the first time in several weeks, the ice on Sprague was thick enough for safe fishing - 8 inches in most places, but much thinner over spring areas. It’s possible, however, the big thaw this week has softened the ice on Sprague and other lakes in the Spokane area.
Sprague Lake anglers found huge perch schools in shallow water on Sunday, but nearly all the perch they caught were only 4 to 6 inches long. Many tried deep water in hopes of finding schools of big perch; they gave up.
There are big perch in the lake, but finding them is sometimes difficult. A few anglers said they caught big perch soon after dawn; however, the 7- to 10-inchers moved out and only tiny perch remained.
It’s possible the presence of the 300 anglers and the continuous drilling of holes that accompanied the throng spooked the bigger fish.
A few anglers caught 7-10-inch bluegills before the lake froze over in December.
Most veteran fishermen are convinced the bluegill population crashed three years ago and perch and crappies are filling the niche.
A few outsized rainbows were pulled through the ice during the weekend. Some weighed 5 pounds and were in superb condition. They’re apparently sterilized fish.
The rainbows are eating perch. One angler said a 5-pounder he caught contained four small perch.
Although the walleye population in Sprague is large, anglers haven’t found the fish.
Russians and Ukranians living in the Spokane area love Sprague Lake. A dozen or more were on the ice Sunday, and they demonstrated they’re excellent ice fishermen.
Lakes in the Columbia Basin were covered with several inches of ice early this week. Ice on some of them, however, may not be solid enough this weekend for safe ice fishing.
Best bets for perch, according to Rod Meseberg of the Mar-Don Resort at the Potholes Reservoir, are Crescent, Long and Soda lakes. Most of the perch are small.
Meseberg recommended the use of a two-hook crappie rig with a Swedish Pimple on the end of the line. He suggested tipping the hooks with a maggot or worm.
Trout, Washington
Several anglers drove over a few inches of snow to get to Hog Canyon and Fourth of July lakes last weekend. As the result of the big thaw this week, most of the snow may be gone this weekend, but the access roads may be icy.
Fishing was good at Hog Canyon, with some anglers, fishing through several inches of ice, catching limits of 9- to 16-inch rainbows in an hour or two.
As usual, Fourth of July yielded some big rainbows. Generally, the fishing wasn’t nearly as fast as at Hog Canyon.
Several Columbia Basin lakes have been producing fairly good trout fishing.
Meseberg said rainbows in Coral, Blythe and Chukar lakes are small, but plentiful. Goldeneye holds some big rainbows and Hart is a good bet for both trout and perch.
Few fished Lake Roosevelt during the period when temperatures were near zero and snow created driving problems. However, much of the snow has melted and temperatures are milder. As a result, trollers likely will return to the lake this weekend and resume their search for rainbows and kokanee.
Ice fishing, Idaho
Ice on some Panhandle lakes is thick and hard enough for safe fishing, Ross Fister of Fins & Feathers shop at Coeur d’Alene said. At other lakes, however, the ice is in poor condition, he added.
Relatively few anglers tried catching pike at lakes adjacent to the lower Coeur d’Alene River last weekend, Fister said. Many decided the ice wasn’t thick and hard enough for safe fishing.
Those who did fish through the ice at the chain lakes, he said, had poor luck. Best ice fishing for pike was in Harrison Bay, which was covered with good, hard ice.
Some anglers caught pike and perch through ice at Hayden Lake, he said. They fished a couple of hundred yards out from the sportsmen’s access.
Hauser produced fair to good fishing for 8- to 9-inch perch early Sunday.
Ice is in good condition at Round, Shepherd and Gamble lakes, Fister said. They hold some fair-sized perch.
Several anglers caught mackinaw trout through ice over 140 to 180 feet of water in Cavanaugh’s Bay at Priest Lake using jigs.
Steelhead
Most of the streams that have been kicking out good numbers of steelhead likely will be high and muddy this weekend as the result of the big thaw and rain.
Best bet is the North Fork of the Clearwater. The stream just below Dworshak Dam should be clear.
Although fishing along the North Fork has been excellent at times in recent weeks, it was slow during the week ended Sunday. The Idaho Fish and Game Department reported 57 anglers averaged 24 hours per steelhead.
The main stem of the Clearwater was high and murky, but fishing was better, with 61 anglers averaging 17 hours per fish.
The Snake above Clarkston and the Grande Ronde could be too murky for good fishing for several days.
The Touchet, Tucannon and Walla Walla rivers, which have been providing some of the best steelhead fishing in Eastern Washington the last few weeks, probably will be high and muddy this weekend.
Whitefish
Meseberg suggested anglers try for whitefish in Soda, Long and Crescent lakes, all of which are capped with a few inches of ice. The lake whitefish average 2 pounds, with some reaching 4 pounds.
He recommended anglers use a hook spreader crappie rig with a Swedish Pimple on the bottom and a whitefish fly on the upper hook. Anglers tip their hooks with maggots or nightcrawlers.
Fishing is still good along the Columbia between the Vernita Bridge and Priest Rapids Dam. Both boat and shore fishermen have been catching 12- to 15-inch whitefish by drifting whitefish flies tipped with maggots.
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