Loon, Deer Get Anglers’ Attention In Ne Wash.

Thu., April 17, 1997

Fenton Roskelley Correspondent

Several lakes and reservoirs in Pend Oreille, Stevens and Ferry counties are expected to provide good trout and spiny ray fishing.

Loon and Deer lakes will be top choices when the season opens April 26. Both hold mackinaw trout, kokanee, bass, perch and other spiny rayed species.

Anglers heading to lakes with access areas that are not as well developed should beware that wet and flooding conditions could make access difficult to some waters this spring. Rocky Lake in Stevens County, for instance, may not be accessible for the opening day of fishing, state officials say.

The kokanee population in Deer has been so small the last few years most anglers gave up fishing for them. The mack population also has been small. The lake’s bass, crappie and perch tend to go unnoticed by most spiny ray anglers.

Bayley, a fly fishing-only lake on the Little Pend Oreille Wildlife Refuge, is likely to be one of the most popular in northeast Washington.

Rainbows and brook trout grow to trophy size in the small lake. Fishing was only fair last year.

Nearby McDowell Lake, also a fly fishing-only lake, is expected to provide good fishing this season.

Prospects for other lakes and streams in the northeast corner:

Little Pend Oreille lakes, fair; Deep, fair for rainbows; Jump-Off Joe, fair for brook and brown trout and bass; Waitts, fair for rainbows and browns; Diamond, poor; Fan, good for small rainbows; Marshall, excellent for cutthroat.

Muskegon, excellent for small cutthroat; Sacheen, fair for brook and rainbow; Skookums, good for small rainbows and a few brookies; Yocum, good for cutthroat and rainbows; Curlew, excellent for rainbows.

Ellen, excellent for rainbows; Long, excellent for cutthroat; Swan, (rehabbed last year), good for small rainbows and brookies.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: A REWARDING LAKE Loon usually is one of the top kokanee lakes in Eastern Washington. Fishing was good last year for large kokanee, but the population was down. Some macks in Loon are trophy-sized. The lake also has big bass that are not targeted by many anglers.

This sidebar appeared with the story: A REWARDING LAKE Loon usually is one of the top kokanee lakes in Eastern Washington. Fishing was good last year for large kokanee, but the population was down. Some macks in Loon are trophy-sized. The lake also has big bass that are not targeted by many anglers.