Hunting+Fishing: Trout and kokanee

Area anglers are missing a bet for great trout fishing by not hitting Sprague Lake. Fisheries biologist Chris Donley says it is virtually impossible for a boat angler to not catch a trout limit there. Sprague was stocked with 150,000 catchables that are now up to 16 inches, and 3,000 triploids, which are all more than 2 pounds. The 250,000 fry also planted in April are now 6 inches long.

Loon Lake kokanee fishing should stay good for night fishermen as long as the weather remains settled. A Mike’s white Glo Hook tipped with maggots 18 inches below a sinker is the ticket and is also taking some large rainbow. The best bite this week was between 8:30 and 9:30 in 26 feet of water. The fish are a consistent 11 inches long.

Williams, Badger and Fishtrap continue to boot out rainbow limits, and other lowland lakes like West Medical, Fish, Amber and Clear are also providing decent fishing. John Petrofski engaged in a fishing frenzy last weekend hitting Rock Lake (several small bass and browns), Fish Lake (some small tiger trout) and Coffeepot Lake (two big trout and some bass).

Pend Oreille County lakes are not receiving much fishing pressure, so they should still be loaded. These include Davis, Diamond, Fan, Horseshoe, Marshall, Sacheen, Skookum, Sullivan and Yocum lakes.

Rufus Woods Reservoir temporarily lost its popularity during the recent high, fast water, but the few anglers who are fishing there now report “crazy action” for triploids near the net pens. A 14-pounder was landed last week.

Salmon and steelhead

Starting Tuesday, fishing for summer chinook salmon gets under way in several areas of the upper Columbia River and the lower stretch of the Okanogan River (from the mouth to the Highway 97 bridge immediately upstream).

For the first time in four years, anglers can now retain sockeye as part of their daily catch limit for adult salmon during fisheries for summer chinook on the Columbia River. Above Bonneville Dam, anglers can retain sockeye and summer chinook salmon up to Priest Rapids Dam through July 31. The daily catch limit is two adult salmon per day. Anglers may also again keep hatchery-reared chinook salmon they catch while fishing on the Cowlitz and Lewis rivers, as well as the Kalama.

Spiny ray

Walleye have been following spawning carp onto the Palouse River flats near Lyons Ferry and fishing has been excellent. Guide Ray Bailey of R/C Guide Service says most of the walleye move off the shallow flats into the main river once the sun hits the water. His clients have been making consistent catches in the main Palouse River between the mouth of the Palouse and the hatchery, at Texas Rapids and at the mouth of the Tucannon below the grain elevators. Info: (509) 721-1010.

My friend Mike Sweeney and I snaked up Cow Creek to Bonnie Lake in my Porta-Boat this week to fish the lake for the first time. We caught crappie 10-13 inches and perch running 10-12 inches.

Downs Lake perch are turning on, another place where it is not unusual to catch 12-inch perch and some nice crappie, as well as some largemouth bass. Another good perch bite is taking place in the Spokane Arm near Porcupine Bay where there are also lots of small walleye.

It would be difficult not to catch walleye right now in Lake Roosevelt. Some of the larger fish taken this week came from the narrows above Porcupine Bay. Water temperature is 55 degrees.

Smallmouth bass fishing is excellent on Spokane (Long) Lake with numerous fish to 3 pounds and a few even larger. Plastics are effective, particularly Senkos. Big Long Lake crappie are lurking in downed timber near shore, and there are unverified reports of perch approaching 15 inches. You can launch at the Nine Mile launch or at the DNR ramp.

Coffeepot Lake in Lincoln County is producing largemouth catches, as are nearby Twin and Deer Springs lakes. Smallmouth bass fishing has been excellent on the Bonneville Pool with boat anglers averaging 11 bass per rod.

Other species

Anglers dragging bottom walkers and nightcrawlers are loading up on channel catfish on the Palouse River flats near Lyons Ferry and in the Palouse proper. The cats are running 1-2 pounds larger than last year.

The Columbia River shad run is still almost a million fish behind last year’s run, but there appear to be plenty for good fishing.

About 50 10-pound channel catfish salvaged from Sprague before the rehabilitation treatment were recently returned and should be fun to catch. Other warm water species, however, probably won’t be of catchable size for a couple years.