Tourneys offer clues for bass fishing

Following the bass tournament trail is one way for non-tournament anglers to discover the region’s best bass waters. A lake needs good boat facilities and camping to attract the bass tournament crowd, but most of all, it must have a good fishery.

Banks Lake and the mid-Columbia River are the most popular bass tournament waters in Eastern Washington, and there’s little dispute they provide some of the region’s finest bass fishing, not to mention excellent walleye fisheries.

In North Idaho, Lake Coeur d’Alene is the site for scheduled tournaments from April 1 through September. Tournament anglers often cruise into the chain of lakes along the lower Coeur d’Alene River.

Other popular bass tournament lakes include Noxon Reservoir on the Clark Fork River, Pend Oreille River near Ione, Potholes Reservoir near Moses Lake and the Snake River between Lower Granite Dam and Clarkston.

Lake Spokane (Long Lake) also is stocked with brown trout and some cutthroats, but most anglers are after largemouth and smallmouth bass, perch and crappie. (See special rules.) The 34.06-pound state record northern pike was caught here by a surprised angler fishing for bass.

Other good bass destinations that aren’t targeted by big bass tournaments include Clear, Newman and Silver lakes in Spokane County.

Eloika Lake north of Chattaroy, although stocked with some brown trout, is best known for largemouth bass and crappie.

Contact: Joel Nania, Inland Empire Bass Club, (509) 879-7804, for information on area bass tournament fishing.