Weekly hunting and fishing report

Thu., Aug. 13, 2015

By Alan Liere spokesmanliere@yahoo.com

Tip of the week

The Kootenai River near Bonners Ferry receives reliable flows of cold water throughout the summer months from Libby Dam. Fishing is very good. Rainbow and cutthroat trout in the 16- to 20-inch range are commonly caught. Info: T.J. Ross (Senior Fishery Research Biologist) or Andy Dux (Regional Fishery Manager) at (208)769-1414.

Braggin’ rights

Ian Petrofski was having good luck fishing for Silver Lake largemouth recently when a 32-inch tiger muskie hit his Senko. His father, John, said although they were finally able to release the fish, his conservation net made the process a lot more exciting than it should have been.

Overheard

Idaho Fish and Game Commission has adopted a fall Chinook salmon fishing season to open Sept. 1 on parts of the Snake, Clearwater and Salmon rivers, and Idaho could see its second-ever sport fishing season for coho salmon on Sept. 1 pending commission approval.

Heads up

Idaho Fish and Game wants to hear from the public about proposed fishing seasons and rules changes for the 2016 through 2018 seasons. Topics include: rainbow trout bag limits on Lake Pend Oreille; changes in bass harvest rules in the Clearwater, Southeast and Upper Snake regions; modification of the catch-and-release steelhead season on the North Fork Clearwater River; and bag limit and species possession limit changes on the Henrys Fork of the Snake River. Anglers can view and comment on the proposed changes at https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/content/public-involvement through Aug. 31.

Fly Fishing

Most fly fishing reports throughout Washington, Idaho and Montana say the same thing – flows are extremely low and a lot of rivers might best be left alone for awhile. Exceptions are the Spokane, the Clark Fork, the Kootenai, the St. Joe above Avery and the Yakima. The North Fork Coeur d’Alene is a possibility downstream from Pritchard. The Yakima is still flowing at about 78 percent of normal. Most anglers are fishing exclusively dry flies.

Salmon and steelhead

The count of summer Chinook adults at Bonneville Dam has tallied about 161,000 fish. The previous highest count was 132,025 fish in 1957. The flip side is that the conversion rates to McNary Dam (upstream from Bonneville) were lower than average due to Chinook mortality blamed on warm water.

Salmon fishing at Buoy 10 has been excellent for both kings and silvers. Anglers are pulling green label herring behind 8-inch flashers.

The sockeye at Lake Wenatchee are a little darker and a little smaller than those at Baker but both lakes have had some good days this week.

The Lake Wenatchee sockeye fishery will close Aug. 16, one hour after official sunset. While sufficient numbers of harvestable sockeye remain in the lake, the number of endangered spring chinook currently being incidentally caught and released is nearing the ESA take limit specific to the Lake Wenatchee sockeye fishery.

Seiku salmon anglers are catching lots of pinks and a few coho but say it is hard to find a clipped Chinook. Anglers in marine areas 5, 6 and 7 can take an additional two sockeye or pink salmon after Sunday.

Drano Lake and the Wind River are popular spots to cast for migrating steelhead dipping into cooler waters. The White Salmon River is another place to prospect for steelhead. Anglers at Drano and Wind River are required to retain any hatchery steelhead they catch there.

Chelan Falls is a good bet now for hatchery Chinook. There has been a good return of fin-clipped net pen-reared fish.

Trout and kokanee

Loon Lake night fishermen did well this week near Granite Point. With nighttime thunderstorms predicted, however, the fishing will probably slow down – if it’s even safe to be on the lake.

The larger Hayden Lake kokanee have been hard to come by, but there seems to be a lot of smaller fish – next year’s crop – found in 35 to 55 feet of water.

Kokanee reports from Lake Roosevelt have been nearly identical for the past four weeks – easy limits (2) on 16- to 19-inch unclipped fish as well as some good numbers of 12-inch rainbow and an occasional carry-over. Pink Apexes and pink hootchies do the damage at a depth of about 60 feet. Most anglers are launching at Spring Canyon and fishing Swawilla Basin. Troll at 1.1-1.5 mph.

Good kokanee reports come from trollers on Lake Pend Oreille where the fish are now running up to 12 inches.

Anglers at Rock Lake are complaining about the primitive launch as well as the pesky 10-inch steelhead planted there this spring. Next year when the steelhead are bigger, the terrible launch will draw fewer comments than the good fishing.

Waitts Lake still-fishermen report a mix of browns and rainbow, most around a foot in length but some nearing 20 inches. A good bite is found on suspended fish about five feet off the bottom in water close to 40 feet deep.

Trout fishing on Curlew Lake has been better for still-fishermen than trollers, but it has actually been good for both. Rainbow caught while still-fishing are running up to 18 inches while those caught trolling are usually closer to a foot. There is an excellent nighttime bite.

Spiny ray

Silver Lake has been good for largemouth bass this summer with good numbers of 3-plus pound fish. At least one tiger muskie has been reported each week since June. Recently, the lake has had an algae bloom that has made the water dirty. An algae bloom is also reported at Suncrest Park on Long Lake.

Curlew Lake has never been known as a perch fishing destination, but they started showing up a couple of years ago and have a fishable population now. Fish running mostly 8 inches with some as large as 11 inches are prevalent just off the weed beds in 15-20 feet of water.

Most Banks Lake walleye anglers are finding lots of fish at 20-30 feet, but they aren’t very big. One fisherman said he caught 50 “smalleyes” before he got one large enough to fillet. Upper Columbia Guide Service, on the other hand, is putting clients on decent-sized ‘eyes by trolling Slow Death rigs and Smile Blades. Info: (509) 264-7684.

Spokane Arm walleye fishermen are doing well bottom bouncing and jigging from the area across from the Porcupine Bay launch to way upriver. Green and chartreuse have been the most consistent colors.

Walleye fishing has been good in the Columbia River near Camas, as well as in The Dalles and John Day pools. Smallmouth bass fishing is also heating up from Bonneville Dam to McNary Dam.

Walleye are active during August on the Hanford Reach of the Columbia, on the lower Snake River below Little Goose Dam and Ice Harbor Dams. Most anglers are using crawler harnesses behind a bottom walker and blade baits to catch them, but jigs and deep diving plugs can be effective as well. Walleye tie on the feedbag when the water heats up, so the good fishing should continue through August.

Perch fishing is very good now at Fish Lake in Chelan County.

Hunting

The 2015 Idaho sage grouse season will run Sept. 19-25, with a daily bag limit of one bird, and a possession limit of two birds. The season will take place in the same areas as last year’s hunt with the exception of re-opening an area in eastern Owyhee County and western Twin Falls County.

The 2015 Idaho dove season will last 60 days, from Sept. 1 through Oct. 30. The daily bag limit is 15 birds and the possession limit is 45.The sandhill crane season will run Sept. 1-15, with a daily and season limit of two birds. The 290 crane tags went on sale Aug. 1 and cost $15. Season information is available at Fish and Game offices and website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/ public/hunt/rules/?getPage=67

An early Idaho Canada goose hunting season will address goose depredation issues in agricultural areas in Bear Lake, Caribou, and a portion of Bingham counties. The season will run Sept. 1-15, with a daily bag limit of 5 and a possession limit of 15. The number of days dogs are prohibited from pursuing mountain lions in Idaho has been reduced to Oct. 10-31 in Units 4, 4A, 6, 7 and 9.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com