Hunting and fishing report

Wed., April 6, 2016

By Alan Liere spokesmanliere@yahoo.com

Tip of the week

Successful kokanee anglers say they have their best luck by avoiding areas with heavy boat traffic. The fish are spread out enough now that concentrating on the same bay or shore as everyone else is counterproductive.

Braggin’ rights

Anyone who has trolled for kokanee knows how difficult it is to land both fish when two rods go down simultaneously. Dave Grove of Captain Dave’s Guide Service was trolling with clients from Seattle recently above Spring Canyon and had five rods go off almost simultaneously. Unbelievably, he netted all five of the 18-20-inch fish.

Overheard

The access-site parking area at Rock Lake has recently been improved with new gravel and grading. Friends fishing Rock Lake this week caught 15 steelhead, four rainbow of about 16 inches and one nice brown. They said fishing slowed around 11 a.m.

Coffeepot Lake finally has enough water for the boat launch to be open again. Trout fishing is said to be excellent.

Heads up

The April 13 meeting of Spokane Fly Fishers will feature Sean Visintainer of Silverbow Fly Shop sharing details, tips and techniques on fishing for redband trout in the Spokane River. Next up, fisheries biologist Randy Osborne will discuss and report on lowland fishing lakes in Lincoln, Whitman and Spokane counties, their stocking rates and opportunities. Meeting will be at St. Francis School, 1104 W. Heroy, starting at 7 p.m.

April 20 is the deadline to register for the May 7 Kids’ Fishing Event at Clear Lake in Spokane County. The event is open for any child age 5-14. For details, go to http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/kids/events and scroll all the way across to “registration,” or call regional fish biologist Randy Osborne at (509) 892-1001, ext. 302.

Rainbow Lake (Columbia County.) will be closed to fishing Monday through April 15 because large equipment will be in use around the lake.

Fly fishing

The International Federation of Fly Fishers’ 10th annual Fly Fishing Fair will be held in Ellensburg April 29-30. Free seminars and workshops will be part of the weekend activities that will include a six-obstacle course that is a lot of fun and will challenge your casting ability. There will be vendors available with tying materials, rods, reels and lines to try out or buy. The fair runs 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April 29 and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. April 30 at the Event Center in Ellensburg.

Skwalas or gray drakes in the afternoon are fooling North Fork Coeur d’Alene cutthroat. Afternoons are also best on the St. Joe and the cutts have been particularly fond of foam bugs. The Clark Fork is beginning to fish well. Dry flies are an option in the afternoon.

Medical Lake is picking up and Amber Lake remains steady. Silver Bow Fly Shop suggests chironomids and balanced leeches.

Trout and kokanee

Trout fishing at Sprague has not been fast, but most anglers are catching at least one big triploid. A reader sent me a photo this week of a large Lahontan cutthroat he caught last week from Sprague. I haven’t seen a Lahontan cutt from that lake for 20 years.

All season, the best kokanee bite has been early, but anglers who like to sleep in are now finding a good afternoon kokanee bite around Keller Ferry, Swawilla Basin and Hanson Harbor. Some are going as deep as 30 feet, but most of the fish are caught in the top 10 feet of water. The trout bite in these areas has been erratic. One boat reported catching two clipped kokes – the first reliable report so far.

The Tucannon River impoundments on WDFW’s Wooten Wildlife Area in Columbia County have been producing nice rainbow catches since the March 1 opener. Area manager Kari Dingman notes that high river levels have kept Big Four Lake from being safely stocked, but the other lakes – Blue, Deer, Rainbow, Spring and Watson – are well-stocked with hatchery trout and being fished regularly.

Kokanee fishing at Lake Chelan continues to improve with plump fish ranging from 12 to 16 inches, and a few larger. The fish will move farther down the lake near Manson and Lakeside as the water warms.

Dworshak Reservoir kokes aren’t nearly as large as those in Roosevelt, Palmer or Chelan, but they are approaching “respectable” size and have been extremely cooperative. Reel Time Guide Service is offering a new kokanee-smallmouth combo trip with Jarret’s Guide Service. Smallmouth up to 5.9 pounds have been boated recently.

Idaho Fish and Game’s “Take Me Fishing” trailers will make many appearances in April, May and June at fishing holes across the state with the first Clearwater region event Saturday at Kiwanis Pond in Lewiston, beginning at 10 a.m. People of any age, whether they are residents or nonresidents, can fish without a license during the hours of the events if they register at the trailer. For a list of scheduled events go to http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish/?getPage=80.

Salmon and steelhead

The Grande Ronde is still booting out some good-looking steelhead and anglers are taking them at a rate of one an hour. The river is in good shape with 3 feet of visibility.

Fishing for spring chinook is picking up in the lower Columbia River, and the upriver run should start arriving in area waters in mid-April, said WDFW fish biologist Paul Hoffarth. Spring chinook fisheries will open in the Yakima River and the Snake River this spring.

Chinook salmon in Lake Coeur d’Alene are in the top 5-20 feet of water. The best bite recently has been on the south end. The Red Covey Memorial Spring Salmon Derby runs April 16-17, kicking off at 5 a.m. Register at Fins and Feathers in Coeur d’Alene.

Spiny ray

Eloika Lake water temperature is around 54 degrees and the largemouth are becoming more active. A few nice fish (over 3½ pounds) have been taken recently. Senkos are effective. Crappie fishing is slow to get going at Eloika, but some of the Idaho lakes, notably Fernan and Hayden, are producing well.

Fishing will begin to pick up as for smallmouth and channel cats as April progresses. The Yakima, Palouse, and Walla Walla rivers fill up with these species in the spring. Start fishing near the river mouths and move upstream as the month goes on.

Friends jigging in 25-35 feet of water in the Spokane Arm of Lake Roosevelt reported steady action last weekend for walleye, most of which were 16-20 inches long. They kept 28 and released a few smaller ones as well as one fat 28-incher.

Another friend who often fishes Roosevelt says he and his son filled a livewell with walleye last week, catching all their ’eyes (and five burbot) in a single spot no larger than the size of two pickup trucks.

Banks Lake anglers are catching walleye and perch as well as a few burbot using bottom-bouncers and Slow Death rigs. The best bite is early in depths from 30-50 feet. Reports indicate Barker Flats can get crowded on a nice day.

Walleye fishing on Potholes Reservoir is best in Lind Coulee right now.

Other species

A 10-day razor clam dig began last Sunday on ocean beaches with Long Beach open all 10 days and Copalis and Mocrocks open three days each. The Long Beach dig coincides with the annual Long Beach Razor Clam Festival, scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday. The season switches from evening to morning tides beginning today.

Hunting

Idaho Department of Fish and Game is seeking public comment on proposed changes to the upcoming migratory game bird seasons. To view and comment on the season proposals, visit Fish and Game’s public involvement page at https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/content/public-involvement.

Idaho’s spring turkey and black bear general seasons open April 15 with turkey seasons running through May 25. Youth who are 10 to 17 years old on or before Friday may participate in the general season youth turkey hunt that runs from Friday through April 14. The spring black bear season’s closing dates vary.

Contact Alan Liere via email at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com