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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Alan Liere’s fish and game report for June 22

Fly fishing

Silver Bow Fly Shop says the Spokane River has dropped considerably since the opener and is holding steady at a manageable level. There are plenty of spots to hit on foot and great floating right now. Best of all, trout fishing has been very good.

The North Fork Coeur d’Alene is in excellent shape and fishing well. There are plenty of bugs hatching – brown drakes, pmd’s, yellow sallies, caddis and some green drakes. The St. Joe continues to offer excellent cutthroat fishing.

The St. Regis River is in great shape – clear and on the drop. Start with a streamer or nymph rig or a stone/worm combo in the morning until it warms up, then go dry.

As of last Friday, there was still a large snow drift on the top of Hoodoo Pass, so the North Fork Clearwater and Kelly Creek are not an option, nor is the Clearwater, which is still running high.

Trout and kokanee

Most Roosevelt trout anglers are trolling by this time of year, but bank fishermen are still reporting some good catches on big fish in the Lincoln area.

Captain Dave’s Guide Service says clients are picking up a few kokanee now at Roosevelt, mostly 10-15 feet below the surface. Captain Dave Grove notes the Arctic Fox Trolling Tube Fly in orange or olive with a No. 2 action disc has worked best for him. He recommends using a single No. 1 octopus style hook to keep the newly-planted trout off, or at least make them easier to release.

A friend fishing from shore with worms at Northport says the water is as high as he has ever seen it but the color is good. He caught trout, walleye and whitefish.

Chelan Lake kokanee trollers are still hauling them in despite losing more than they bring to net. The red-roofed cabin area has been hot recently. The 11- to 13-inch fish have been relatively shallow – less than 40 feet.

Wind kept us off Loon Lake on Tuesday night, but trollers who toughed it out during the day said the bite was as good as ever. Once again, there was a good bite this week in the first bay out of the launch.

Coeur d’Alene kokanee are a little larger this year at 9-10 inches. The best bite has been on the north and south ends of the lake. The Hayden Lake kokanee bite has slowed, but there are still fish being caught, the majority around 12 inches.

Also in Idaho, Fernan Lake continues to provide good trout fishing as the lake is stocked fairly regularly throughout the summer. Channel cats are another Fernan Lake attraction.

Salmon and steelhead

A poor return to the South Fork of the Salmon River means anglers will miss a year of chinook fishing on the popular river, but they can still get a crack at the fish starting today on the Lochsa and upper Salmon River upstream of Challis.

The sockeye fishery at Baker Lake will open on July 8 with a four-fish daily limit.

Spiny ray

Bottom walkers trolled with a worm harness in 50 feet of water is paying off for Lake Roosevelt walleye fishermen. Most of the fish are on the small side, but there appears to be a lot of them. Porcupine Bay has been good in about 15 feet of water.

Bottom walkers and nightcrawlers are also among the best of presentations now for Banks Lake walleye. The fish have been in the weeds in about 15 feet of water. The Devils Punchbowl has been good and is the place to be when the wind kicks up, but Barker Flats usually provides action too in approximately 20 feet of water.

Scootney Lake in Franklin County can be cantankerous, but some decent-sized walleye and big crappie have been taken there recently.

Reel Time Fishing says the walleye fishing on the Snake River has been outstanding this past week for big fish. They report 20-fish days with a lot of ’eyes over 12 pounds. There is no limit on walleye in the Snake River.

Senkos or jigs fished next to brushy shorelines have been effective recently for largemouth bass on Potholes Reservoir. For smallmouths, fish anywhere you find rocks. The rip-rap along the highway is usually good.

The Grande Ronde River is still running high and hard, but the smallmouth fishing is definitely an option. This is the time of the year when the biggest bass are taken from the ’Ronde.

Pike fishermen are picking up fish in Coeur d’Alene and the Chain Lakes. Jerk baits have been very effective on the outside of weed lines. Anglers trying for tiger muskie have provided some good reports lately from Silver, Newman and Curlew.

Palmer Lake in the Okanogan is high and stained but still an excellent lake for catching smallmouth bass. There are lots of small ones, but also a fair number over 14 inches.

Other species

The lower Columbia River remains open to catch-and-release sturgeon fishing, and the Bonneville Pool will be open for retention fishing one more day on Friday. Anglers are limited to one sturgeon per day, measuring 38-54 inches from their snout to the tip of their tail.

Lake Roosevelt continues to offer up nice catches of sturgeon north of Kettle Falls. You’ll need eight ounces or more of lead to keep you down. Look for water 60 feet deep or more. Herring is popular bait, as is squid, which stays on the hook better. A gob of nightcrawlers will work, too, and I talked with anglers who have caught the prehistoric fish on hotdogs.

Sturgeon and bass fishing on the Snake out of Hells Canyon is still going strong with multiple oversized sturgeon caught and enough smallmouth to keep you busy between sturgeon bites. The sturgeon fishing in Hells Canyon is catch-and-release only, but is probably your best chance to catch a fish that weighs more than you do.

Shad anglers fishing from shore are catching coolers full of fish from the Bonneville Dam area. A green and red shad dart is the go-to offering – but take plenty, as the rocks will claim more than their share.

Hunting

Winners in the first of two Idaho Super Hunt drawings have been drawn. Of the 57,048 total entries, 20,092 were for eight deer tags, 19,904 were for eight elk tags, 4,286 were for eight pronghorn tags, 8,438 were for one moose tag, and 4,328 entries were for one Super Hunt Combo, which includes a tag for each of the four species

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com