Alan Liere’s fishing-hunting report for June 10

June 9, 2021 Updated Wed., June 9, 2021 at 7:25 p.m.

By Alan Liere For the Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

Many anglers have a tendency to launch their boats and then roar across the water without first sampling the fishing right in front of them. At Loon Lake, for example, there is a good kokanee bite this time of year in the bay just out from the public access and down to the first point on the right.

Braggin’ rights

Jon Urban of Eagle, Idaho set a new catch and release state record for Lahontan cutthroat trout on May 28 when he pulled an 18.5-inch fish from Grasmere Reservoir in southwestern Idaho. Catch and release records need to be broken by a minimum of 1/2 inch to qualify.

Overheard

Each year, Idaho Fish and Game biologists monitor adult steelhead returning to the tributaries they were born in so they can estimate how many fish are producing the next generation of wild steelhead. Idaho wild steelhead abundance data from this year is improving after a series of poor return years.

Heads up

Free Fishing Weekend in Washington is this Saturday and Sunday. Fishing licenses are not required and you do not need a Discover Pass to visit the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Natural Resources or Washington State Parks-managed lands. Free Fishing Day in Idaho is Saturday.

Fishing has been good on the open lakes at the W.T. Wooten Wildlife Area – Blue, Deer, Spring, Watson, and Rainbow lakes, but a stream restoration project that began around June 7 will close Rainbow, Deer, and Watson, possibly through July.

Fly fishing

Silver Bow Fly Shop guides have sampled the Spokane River this week and say it is fishing well. Most of their action has been on nymph rigs (euro or bobber), but streamer fishing with flashy sparkle minnow types has also been effective.

Fishing dry/dropper rigs or double dry rigs will find fish on the North Fork Coeur d’Alene. Stones, PMDs, yellow sallies and some drakes have been effective lately.

The St. Joe has been dropping nicely and getting into a good level. Dry/dropper rigs, double dries, nymph rigs and streamer fishing are all on the menu. Silver Bow said a stone dry with a combo is a good prospecting pattern, or a stone dry with a mayfly dry behind it.

Trout and kokanee

Local lakes have perked up some now that the weather has cooled. Decent reports for 10- to 14-inch trout come from Fishtrap, Clear, Williams, Badger and West Medical. Up north, Waitts continues to produce good catches of rainbow and browns, and still-fishermen are finding some nice rainbow early and late at Diamond by dunking worms, yellow corn or salmon eggs.

A friend who trolls Loon Lake for kokanee a couple of times each week said the chunky 10-inch fish are hitting in the top 15 feet. Still fishing at night should be good again now that it has warmed up some.

Banks Lake generally has good trout fishing in June. Troll along the steep banks of the reservoir, such as near Dry Falls Dam, the West Wall across from Coulee City, Million Dollar Mile and Old Devils Lake.

Chelan Lake kokes have gone a little deeper, but the bite for 11-inch fish is good in the area in front of the red-roofed condominiums

Most high-elevation or alpine trout lakes in the Okanogan National Forest will be accessible soon. Lost Lake and Summit Lake northeast of Tonasket, and Beaver and Tiffany lakes are among the first to be fishable each year. The Sawtooth lakes (Sunrise and Martin) are usually accessible by the middle or end of June.

Steelhead and salmon

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission has approved chinook fishing seasons for 2021 on the South Fork Salmon River and in the Clearwater River basin. Chinook fishing on the South Fork of the Salmon River opens June 26 and closes at the end of fishing hours June 27. It will then reopen four days per week, Friday through Monday, until the season is closed. In the Clearwater River basin, fishing opened on Friday, and is open four days per week, Thursday through Sunday, until closed. Harvest is limited to jacks only.

From The Dalles Dam upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco/Kennewick the summer salmon/steelhead season will open on Wednesday with a daily limit of six, and up to two adults may be retained. Anglers are limited to one sockeye and one hatchery steelhead as part of their daily adult limit. Anglers must release all wild chinook (adult and jacks) and wild steelhead. An emergency regulation to open the Columbia River from the Interstate 182 Bridge (Richland/Kennewick) upstream to Priest Rapids Dam for summer chinook and sockeye will be posted prior to the opener on Wednesday.

Spiny ray

Liberty Lake has provided good fishing for crappie and perch. Silver Lake is loaded with small perch, and Newman has yielded some slab crappie and good-sized largemouth.

Walleye fishermen in the popular stretch of water below Northport, known as The Dalles, say fishing has not been as good as in years past. Friends who are fishing there suggest the water is so high the fish are shooting on up rather than staging. Anglers are finding fish above Northport by dragging Slow Death rigs with nightcrawlers, but they are moving a lot to find tiny schools.

The Gifford area has produced a few walleye and some burbot, but the fish are scattered. Northern pike anglers are finding a few fish.

June is a good month to fish Banks Lake for walleye and smallmouth and largemouth bass. Fishing for perch and crappie has been good.

At MarDon Resort on Potholes Reservoir, Pete Fisher said the walleye fishing is “extremely” good, the smallmouth fishing continues to be good and largemouth fishing is and will continue to be “incredibly” good back in the sand dunes. Moses Lake has been productive for smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing, but walleye have been hard to find.

Leader Lake and Washburn Island Pond in Okanogan County are good for bass and panfish anglers this month.

The lakes near Manson – including Dry, Roses and Wapato – have been heating up for largemouth bass and panfish and should continue to be productive throughout June.

Other species

A white sturgeon fishery on Lake Roosevelt opens Saturday seven days a week from Grand Coulee Dam upstream to the China Bend Boat Ramp. That includes the Spokane River from the Highway 25 Bridge upstream to 400 feet below Little Falls Dam, the Colville River upstream to Meyers Falls Dam, and the Kettle River upstream to Barstow Bridge. There is a daily limit of one sturgeon with an annual limit of two. Legal size for retention of sturgeon is between 50 and 63 inches, measured from the tip of the snout to middle of the fork in the tail.

Shad fishing on the Columbia River near Bonneville Dam is picking up. There are a few places near the dam where the fish may be caught from shore, but a boat will up your chances.

Hunting

It’s time to submit your spring turkey report, even if you plan to hunt turkeys again this fall. Reports are required before Jan. 31, whether or not you were successful in harvesting a turkey. Hunters can file reports on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s licensing website or by calling (877) 945-3492.

Idaho Fish and Game is seeking public feedback on a proposal to extend wolf hunting and trapping opportunities and enhanced methods of take. The proposed changes relate to Idaho legislative action that will take effect July 1. Deadline for feedback is Sunday.

Due to COVID-19, WDFW has canceled all in-person hunter education classes until further notice. Students 9 years and older can complete the online course for certification.

Students 8 years and younger can still complete the online course, but are required to complete an in-person field skills evaluation prior to certification. You can register for and complete the online hunter education course at www.huntered.com/washington. Next, register for and complete the online Virtual Field Day course at www.huntercourse.com/virtualfieldday.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com