Fishing Report

Chinook derby Jack Wood of Spokane was the man to beat at Lake Coeur d’Alene early this week. His 25-pound chinook was the largest caught during the first few days of the Big One chinook derby.

The derby got off to a good start, Steve Smith of the Fins & Feathers shop said. At least 1,000 anglers entered the annual derby and the fishing was good, with contestants boating nine chinooks weighing more than 20 pounds during the first three days.

The most productive rigs were dodgers/flies and dodgers/herring. Black and white flies and purple lures accounted for many chinooks.

The derby ends at 9 p.m. Sunday.

Steelhead

Steelhead fishing is picking up along the lower Columbia River and in the lower sections of tributary streams.

The Corps of Engineers has counted more than 75,000 steelhead at Bonneville Dam and the sea-going rainbows this week were climbing the ladders at the rate of more than 3,000 per day.

More than 15,000 had been counted at McNary Dam by midweek and some of them already have moved over Ice Harbor Dam. Fishing has been spotty, however, at Ringold Springs above the Tri-Cities and few anglers have hooked steelhead in the lower Snake.

Best fishing has been at Drano Lake, a big cove just above Bonneville, and near the mouth of the Deschutes River. Some steelheaders have done well in the lower Deschutes.

Kokanee

Kokanee in some lakes, including Loon, are starting to take on spawning colors. They’re still in excellent condition, but you should consider fishing for them during the next couple of weeks.

Still fishing has continued to be spotty at Loon, with the 13 to 14-inch fish hitting baited glow hooks one night and then ignoring the bait the next few nights.

Trolling has been fair, with anglers taking three to five. Best fishing during sunny days has been early in the morning. When there are few power boats on the lake, though, trollers have done well.

The 16- to 22-inch kokanee in Lake Roosevelt have continued to elude anglers. The fish are deep, mostly 60 to 90 feet. Incidentally, the Bureau of Reclamation has stabilized the lake at 1,280 feet above sea level and about 10 feet under full pool. If the lake remains stable, fishing could improve.

Three big Idaho lakes are continuing to churn out small kokanee. They are Pend Oreille and Coeur d’Alene lakes and Dworshak Reservoir. Trollers can catch their 25-fish limits in three to four hours of trolling if they get down to the fish.

Koocanusa Lake is continuing to yield 20-fish limits of 10- to 12-inch kokanee.

Trout, Washington

This weekend might be a good time to fish Eastern Washington lakes. Showers and below-normal temperatures dropped water temperatures several degrees, creating good conditions for fishing.

Despite the cool weather, however, the trout are deep. Major hatches are over and the fish seldom come to the surface.

Best fishing, however, likely will be early and late in the day, especially if the sun isn’t hidden behind clouds.

Numerous lakes in Pend Oreille, Stevens and Ferry counties have been providing unusually good fishing for this time of year.

For example, anglers are taking limits of 10- to 11-inch cutthroat at Marshall Lake in Pend Oreille County, Clarence Grimes, owner of the resort at the lake, said. To catch the larger cutthroat, he said, still fishermen are letting their egg-baited hooks down 45 to 50 feet.

Grimes also said fishing for rainbows and brook trout has been good at North and South Skookum lakes. And Browns Lake, a fly fishing-only lake, has been yielding cutthroat to 12 inches to anglers who troll sinking fly lines.

Lake Roosevelt is a good bet for 13- to 22-inch rainbows. The trout are relatively near the surface early and late in the day, but are down 60 or more feet during mid-day hours.

Persistent anglers have been hooking brown and rainbow trout at Clear Lake, Dottie Johnson of Rainbow Cove said.

Trout, Idaho

North Idaho’s cutthroat streams are at summer-time lows and providing good fishing. The most popular and productive have been the upper St. Joe and the Lochsa rivers and Kelly Creek.

Trout, Montana

If you plan on fishing Montana rivers the next week or so, be sure to have a good supply of hopper imitations. Hoppers are abundant along most streams and they’re active during mid-day hours. Fishing can be outstanding during windy days.

The Missouri in the Craig area has been providing outstanding fishing during mid-day and evening hours, guide Arnie Gidlow said.

The Trico hatch has been sparse this year, he said, and fly fishers have just about given up on them. However, hoppers are falling into the river and providing some outstanding fishing. Fishers also have been using bead head Hare’s Ear nymphs ahead of small Pheasant Tail nymphs and No. 14 Elk Hair Caddis ahead of No. 14 caddis emergers. The Clark Fork is clear and low enough for excellent fishing. Fly fishers have been casting hopper imitations and olive Woolly Buggers during mid-day hours and Elk Hair Caddis imitations in the evenings.

The Bitterroot is providing good fishing on hopper imitations during mid-day hours and cinnamon caddis patterns in the evening, Nathan Paul, guide for Riverbend fly shop at Hamilton, said.

Hopper, caddis and PMD patterns have been providing action at Rock Creek.

Hopper patterns are working along the Madison and Yellowstone rivers in the West Yellowstone area, Dick Green, owner of Bud Lilly’s shop, said. The “gulpers” in Hebgen are active on Tricos from 7 to 10 a.m. and on Callibaetis mayflies from 10 to about 1 p.m. Pale Morning Dun mayflies are hatching along the Madison and the Yellowstone.

Spiny-rayed species

Several lakes and slow-moving waters in Washington and Idaho have been yielding good numbers of perch. Among the best have been Downs, Sprague and Big Meadow lakes in the Spokane region and the Spokane River above the Post Falls dam in Idaho. Largest perch are in Downs and the Spokane River.

Walleyes continue to provide action at Lake Roosevelt, Sprague Lake and the Potholes Reservoir.

Some anglers have been catching 4- to 5-pound channel catfish at night at Idaho’s Fernan and Cocolalla lakes.

Northern pike action has picked up dramatically at lakes adjacent to the lower Coeur d’Alene River.

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