Fishing Report
Dove hunting
Veteran dove hunters who have scouted fields the last few days will find plenty of doves for good shooting on opening day next Friday in Washington and Idaho.
As usual, the best shooting will be during the first two or three days of the seasons. Many doves probably are on their way south.
Popular shooting areas in the Spokane region are along the Lake Roosevelt breaks, in Spokane County and along the Snake and Grande Ronde River breaks. Other popular areas are in Walla Walla, Grant, Douglas, Adams and Yakima counties.
In Idaho’s Panhandle, popular and productive areas are in Latah and Nez Perce counties.
Washington’s season ends Sept. 15. Idaho’s continues through September. Limits for both states are 10 per day and 20 in possession after the first day.
Big game hunting
Hundreds of big-game hunters will start trying to fill their moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat tags in Idaho on Aug. 30.
The Idaho Fish and Game Department has distributed 793 bull moose and 81 anterless moose permits, 116 bighorn sheep permits and 59 mountain goat permits to hunters for the controlled hunts.
Grouse hunting
Don’t expect to see large numbers of grouse when the season opens next Friday in Washington and Idaho.
Wildife biologists said near-record low temperatures and rainstorms during the height of the nesting season apparently resulted in poor survival of chicks that hatched during and after the nasty weather.
Biologist Steve Zender of Chewelah said he hasn’t seen many grouse during his travels throughout northeastern Washington this summer.
Hunters and anglers who have traveled throughout Idaho’s Panhandle said they’ve seen few grouse this summer.
Kokanee
Trolling and still fishing have paid off for Loon Lake anglers in recent days, Joe Haley of the Granite Point Resort said.
Haley said trollers who have let out enough leaded line to get their lures down to the 13- to 14-inch fish have averaged about five a day.
Still fishing at night has been terrific at times, Haley said.
Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene and Pend Oreille lakes and the Dworshak Reservoir are continuing to produce 25-fish limits of small kokanee, mostly 7 to 9 inches.
Steelhead
More than 100,000 steelhead have climbed the fish ladders at Bonneville and more than 12,000 are now moving up the Snake River. A few are even near the mouth of the Methow River.
Steelheaders have had some success above Bonneville Dam, particularly at Drano Lake and the lower Deschutes River. And some have caught steelhead at Ringold Springs and in the Snake River.
Spiny-rayed species
One of the largest crappies caught this year in the Inland Northwest was hooked a few days ago near sand dune islands at the Potholes Reservoir. Dave Meseberg of the Mar-Don Resort said the crappie, which weighed 2 pounds 8 ounces, was more than 16 inches long. It was caught by a bass fisherman.
Only a few big crappies are in the reservoir, he said. Most are small, too small for most fishermen.
Meseberg said walleye fishing has been excellent at the reservoir and fairly good at Soda Lake. Some walleye fishermen have caught limits by casting big bass plugs in 6 to 12 feet of water around the sand dune islands at the reservoir.
Walleye fishing also has been fair to good at Sprague and Roosevelt lakes.
Best fishing for good-sized perch in the Spokane area is along the Spokane River in Idaho. Jeff Smith of Fins & Feathers said anglers are catching good numbers of perch to 11 inches near weeds in slow-moving stretches.
Crappie fishing has been fair to good at Idaho’s Rose, Black and Cocolalla lakes. Smith said northern pike fishing is starting to pick up at Lake Coeur d’Alene.
Trout, Washington
Surface water warmed several degrees this week, slowing fishing. However, anglers who have trolled or still fished during evening hours have caught fish.
Pressure has been relatively light at Williams and Badger lakes, which are scheduled for rehabilitation the first week in October. The two lakes still hold fair numbers of trout, some of them good-sized carryovers. The Fish and Wildlife Department has removed limits for the two lakes.
Trollers have had mediocre luck at Lake Roosevelt in recent days. Anglers complained that they saw few fish on their sonar screens and that they had poor luck.
The 150-mile-long reservoir holds lots of 13- to 20-inch-long rainbows, but they often ignore bait and lures, particularly when the Bureau of Reclamation raises and drops the water level. Fishing should pick up when water temperatures drop in September.
Trout, Idaho
North Idaho’s cutthroat streams are in perfect condition and fishing has been good. Top producers continue to be the upper St. Joe, Selway and Lochsa rivers and Kelly Creek.
Trout, Montana
Streams in the Missoula area are at normal levels and producing good fishing, Jim Toth of Grizzly Hackle International at Missoula reported.
A few spruce moths are showing along Rock Creek, he said, and fishing can be good from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fly fishers also are fishing spinner imitations of the Mahogany Dun mayfly.
Best fishing along the Clark Fork is in the evenings, he said. During mid-day hours, fly fishers have been casting Potts flies through back eddies, as well as hopper imitations. The last 2 hours before dark, however, has been most productive.
Just before dark, fly fishers have been casting No. 10 White Wulff patterns to simulate the big mayfly that’s been hatching. They’re also using pale evening dun and caddis imitations.
The best dry fly action along the Missouri has been in the evenings, fly shop operator Jerry Lappier said. Fly fishers have been casting hopper imitations during mid-day hours and pale evening dun and caddis imitations during the evenings.
Coast fishing
Coho fishing has been excellent in the Westport area and charter boat operators believe the season will remain open at least through Sept. 3, the Westport/Grayland Chamber of Commerce reported. Cohos are running 8 to 12 pounds.
Albacore tuna are 75 to 95 miles out of Westport. Anglers are averaging 5 to 7 fish each. Most tunas are 20 to 25 pounds.
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