Fishing Report

Ice fishing, Idaho

Just when many anglers were thinking of storing their ice fishing equipment until next winter, near-zero temperatures the last week firmed up ice cakes on some small-and medium-sized Panhandle lakes.

However, because of high winds during most of the coldest temperatures, ice didn’t form again on some Kootenai County lakes where open water was showing, Steve Smith of the Fins & Feathers shop said.

“The ice got a little thicker on most lakes where there was ice cover, but not much,” he said. “The ice is not safe on most of the lakes near the Coeur d’Alene River and on Fernan Lake.”

Some fishermen, though, were ice fishing on Fernan and a couple of the lakes near the Coeur d’Alene River.

Smith said the ice on the north end of Hayden Lake still is in good condition. Some fishermen have been hooking plentiful 20- to 24-inch pike in that area, while other anglers, fishing in open water in the south end, have been hooking an occasional hybrid rainbow-cutthroat trout.

Most of the lakes in the Sandpoint area and north still have good ice covers and, for a while, at least, anglers will continue drilling holes through several inches of ice.

Smith said the fastest perch fishing is at the Twin lakes. Anglers have been doing a lot of sorting to take home good numbers of 8- to 9-inch perch. The perch run from 5 to 9 inches.

Round and Cocolalla lakes are continuing to provide fair to good perch fishing. Several lakes in Bonner and Boundary counties have good-sized perch, but fishing has been slow.

The fishing has been so slow in North Idaho, Steve Smith said, that his brother, Jeff, fished for walleyes at Lake Roosevelt earlier this week.

Winter fishing, Washington

Nearly all popular lakes were ice free when temperatures skidded nearly a week ago. Winds up to 40 mph kept the lakes open or partially open for several days. After the winds subsided, lakes were covered with thin ice and snow by Wednesday.

However, with temperatures rising into the high 40s, the thin ice should melt fast.

Anglers were fishing in open water at Hog Canyon, Fourth of July and Sprague lakes southwest of Spokane when winter renewed its grip throughout the Northwest.

Hog Canyon is a good bet for 10- to 20-inch rainbows this weekend, with most in the 10-inch class. Majority of the carryover trout are 13 to 14 inches long; a few are 16 to 20 inches.

The lake is high and water still is going over the dam at the lower end.

Trout started feeding on chironomid pupae and hatching midges as soon as the thick ice cake melted. Anglers, trolling lures baited with nightcrawlers and other bait, did well. A few fly fishers hooked trout on chironomid pupae, scuds and big leech flies.

Fourth of July still holds good numbers of yearling and carryover rainbows. The lake was practically deserted during the arctic weather, but likely will attract lots of anglers when the temperatures are in the 40s and 50s.

Fishing has been fairly good at Rock Lake, south of Spokane, the last few weeks. The best fishing has been at the lower end of the lake, with anglers catching 10- to 18-inch rainbows and brown trout. Rock Lake is ice-free.

Biologist Curt Vail of Colville said ice on Williams Lake is in good condition as the result of subfreezing temperatures the last week. However, fishing has been slow.

Lake Roosevelt

The Spring Canyon section of the lake is the best area to fish during the first three months of the year, Vail said. Most rainbows and kokanee move to the lower end of the reservoir during the winter months.

Catch reports show fishing usually is slow in January and starts to pick up in February, he said.

For example, the average rainbow and kokanee catch last February was .45 fish per angler, he said. In March, the best month, the average catch jumped to nearly two fish per fisherman. April’s catch dropped to .63 fish for each angler.

An analysis of catch rates, he said, indicates fishing slows dramatically when the reservoir is raised or lowered. Fishing improves when the lake is stable.

The Bureau of Reclamation is dropping the level to 1,255 feet, or about 40 feet below full pool. The level is expected to fall to its lowest level at the end of this month.

“When the level stabilizes,” Vail said, “fishing could be good. Maybe the best time to fish the lake for the big rainbows and a few kokanee will be in March and in the Spring Canyon area.”

Priest Lake

Low temperatures and high winds kept all but a few anglers off North Idaho’s big lake during the last week. However, as temperatures move up, trollers will be on the lake again to catch mackinaw trout.

Guides say trolling and jigging is good this time of year and most of their clients catch their limits.

Steelhead

If you fish for steelhead this weekend, fish dead slow or plunk. Temperatures of the Snake, Clearwater, Grande Ronde, Tucannon and Touchet are so low that few steelhead are migrating up toward their spawning grounds.

Most of the streams were off-color at midweek, but could be fairly clear this weekend.

Biologist Art Viola said fishing has been good in a few areas despite cold weather. It was excellent along the Touchet from Feb. 8-12, anglers fishing 4.3 hours per steelhead.

Fishing along the Tucannon and in the Little Goose Dam area was slow last weekend. The lower Snake was off-color most of the time.

Fishing along the Grande Ronde above Bogan’s during the 11-day period ended Feb. 11 was fair, with anglers averaging 10.4 hours per fish. Viola said Ronde fishermen hooked seven wild and six hatchery steelhead.

Incidentally, the Corps of Engineers reported that 9,275 wild steelhead were counted at Lower Granite Dam last year.

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