Fishing Report

Kokanee

Trolling and still fishing are producing kokanee that average 13 inches long at Loon Lake, said Joe Haley of Granite Point Resort.

“Fishing has been excellent,” he said. “Some have been catching limits in less than 2 hours.”

Haley said the kokanee are spread out around the lake and trolling has been good during midday hours. However, now that water temperatures are rising, he said, anglers can expect water skiers on the lake most of the day.

Trollers have been letting out three to four colors of leaded line. Productive terminal tackle includes “00” and “000” dodgers ahead of Fisher Flies baited with white corn and maggots.

Some trollers who prefer to fish with monofilament line are attaching 2 1/2-ounce lead weights to the line behind dodgers. They use baited Fisher Flies and other standard kokanee lures.

Most still fishermen don’t start fishing until about 9 p.m.

Limits are the rule at Lake Mary Ronan, Gary Thomas of Camp Tuffit said. Most anglers who are willing to spend a few hours either still fishing or trolling are taking 10-fish kokanee limits to 14 inches.

Thomas said some fishermen are loading up on 11- to 12-inch perch.

Trolling for 12- to 14-inch kokanee at Koocanusa Lake has been excellent the last 10 days, a spokesman for the Koocanusa Resort said. Knowledgeable anglers take 20-fish limits in 3-4 hours.

You can catch 25-fish limits of small kokanee at three North Idaho lakes in 2-3 hours.

Fastest fishing may be at Lake Coeur d’Alene. Jeff Smith of the Fins & Feathers shop said 8-inch kokanee are all over the lake. They’re about 30 feet deep. Two of the most productive areas are Beauty and Mica bays.

Fishing also has been excellent at Lake Pend Oreille, where the kokanee are a fraction larger than those in Ceour d’Alene. The lower part of Dworshak Reservoir is a good area to troll for kokanee.

Walleyes

Some fishermen are hooking walleyes, a few of them weighing several pounds, at Cow Lake.

Most of the good-sized walleyes apparently got into Cow Lake by migrating out of Sprague Lake and down through the drainage to Cow.

You can still catch walleyes at Sprague Lake, the best time after sunset. Walleyes have lightsensitive eyes and prefer to feed under cloudy skies and at night.

Mike Mielke, operator of the Sprague Lake Resort, said that walleye fishing slowed during midday hours once the sun broke out last week. He recommended anglers who want to hook keepers - walleyes 18 inches or longer - fish during evenings.

A two-man team from northeastern Oregon won more than $5,500 at the Washington Governor’s Cup Walleye tournament last weekend.

Trout, Washington

Starting July 1, you can take home all the trout you catch at Spokane area lakes that are scheduled for rehabilitation this fall. The lakes are Badger, Williams, Hatch and Crescent.

Lake Roosevelt may be one of the best spots in eastern Washington to fish for big rainbows. Trollers have been hooking 15- to 24-inchers from Spring Canyon to Kettle Falls.

If you fish lakes managed for trout, best time to be on the water is from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Priest Lake

Mackinaw fishing has been excellent at Priest Lake, guide Gary Brookshire reported.

“The average mackinaw trout is running just under 26 inches,” he said. “They’re hefty, with some to 8 pounds.”

Charter boats reported eight in the 18- to 31-pound range last week.

Creeks that feed into Priest Lake open for fishing Saturday.

Trout, Montana

Wading is tough at Rock Creek because of high water, but the trout are stuffing themselves with stoneflies and caddisflies, John Herzer, manager of Streamside Anglers, said.

He said salmon flies, golden and yellow stones and caddisflies are hatching. Most productive patterns are imitations of golden and little yellow stoneflies.

The Bitterroot is still bank full, but it’s dropping gradually and clearing. Yellow stoneflies and salmon flies, as well as some caddisflies, are hatching. This is a good time to fish salmon flies in the upper reaches, particularly the West Fork.

The lower Clark Fork is still high, but it’s clear enough for good fishing. Hatching are Pale Morning Dun mayflies, yellow stoneflies and caddisflies. Most productive patterns are yellow Stimulators, streamer flies and Yuk Bugs.

The Madison is low and clear. The salmon flies hadn’t started hatching at midweek and most fly fishers have been using big nymphs and Woolly Buggers to hook rainbows and browns.

Trout streams, Idaho

Green Drake mayflies are hatching along the Henry’s Fork in the Last Chance area. A spokesman for Blue Ribbon Flies at West Yellowstone said the hatch has been sporadic on sunny days and good on overcast days.

The Lochsa and the St. Joe rivers should be low enough this weekend to provide fair to good fishing. Barring rainstorms, the popular streams will be clear and somewhat high, but fishable.

The Lochsa was a little too high at mid-week for easy fishing. It should be in excellent condition by the Fourth of July.

The 10-mile section of the St. Joe River road from the mouth of Gold Creek to Red Ives ranger station has been resurfaced and there should be no more long delays for recreationists, Leslie Bren of the Avery ranger station said.

Northern pike

If you want to catch northern pike in shallow water, fish any one of several bays at Lake Coeur d’Alene. Pike usually are in deep water by this time of year, Smith said, but anglers, using top-water baits, have been hooking 5- to 10-pounders in water that’s 4 to 12 feet deep. Productive bays are Mica, Cougar and Windy.

Chinook salmon

Many anglers have switched from lures to herring to entice chinook salmon in Lake Coeur d’Alene, Smith said. The fish are about 50 feet deep. Most are 8 to 12 pounds, but an occasional salmon weighing more than 15 pounds is taken.

Shad

Nearly 200,000 shad have climbed the fish ladders at McNary Dam and some now are below Ice Harbor Dam. It’s possible that fishing could be good below the dam this weekend.

Westport fishing

Fishing for black rock bass was good during the week ended Sunday, the Westport Charter Boat Association reported. A total of 531 anglers, fishing off charter boats, caught 3,891 rock bass, 199 ling cod, 121 yellow eye, 108 canary rock fish and 116 yellow tail rock fish.