Fishing Report
Basin Lakes
Lenore Lake, southwest of Coulee City, may be a good choice this weekend for anglers not interested in keeping trout.
The water is cold, running in the high 30s and low 40s, depending on daytime air temperatures, and only a few midges are hatching, but the big Lahontan cutthroat are looking for food.
Both fly and spin fishers have been hooking the Lahontans in recent days.
The water was so cold when a Spokane angler fished the lake last week that he didn’t spend much time at the lake. However, using scud, leech and chironomid imitations, he hooked several big Lahontans and reported seeing a few near the shoreline that were more than 24 inches long.
Because insect hatches are sparse this time of year, scud, leech and attractor patterns are among the most effective flies that can be used. The Spokane fly fisher caught most of his Lahontans on a scud pattern.
Spin fishermen have been using a variety of lures, including Meppstype spinners and wobbling spoons.
All trout hooked at Lenore must be released until June 1.
Fly fishers have been hooking 10- to 20-inch rainbows at the upper end of Rocky Ford Creek. Midges are the only flies hatching, but fly fishers have been taking the trout on a variety of patterns, including chironomids, scuds and leeches.
A few of the lakes on the Quincy Recreation Area are good bets, but plan to fish them sometime the next week or so. Anglers will strip the lakes of most of their trout during the next 10 days.
The top producers when the lakes were opened for the spring season last week were Burke, Upper Caliche and Martha.
Anglers averaged nearly three rainbows each at Burke and 2 at Upper Caliche. Yearling trout at Burke averaged 10.8 inches and the carryover fish were 14 inches. At Upper Caliche, yearlings were 13.5 inches and carryovers 16.3 inches.
Fishermen averaged 2.1 fish each at Martha. Fishing was slow at Quincy, Dusty, Crystal, Spring, Cascade and Cliff.
Don’t count on good fishing at Warden and South Warden and most lakes on the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge.
Anglers averaged less than a trout each at the Warden lakes on opening day. Most of the fish caught were carryover rainbows and brown trout. Indications are that a high percentage of fry that were released last spring failed to survive.
None of the lakes in the PillarWidgeon group of lakes and the Hampton lakes will provide good fishing this season. Lakes in the Pillar-Widgeon group that weren’t rehabilitated last fall hold a few carryover rainbows.
Some of the lakes east of the refuge, including Susan, Marco Polo, the Windmills and the Teals, may yield a few rainbows.
If you’re in the vicinity of Spectacle Lake in Okanogan County, spend a few hours fishing the lake. Fisheries biologist Ken Williams said fishing should be excellent at times the next few weeks.
Spectacle, once one of the most popular lakes in Okanogan County, was opened for the season March 1. Williams said the lake was rehabbed in 1993 and holds good numbers of rainbows to 14 inches.
Lake Roosevelt
Scores of anglers trolled miles of water in the lower end of Lake Roosevelt last weekend and caught only a few fish.
Fishermen probably averaged less than one fish each, but a few anglers found rainbows and kokanee. One boat accounted for two kokanee and four rainbows.
Fishing pressure has been heavy in the Spring Canyon area because most anglers know March is the best month to catch big fish in the lower end of the long reservoir.
But the Bureau of Reclamation continues to pull down the reservoir and that may be the reason why fishing has been slow. When the lake’s level is stable, fishing often is good; when the lake is being raised or lowered, fishing is slow.
The lake was at 1,553 feet earlier this week, or about 37 feet below full pool. The Bureau of Reclamation reported that plans are for continuing to drop the lake’s level.
Spokane region lakes
Hog Canyon is the best bet for rainbows, although Fourth of July may yield a few goodsized trout.
Most anglers hungry for trout have been fishing Hog Canyon primarily because they can launch boats at the lower end. It’s still virtually impossible to launch boats at Fourth of July; the lake’s level is several feet under normal.
Fishing has been spotty at Hog Canyon lately, but the lake probably holds good numbers of 9- to 20-inch rainbows. The water is too cold for insects to hatch in good numbers and the fish are still not actively searching for food.
The inlet stream at Sprague Lake is off color and continuing to keep the lake murky. Fishing has been slow.
Ticks
If you do a lot of walking around lakes in the region, be sure to check for ticks. Ticks are out early this year as the result of mild temperatures in February.
When I hiked to the upper end of Hog Canyon Lake a few days ago, at least two ticks attached themselves to my clothing. Another angler said he removed one tick from his pants.
Ticks can be expected to be on sagebrush and other vegetation in the Columbia Basin. Inasmuch as anglers must hike up to a mile to get to some of the lakes, they almost certainly will have a chance to pick up ticks.
Steelhead
Your best chance to catch a steelhead is to fish tributary streams of the Snake River. Fishing has been sensational along the Touchet, Tucannon and the Grande Ronde.
Fisheries biologist Art Viola said that anglers averaged 4.4 hours per steelhead along the Touchet last weekend and 7.2 hours along the Tucannon. He didn’t have figures for the Ronde, but said fishing has been excellent.
Steelhead are on their way to spawning sites.
Fishing, Idaho
Most anglers have been fishing for pike at Coeur d’Alene, Hayden, Thompson and Killarney lakes, Jeff Smith of the Fins & Feathers shop said. Biggest pike are in Coeur d’Alene Lake.
Priest Lake is continuing to churn out limits of mackinaw trout, some in the 20-pound bracket.
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