Early Start Nowadays, The Term ‘Opening Day’ Is A Misnomer For Area’s Savvy Anglers

“When does the fishing season open?” asked a fisherman who called the newspaper last week.

“Which season are you referring to?” I said.

“The FISHING season!” he barked.

“The general trout season opens May 27 in Idaho and April 29 in Washington,” I said. “But hundreds of fishing opportunities are open right now throughout the region.”

A few minutes of confusion followed as I tried to explain the numerous places one can legally wet a line in March and April - BEFORE the general trout fishing seasons open.

Anglers have been in a trout-catching frenzy at winter-only lakes, such as Hog Canyon in Spokane County. These lakes close Friday. Walleye fishing also closes Friday in the Spokane arm of Lake Roosevelt to protect spawners, but it remains open year-round in the main stem of the Columbia.

Early spring fishing isn’t just a warm-up exercise. The fishing this time of year can be fantastic, given a break in the weather.

Anglers of all persuasions - whether they’re after trout, kokanee, walleyes or pike - look for the same signals: a few days of dry weather, cool nights and sunny skies. These early spring weather patterns, which admittedly have been fleeting this year, normally translate into superior fishing several times during March and April.

* A dry weather pattern allows water levels to drop and improves water clarity.

* Cool nights prevent the high elevation runoff characteristic of May.

* Sunny skies help boost water temperatures, which triggers feeding and spawning activity.

Indeed, this might be the choice time of year to catch some species, such as kokanee at Lake Roosevelt or northern pike in the Lake Coeur d’Alene drainage.

Here’s a sampling of the best opportunities:

NORTHERN PIKE

Coeur d’Alene drainage

“I’d say eight of 10 people fishing right now in North Idaho are going for northerns,” said Jeff Smith of Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop in Coeur d’Alene.

Pike can be found in most of the shallow, weedy bays on Lake Coeur d’Alene, he said.

But don’t overlook the chain lakes along the Coeur d’Alene River, said Steve Mullen of the Rose Lake General Store.

“The biggest pike in the state were caught in the chain lakes last year,” he said. “Both were over 35 pounds.”

“Late March and April is when the big pike are caught,” Mullen said.

Shore anglers generally fish a herring or smelt below a bobber. But as water temperatures get warmer, lures become more effective for pike moving into the shallows.

“You’re not really pike fishing if you don’t at least try a Dardevle spoon,” Smith said. “You also want to try weedless spoons and Rapalas.

Cougar Bay is popular, but try any major shallow bay with an inlet of some sort, including Windy Bay, Rockford Bay and Mica Bay.

The Rose Lake General Store is sponsoring the Big Pike Derby, with a minimum $1,000 purse for the largest pike caught from the chain lakes April 22-23.

With the exception of Rose Lake, pike fishing should be decent in any of the chain lakes, including Killarney, Medicine, Cave, Thompson, Anderson, Blue, Swan and Mission Slough.

CHINOOK SALMON

Lake Coeur d’Alene

Savvy salmon fishers enjoy April because the chinooks are lured from the cold depths to the warmer surface water.

This opens the fishery to a wider variety of anglers who might not have fancy downriggers.

“You can use lighter gear, longlines or weights,” said Smith. “Instead of using giant flashers that pull hard, you’ll do better this time of year with flutter spoons and plugs. That makes the fish a lot more fun to catch.”

MACKINAW TROUT

Priest Lake

While February and March is the best period for catching big mackinaw from Priest Lake, the numbers of fish improve in April, said fishing guide Gary Brookshire.

“We generally do quite well right through Memorial Day for fish in the 10-15 pound range,” he said.

At some point in April, the lake “turns over,” and water temperatures equalize throughout the water column.

“This can turn the fishing off at some lakes, but it seems to turn on the mackinaw,” he said. “Hook them deep and they’ll fight all the way to the boat.”

Generally, Brookshire prefers to use downriggers to pull dodgers and flies along the lake’s bottom.

“I follow the old rule: dark days, dark lures; bright days, light lures,” he said, “although I like to use flies with contrasting colors, such as black and white or red and black.”

Early in the morning, the mackinaw might be in shallower water, but generally he’s fishing 100 to 150 feet deep.

KOKANEE/RAINBOW TROUT

Lake Roosevelt

Assuming the rain will break for more than a few days at a time, April is a peak month for catching kokanee. John Carruth, a guide from Davenport, Wash., trolls a dodger followed by K-Flies or Rooster Lites. Baiting the hooks on these lures with a maggot or corn seems to help, he said.

In April, one can fish with leaded line followed by 100 feet of leader. The fish normally are down 10 to 20 feet, he said.

“The main thing is finding them,” he said. “This time of year, I like to get out on the water and watch for dimpling on the surface. Check water temperatures and look for the warmest water.”

Rainbow trout also are prime targets in April, especially from Spring Canyon upstream to Keller Ferry. Carruth has been catching trout in shallows with spinners and plugs. By late spring, the trout will be much deeper.

RAINBOW TROUT

Clark Fork River

Don’t let recent high-water conditions fool you.

The real spring runoff is yet to come. This pre-runoff period is punctuated with days of brilliant fishing on the Clark Fork, said John Horton, manager of Grizzly Hackle fly shop in Missoula.

“When the water clears, we’ll see midge hatches and use Griffith’s gnats or little mayfly patterns or Goddard caddis,” he said. “April is the month we see the first big hatches of the year. The skwala stonefly - little brother to the salmonfly - can turn fish on. And we’ll see the gray drake mayflies.”

The rainbows are eager to feed heavily after the winter, and they haven’t become hook-shy.

“Fishing can be very good in high water as long as it’s fairly clear,” Horton said. “Best fishing tends to be in the heat of the day.”

STEELHEAD

Snake River drainage

March is a peak steelhead fishing period that’s largely overlooked. Increased flows encourage wintering steelhead to resume their run toward spawning areas.

The Touchet River and the Grande Ronde near Cottonwood Creek are prime spots. Given clear water, the Tucannon River provides good action for 6- to 8-pound steelhead in a small creek setting.

Steelhead season closes Friday on the Snake and April 15 on tributaries.

Idaho anglers are catching steelhead on upper reaches of the Clearwater drainage.

But rafters, such as Jerry Meyers of Silver Cloud Expeditions in Salmon, double their pleasure with annual mid-March trips down the Salmon River.

“Generally, we can find fairly clear pre-runoff water and the fish are stacked up in places getting ready to make their surge,” Meyers said. “The best part, though, is having the Salmon River canyon virtually to ourselves.”