Hunting & Fishing

Waterfowl

Thousands of Canada geese are flying daily from big lakes and reservoirs in Eastern Washington to feed in harvested grain and winter wheat fields. Surprisingly, relatively few gunners have been hunting them.

Unless there’s a change, only die-hard hunters will go after geese the final few days of what has been one of the best goose-hunting seasons in many years. Duck and goose hunting ends in Eastern Washington at sunset Jan. 21.

Pressure has been heavy on ducks in the Spokane region and in the Columbia Basin, but it’s been hard to find goose hunters.

For example, a couple of neophite hunters, who have had excellent shooting, told me they’ve been surprised at the lack of competition. They’ve seen thousands of geese fly to fields near where they have been hunting, but have heard gun fire only a few times the last three weeks.

Starting Saturday, goose hunters can hunt every day until the end of the season in Eastern Washington goose management areas 1 and 2, which, until now, have been open to goose shooting only on Saturdays, Sundays, Wednesdays and holidays. Area boundaries are in the migratory waterfowl pamphlet.

Because big waters are still ice-free and because they can find plenty of grain and winter wheat to eat, most geese are still in northern Washington. They’re spending nights on Lake Roosevelt, the Columbia below Grand Coulee Dam and Moses Lake and other large reservoirs then flying out to feed each morning.

Usually, big flocks of geese are along the Snake and Columbia rivers this time of year. However, hunters have had poor shooting. A couple from Spokane last weekend ran their boat between Lower Monumental and Little Goose dams on the Snake and saw only 50 geese and a dozen or two ducks.

For the first time since the government was shut down, waterfowlers are now hunting on the Columbia and Umatilla refuges. David Goeke, manager of the Columbia refuge, said 50,000 ducks and numerous geese are on refuge waters.

It’s possible some of the 350,000 ducks in the northern Basin may be along the Columbia River in the Ringold Springs area and in the Umatilla area during the final week of the season.

Most productive hunting, however, is likely to be on and near the Potholes Reservoir, along the wasteways and in the fields of the northern Basin.

Steelhead

Tributaries of the lower Snake River may continue to be the most productive streams the next few days.

Fisheries biologist Art Viola reported 51 anglers checked along the Touchet Saturday averaged 5.1 hours per steelhead and 43 fishermen along the Tucannon averaged 4.1 hours for each fish.

Fishing wasn’t quite as good along the Walla Walla, where eight anglers averaged 9.8 hours per fish.

Water temperatures are between 38 and 40 degrees in the Snake and the tributaries. Steelhead stop moving when the temperature drops below 39 degrees.

Anglers reported fishing near Monumental and Little Goose dams was slow last weekend. The Snake is off color as the result of runoff from tributary streams.

Fishing was good along the lower Clearwater and the North Fork last weekend.

The Idaho Fish and Game Department reported 56 anglers averaged 10 hours per steelhead along the lower Clearwater. They kept 10 fish and released 11. Ninety anglers averaged eight hours per steelhead on the North Fork. They kept 25 and released 23.

Fishing, Washington

It’s apparent this will be the shortest ice fishing season in several years. Although ice is 3 inches to a little more than 4 inches thick on some lakes in Eastern Washington, ice on most Spokane region and Columbia Basin lakes and reservoirs isn’t thick enough to support anglers safely.

Anglers have been fishing through ice at Hog Canyon and Fourth of July lakes and at Sprague Lake, but the weather pattern hasn’t been conducive to safe fishing. Temperatures have dropped into the teens for a day or so, but have then risen enough to stop the ice-thickening process.

Many would-be ice fishermen still won’t walk out on the ice at the two popular winter fishing lakes.

Mike Mielke, operator of the Sprague Lake Resort, said anglers have been walking out on thin ice in the north end of Sprague.

“I try not to watch them,” he said. “I don’t want to see somebody go through the ice.”

Mielke said there was a lot of open water at the lake earlier this week.

If and when the ice can be trusted at Sprague, fishing could be good for perch, crappies and bluegills.

Usually, ice at popular lakes and reservoirs in the Spokane region and the Columbia Basin is 6-10 inches thick by the second week of January. It’s marginal for ice fishing at most lakes now.

As usual, Rocky Ford Creek, a fly fishing-only stream north of Moses Lake, has been attracting fishers from throughout the state on mild days. The big rainbows in the stream are feeding on scuds, leeches and midges.

Ice fishing, Idaho

Ice fishing was excellent for several days last week at several Panhandle lakes, but warm weather and rains softened the ice and made most anglers wary, Ross Fister of the Fins & Feathers shop said.

Ice was only 3 inches thick on Fernan early this week and water was on the ice, he said. Fishermen have stayed away from Cocolalla and Round lakes as the result of mild temperatures and rains.

If ice thickens on Panhandle lakes, he said, Hauser is one of the best places to catch good-sized perch and some rainbows.

When the ice was 4 inches thick a few days ago, Fister said, some anglers were catching 50 to 60 perch that averaged 9 to 9 inches, as well as some nice-sized rainbows. They fished through ice out from the Rainbow Resort.

“The best time to fish Hauser,” he said, “is from before dawn to an hour after daylight. Fishing usually is poor during the day.”

Chinook salmon

Salmon fishing at Coeur d’Alene Lake has been so poor the last 10 days, Fister said, most anglers have stopped trolling for the chinooks. The lake has cleared a little, but is still too murky for good fishing.

Whitefish

This is whitefish time at several North Idaho streams. However, most of the rivers are off color as the result of mild temperatures and rains.

Ned Horner, Panhandle regional fishery manager for the Idaho Fish and Game Department, said anglers should fish the large, slow-moving pools over gravel and sand when the St. Joe, Coeur d’Alene, St. Maries, Moyie and Priest rivers are in good, fishable condition. All trout must be released.

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