Fishing Report

Camping

The region’s favorite camping spots should be full this weekend if the weather is reasonable.

Anglers, hikers and others who couldn’t get away until after the Fourth of July may have problems finding a camping site.

Most Forest Service campgrounds along such trout streams as Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene and St. Joe rivers, likely will be full. Federal and state camping areas, as well as private campgrounds, in the Spokane region and Columbia Basin were humming with activity this week.

Trout, Idaho

Idaho’s St. Joe River and the Henry’s Fork may be the most popular streams in the state this weekend. The St. Joe finally is low and clear enough for excellent cutthroat fishing, particularly in the catch-and-release section. The famous Green Drake hatch is continuing along the Henry’s Fork, but most fly fishers will opt for patterns that suggest small insects, including caddisflies and Pale Morning Dun mayflies.

If you decide to fish the upper St. Joe, go by way of St. Regis, Mont. Moon Pass out of Wallace is closed.

Many tributaries of major streams opened to fishing Monday. They’ll be targeted by anglers who camp along the St. Joe, Coeur d’Alene and Clearwater rivers.

Because of road closures, many have been fishing the Coeur d’Alene River. In fact, the river has been so crowded, some have left and driven to other streams.

Although the streams will be popular, several of Idaho’s lakes also will be dotted with anglers’ boats. Among the most popular will be Priest, Pend Oreille and Hayden.

Experienced anglers have been taking three-fish limits of mackinaw trout at Priest nearly every time they’ve trolled lures and flies. Sometimes, it seems, just about any lure or fly will attract the macks.

Because the population of big rainbows in Pend Oreille is small this year, many have been fishing for and boating good-sized macks.

Hayden has been yielding 3- to 8-pound rainbow-cutthroat hybrids to trollers and bank fishermen.

Trout, Washington

Surprisingly, water is still high at many of Eastern Washington’s popular lakes, but fishing can be good at some of them.

For example, Bayley, a fly fishing-only lake on the Little Pend Oreille Wildlife Refuge, usually is low this time of year. However, it was a foot higher last weekend than opening day. It’s as high as it ever gets.

The relatively few big rainbows in Bayley are spread out and have lots of insects to eat. Consequently, fishing can be frustrating much of the time. But some fly fishers have been doing well. I watched two in a boat hook 10 to 12 huge rainbows on chironomid patterns in 45 minutes.

Trout, Montana

Montana’s famed Rock Creek and the Blackfoot River are the places to go for big trout in the Missoula area. They’re outproducing the Clark Fork and Bitterroot rivers.

Mark Hodek of Streamside Anglers in Missoula said Golden Stoneflies are hatching along both the Rock Creek and the Blackfoot.

Many of the browns in the Blackfoot, he said, are 20 to 22 inches. They’re reminiscent of the big browns that fly fishers caught when the legendary book, “A River Runs Through It,” was written.

The Blackfoot has made a remarkable comeback and is attracting fly fishers from throughout the country. Hodek said those who float the river 30 miles from the mouth are using No. 10 yellow Stimulators to attract the browns. He said Stimulators also are taking trout along Rock Creek.

The lower Clark Fork, Hodek said, is still “iffy” for fly fishers. The water is high and off-color, but the river could provide some fair to good fishing this weekend. The Bitterroot is still high and off-color.

The water finally is low enough along the Missouri River in the Craig area for good fishing. Guide Arnie Gidlow said the flow is 7,000 cubic feet per second and fly fishing has been excellent during mid-day.

He said caddisflies start hatching about 10 a.m. and Pale Morning Dun mayflies about 11:30.

Kokanee

The 4-year-old kokanee in Loon Lake are 18 inches long and growing. Catching them isn’t easy, but some veteran trollers have been boating four to six each morning, Joe Haley of Granite Point Resort said.

Trolling for the kokanee early this week was the best in two weeks, he said. Most anglers are letting out two to six colors of leaded line and trolling Kokanee Glow, Fisher Flies and Dick Knight lures baited with maggots.

Still-fishing at night is still slow.

Idaho’s Dworshak Reservoir won’t be providing good kokanee fishing this year. Rod Parker, spokesman for the Idaho Fish and Game Department’s Clearwater region, said the population has been estimated at only 150,000, compared to 1.3 million before massive water releases in March and April. Most of the kokanee went over the dam.

Fastest fishing for kokanee in the Inland Northwest may be at Lake Coeur d’Alene. Ross Fister of the Fins & Feathers shop at Coeur d’Alene said it’s easy to catch a 25-fish limit of 7- to 9-inchers.

Trollers are still catching 20-fish limits of kokanee that average 10 inches at Lake Koocanusa, Nevin Zugg, resort operator, said. The kokanee run from 9 to 13 inches.

Still-fishermen are finally catching kokanee at Lake Mary Ronan, Mark Thomas of Camp Tuffit said. Several have taken limits of fish that average 14-1/2 to 15 inches. Trollers are doing well.

Spiny-rays

A bright moon early this week apparently caused fish to prowl around for food at night instead of just before dark. Anglers had trouble catching crappies and bluegills along the shoreline of Sprague Lake and bass in many lakes, including Lake Roosevelt.

Monica Metz of the Sprague Lake Resort said fishermen did hook large numbers of walleyes, most of which were not quite 18 inches long, the legal minimum size.

Metz said a few have been catching rainbows in the 3-pound class.

Incidentally, unless you want to do a little walking, don’t plan to fish Grant County’s Upper Goose Lake until after Sept. 15. The Fish and Wildlife Department has closed the access road until that time because of fire danger and severe litter and sanitation problems.

Guide John Carruth of Davenport said walleyes are still hitting in Lake Roosevelt. However, smallmouth fishing has been slow.

The lake now is nearly full and all the launch ramps are useable.

Chinook salmon

Jerry Sturges of Coeur d’Alene is $1,000 richer as the result of boating a 17-pound, 9-ounce chinook during a derby last weekend, Fister said. Fishing was slow during the derby. Most chinooks seem to be at least 35 feet deep.

Shad

It’s possible enough shad will be below Ice Harbor Dam this weekend for fair to good fishing. However, the best fishing will be near John Day and McNary dams.

The shad run over Bonneville Dam has peaked and most of the fish are making their way up the Columbia River system.

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