Hunting & Fishing
Trout, Washington
Callibaetis mayflies are starting to hatch at some Eastern Washington lakes, but hatches have been sparse, possibly because of unusually cool weather.
Chironomids have hatched for several weeks, but nearly all have been small. By this time each year, the giant chironomid pupae, some more than an inch long, usually move to the surface to hatch. Hatches of the giant chironomids, however, have been late.
Insect hatches bring on feeding sprees, improving fishing.
Trout in Eastern Washington lakes have been feeding on tiny chironomid pupae.
At West Medical this week, for example, trout stomachs were full of 1/8-inch-long pupae. Anglers were doing well, despite a moderate algae bloom. Most fishermen caught five-fish limits of rainbows, 90 percent 9 to 11 inches.
Fishtrap Lake also has held up well, despite heavy fishing pressure. So have Williams and Badger, which were treated with rotenone last year and planted with yearling rainbow running 8 to 12 inches.
Incidentally, fly fishers are wondering whether Callibaetis mayflies will hatch this year at Badger and Williams lakes. In past years, the mayflies have started hatching just before Mother’s Day.
Several Spokane-area lakes that hold spiny-rayed species and trout have provided good trout fishing. Among them are Waitts, Clear and Silver.
Anglers have trolled flies at Waitts and hooked numerous 10- to 12-inch rainbows and also a few brown trout - all in the 18- to 25-inch range. Some big browns also have shown up at Clear.
Kokanee
Anglers blamed unsettled and cold weather for a gradual deterioration in the fishing for 16- to 18-inch kokanee in Loon Lake. By last weekend, few trollers hooked fish.
Joe Haley of Granite Point Resort said kokanee are more susceptible than some other fish species to radical changes in weather patterns. A few days of mild, calm weather should start the kokanee biting again, he said.
Lake Roosevelt
The big lake is so low because of the drawdown that boaters can launch only at Keller and 7-Bays, guide John Carruth said. At 7-Bays, he said, anglers should have a four-wheel-drive vehicle. The water is below the concrete ramp and boaters must back rigs onto sand.
Turkey hunting
Gobbler seasons in Washington and Idaho are ending. Hunters have five more days in Washington. The season ends Wednesday.
Idaho’s general season for most game management units ended Sunday. The season for portions of units 1, 2 and 3, as well as for a few controlled hunts, ends Sunday.
Trout, Idaho
Anglers are hooking good numbers of 5- to 8-pound mackinaw trout and some in the high teens and low 20s at Priest Lake, but trophy-sized macks have had lockjaw, guide Gary Brookshire reports.
The most productive areas of the lake are south of Barito Island and north of Granite Creek, he said. “Our best setup is the dodger-fly combination,” he said. “Chrome dodgers and bright, single-color flies seem to be the best. Bright-colored hootchies also are producing fish. Some local anglers have caught smaller fish by trolling the shallower waters along the shorelines with leaded line.”
Specially managed waters
Most of the selective fishery and fly fishing-only waters in Eastern Washington have provided fair to good fishing.
Chironomids and a few mayflies have hatched at Amber Lake, but fishing has been spotty. Medical Lake, which holds some good-sized brown trout, has been almost ignored since opening day.
Fishing has improved a little at Bayley and McDowell lakes on the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge since opening weekend. The big rainbows and brook trout in Bayley have stuffed themselves when the chironomids have hatched; however, fishing has been slow most of the time.
Both Lenore and Dry Falls in the Sun Lakes area are worth fishing. Chironomids have hatched.
Nunnally and Lenice in the lower Crab Creek channel are continuing to attract large numbers of spin and fly fishermen from the Yakima area and Coast. Fishing has been good.
Tiny Ell, a selective fishery lake, apparently holds good numbers of 12- to 18-inch rainbows. Fly fishers are hooking them on chironomid and leech imitations.
Aenaes, west of Tonasket, has attracted large numbers of anglers, but few have done well.
At Chopaka, most fly fishers have used chironomid imitations, even though they’ve seen a few mayflies.
Spiny rayed species
Anglers were still waiting this week for perch, crappies and bluegills to bite at Sprague Lake. Meanwhile, according to Monica Mielke of the Sprague Lake Resort, walleyes have been hitting.
There seems to be no pattern, she said. Some anglers have hooked walleyes in 17 feet of water; others have hooked them near the shoreline in 8 feet of water.
Bass fishing has been fair to good at numerous North Idaho lakes, Ross Fister of the Fins & Feathers shop said. The best fishing, he said, has been in Chatcolet and Benewah lakes. Anglers also are hooking small bass at Black and Thompson.
Hauser, Hayden and Fernan have yielded good catches of crappies, Fisher said.
Chinook salmon
Salmon fishing improved last weekend in the north end of Lake Coeur d’Alene, Fister said. Most anglers, trolling helmeted herring and lures just under the surface, hooked 8- to 10-pound chinooks. A few took home 13-pounders. The hottest lure was a 5- to 6-inch long Rapala.
Northern pike
Anglers are starting to catch pike on such lures as Daredevles and spinner baits in the shallow bays of Lake Coeur d’Alene, Fister said. Until a few days ago, nearly all anglers depended upon smelt under bobbers to catch pike.
Montana streams
Rock Creek in the Missoula area is the only stream that has provided good fly fishing. The Bitterroot, however, may be clear enough this weekend for fair to good fishing. The Clark Fork probably will be high and muddy.
Gary Westerland of Streamside Anglers said Blue Winged Olive and Gray Drake mayflies are hatching along Rock Creek. A few fly fishers are using dry flies, he said, but most are continuing to use nymphs, particularly bead head Prince Nymphs and Zug Bugs.
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