Fishing Report

Basin opener

Don’t expect outstanding fishing at any of the more than 40 Columbia Basin lakes and streams that will be opened to fishing Saturday for the 1997 season.

Some lakes will still be ice-covered, water may be too cold for good fishing at lakes that have just lost their ice caps and trout populations at some shallow lakes may be small as the result of die-offs.

Fisheries biologists doubt that fishing will be good at Warden, South Warden, the Hamptons and the Pillar-Widgeon lakes south of the Lind Coulee and in the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge. And they’re predicting slow fishing at Lenice, Nunnally, Merry and Lenore lakes, all selective fishery waters, and at most of the lakes in the George area.

Fishing was poor last year at the Warden lakes, and biologist Joe Foster doesn’t expect much of an improvement this year. He suspects that survival of trout planted last year was small. The lakes do hold some big rainbows and browns.

The Hamptons, both of which are ice-free, are popular each opening day. Upper Hampton, a shallow lake, was covered with a thick ice cap over the winter and many trout may have died as a result of the oxygen level. Lower Hampton is deeper, and survival rates should have been good. Yearling rainbows should be 10 to 11 inches in each lake. Upper Hampton usually holds some rainbows to 19 inches.

Fishing has been poor at the lakes in the Pillar-Widgeon chain for several years. It could be fair to good at some lakes during the first few days of the season then poor again this year.

Big-fish hunters are looking forward to the opening of fishing at Lenice, Nunnally and Merry, which have been opened in late April in past years. Fly fishers persuaded the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to open the lakes early so they could take advantage of the early insect hatches, particularly the hatch of the giant chironomids. The lakes hold big rainbows and some big browns.

The three lakes are now ice-free, making it possible for fly fishers to fish them Saturday.

Lenore may still have most of its ice cover Saturday. If there’s open water, lots of fly and spin fishers will fish for the 16- to 25-inch Lahontan cutthroat. Fishing usually is slow at Lenore during the first month after the lake is opened to fishing. All Lahontans hooked from March 1 through May 31 must be released. Anglers can keep one fish a day between June 1 and Nov. 30

The best fishing in the George area should be at Upper Caliche, now ice-free. Lower Caliche was partially covered with ice at midweek, but fishing will be fair. Burke and Quincy, still mostly iced-over, are expected to provide slow fishing for 10- to 11-inch rainbow yearlings and a few carryover fish to 20 inches.

The department is planting catchable-size rainbows in Spring and Rainbow ponds along the Tucannon River.

Spectacle Lake in Okanogan County also will be opened to fishing Saturday. Anglers are expected to catch 8- to 14-inch rainbows through the ice.

Ice fishing, Spokane region

Ice is starting to recede around the edges at some lakes in the Spokane region, the prelude to the ending of ice fishing. The ice at some lakes, particularly those that have inlets and outlets, is getting thin and honeycombed. Anglers should be cautious when fishing such lakes as Sprague and Hog Canyon. Only the lower end of Sprague, incidentally, is covered by ice.

Sprague Lake was muddy at midweek and fishing was poor for perch, crappies and bluegills. However, some anglers, drifting jigs baited with nightcrawlers in about 14 feet of water, caught 18- to 21-inch walleyes.

Cold nights have kept the ice from melting too much, but fishermen can expect open water at several lakes. Hog Canyon was open at the inlet and outlet last weekend. Water entering the lake was muddy, as a result the fishing wasn’t nearly as fast as it’s been.

Ice fishermen have continued to catch perch at Eloika Lake, where the ice is still in good condition. Indications are that the perch are moving to shallow water before spawning. Fishing for perch, bluegills and crappies has been slow.

Some anglers found schools of 8- to 10-inch perch at Eloika over the weekend. A few went home with up to 50.

Chinook salmon

For the first time in at least two months, trollers caught good numbers of chinook salmon at Lake Coeur d’Alene last weekend.

Steve Smith of the Fins & Feathers shop said fishing was so good that some anglers caught their limits of two each. The average size was about 7 pounds, but a few to 11 pounds were boated.

“The fishermen had been reading salmon at about 60 feet, but they couldn’t get any to take their bait,” he said. “Last weekend a few tried fishing near the surface and started hooking fish. Then others began trolling in the top 30 feet and hooked fish.”

Smith said the most productive areas were off Tubbs Hill, Arrow Point and the golf course. Nearly all fishermen trolled helmeted herring without flashers. They trolled at 2 knots.

Ice fishing, Idaho

Ice fishing may be ending in the Columbia Basin, but it’s still going strong at most popular North Idaho lakes.

Ice was thick enough at Spirit Lake last weekend for some anglers to drive cars out on the ice. Fishing was fast for those who have become experts at catching the 7-inch kokanee. Some caught 25-fish limits in less than an hour.

The kokanee are suspended in 25 to 30 feet of water. Most veteran anglers are using six 14 to 20 hooks wrapped with red thread or floss. They bait the hooks with maggots.

Lower Twin and Pend Oreille lake’s Bottle Bay are continuing to yield fair numbers of perch. The ice at Bottle Bay no longer can be considered safe, Smith said. The perch in Lower Twin are 7 to 10 inches long.

Other lakes that are producing perch are Cocolalla, Round, Avondale, Fernan and Hauser.

Smith said ice on bays at Lake Coeur d’Alene can’t be considered safe any longer. Fishermen had been pulling northern pike through holes in the ice.

Most pike fishermen are now fishing the lakes adjacent to the lower Coeur d’Alene River. For the first time this winter, fishing was fair to good last weekend, Smith said. The pike in those lakes are small, averaging about 3 pounds.

Steelhead

The Snake River and most of its tributaries were clear enough at midweek for steelhead to see bait and lures. Fishing was fair to good, with the upper Grande Ronde providing the fastest fishing.

Jay Poe of Hells Canyon Sports said that the Snake cleared enough last weekend to encourage anglers to start back-trolling and fishing the deep holes. If rains don’t put the river out of shape again, numerous anglers probably will fish at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater and near the mouth of the Ronde this weekend.

Fishing was excellent along the South Fork of the Clearwater last weekend. The Idaho Fish and Game Department reported that anglers averaged 5 hours per steelhead, an average that indicates sensational fishing.

Fishing along other parts of the Clearwater ranged from fair to poor.

The lower Salmon was slow fishing, but the Little Salmon provided excellent fishing.

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