Fishing Report

Winter lakes

Because of ice conditions, it’s unlikely that anglers will be able to launch boats at Hog Canyon Lake this weekend.

Although most of the ice on Fourth of July is gone, some ice in the “narrows” about three-quarters of a mile from the launch area was still preventing boaters from going to the lower end of the lake on Wednesday.

Most of Hog Canyon was still covered by rotten ice Wednesday. However, there was enough open water along the shoreline and at the head of the lake for anglers to fish in open water. Fishing was excellent for the few anglers who fished the lake.

Barring near- or sub-zero temperatures, the short ice fishing season at the two lakes is over. No one risked cold dunkings at either of the lakes last weekend.

Numerous anglers fished from Fourth of July’s shoreline last weekend and early this week. Some hiked the 4 miles to the southwest end, believing they had a better chance of catching limits than from the upper end.

Although anglers may be able to launch boats at Fourth of July this weekend, they still will have to row or operate electric motors in extremely shallow water for a couple of hundred yards to get to deep water.

Fourth of July still holds good numbers of rainbows in the 16- to 24-inch class. However, most of the fish that will be caught from now until the end of the season could be the 10-inch yearlings.

Trout

Anglers are continuing to catch rainbows at a few lakes in the Columbia Basin, but the fishing has been so slow most fishermen seem to be waiting for the opening of the March 1 lakes.

Ice has melted or is nearly gone at several of the seep lakes south of the Lind Coulee. Such year-round lakes as Susan, Katey, Janet, Virgin, Marco Polo, June and the Windmills are worth trying soon after the ice has melted.

Some anglers, plunking bait from shore, have been catching rainbows up to 5 pounds at Lake Roosevelt and the long reservoir behind Chief Joseph Dam. Fishing isn’t fast, but it can be rewarding.

Fishing for mackinaw trout in Lake Pend Oreille has been slow the past couple of weeks, but a few of the fish, mostly 5 to 10 pounds, have been taken around the islands in the north end of the lake.

Ed Dickson, operator of Diamond Charters, recommends trolling a mustard-colored fly behind an “O” dodger at 1.4 knots or a U-20 frog pattern Flatfish at .8 knots.

Spiny rays

Nearly all the ice on Sprague Lake had melted early this week and the rest was thin and rotten. Anglers could be fishing from boats this weekend.

Ice fishing wasn’t very productive most of the time the ice was safe to stand on. However, some anglers did hook perch that measured 5 to 13 inches. Once in a while, a few located schools of good-sized perch.

With the melting of the ice, anglers will have a better chance of finding the perch, crappies and walleyes.

Indications are the crappie population in Sprague is big enough to provide fairly good fishing this year. There seems to be large numbers of crappies in several age classes, including some more than 13 inches.

Walleye fishing was excellent at times last year, with some anglers leaving with limits of 18- to 22-inchers. Since walleyes can be caught regularly when the water temperature is in the 40s, anglers may start hooking some fish the next few weeks.

Walleye fishing was tough at Lake Roosevelt last weekend. Guide John Carruth of Davenport said he and two others fished hard one day to catch five walleyes. However, two were more than 20 inches long.

Carruth said he and friends caught all the walleyes in 20 to 30 feet of water.

The Columbia River just below Priest Rapids Dam has been one of the most consistent walleye producers. Some anglers, fishing about a half mile below the dam, have caught numerous walleyes more than 20 inches long. They also have been catching 12- to 14-inch whitefish in the same area.

Best North Idaho lake to fish for big perch is Chase near Coolin, according to Jeff Smith, owner of the Fins & Feathers shop. Anglers have been hooking some 11- to 13-inch perch, but the fishing is rarely fast.

Access is a problem, he said. The final half mile to the lake is not plowed and anglers should have a four-wheel-drive vehicle or go to the lake on a snowmobile.

Ice is still good on Round, upper Twin and Perkins lakes, he said. However, the perch are small.

Smith said the ice on several Kootenai County lakes no longer is hard and thick enough to support anglers safely. He said the ice is rotten on Avondale, Rose and the lakes adjacent to the lower Coeur d’Alene River.

Steelhead

Hottest fishing during the week ending Sunday was along the lower Grand Ronde. Anglers averaged 2.1 hours per steelhead, according to Jerry Dedloff of the State Fish and Wildlife Department’s Snake River Laboratory.

The exceptional fishing indicates that the steelhead are moving fast out of the Snake and to their spawning grounds along the Ronde.

Other averages follow: Walla Walla River 4.5 hours, Touchet 6.9, Tucannon 6, and Little Goose Dam 20.3

It’s nearing the time for steelhead to spawn in the Columbia and tributaries, but the fish are still in good condition even though they’re turning dark.

Salmon

Trolling for chinook salmon in Lake Coeur d’Alene was fairly good last weekend, Smith said. Several 3- to 6-pounders and a couple more than 10 pounds were boated.

Smith said the most productive fishing, as usual, was in the north end of the lake, primarily off Hudson and Arrow points and in Bennett Bay.

Nearly all anglers found salmon in 80 to 110 feet of water. They used mini-squids behind glow flashers to attract the fish.

Kokanee

Numerous anglers trolled in the Spring Canyon area of Lake Roosevelt last weekend. Most of the kokanee were 12 to 14 inches long.

Fishing for the small kokanee at Idaho’s Spirit Lake has been slow. Anglers have found a few schools at 20 to 30 feet under the ice.

Pike

It’s still a little too early for good northern pike fishing at Lake Coeur d’Alene, Smith said. However, a few anglers caught the toothy fish in Squaw and Wolf Lodge bays last weekend. They baited hooks with smelt and herring and fished the bait under slip bobbers.

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