Fishing Report
Shad
Now is the time to consider fishing for shad. Every day, thousands of the slab-sided fish climb the fish ladders of the dams on the lower Columbia.
More than 100,000 have climbed the Bonneville Dam ladders, enough for good fishing, and there soon will be plenty below and above The Dalles and John Day dams. And by early July, you can expect enough shad below Ice Harbor Dam for fair to good fishing.
If you decide to fish for shad, remember they nearly always swim near the bottom. That’s why you should get a fly or lure down to where the fish are moving.
Shad swim fairly near the shorelines in 4 to 10 feet of water.
If you will be traveling or vacationing in Oregon the next few weeks, you may be near one of the rivers that have good shad runs. Anglers catch thousands of shad along the Willamette, Umpqua, Coquille, Siuslaw and Coos rivers.
Trout, Idaho
North Idaho’s cutthroat rivers should be low enough this weekend for good fishing.
The Coeur d’Alene River and its tributaries have been clear and a little high the last 10 days, but they’ve been falling every day rain hasn’t caused the small creeks to rise and become milky. This is the time to float the main stem. Later, much of the river will be too low to float in any boat that doesn’t ride high.
Periodic rains have caused the St. Joe, Selway and Lochsa to cloud up a little. However, they could be clear and low enough by this weekend to provide fair to good fishing.
Priest Lake is still yielding two-fish limits of mackinaw trout, most 3 to 7 pounds.
Spiny rays
If you want to catch a few good-sized bluegills and crappies, fish near Sprague Lake’s shoreline after the sun has set. You may catch some during mid-day hours, but, according to Mike Mielke, co-owner of the Sprague Lake Resort, the best time to go after the two species is in the evenings.
Some anglers, including fly fishers, have hooked 7- to 10-inch bluegills and small crappies.
Walleye fishing has been excellent, Mielke said. He suggested anglers troll or drift bottom bouncers. Drifting pays off when the wind is just strong enough to move a boat slowly.
The nearly 150 who fished the two-day walleye tournament at Moses Lake last weekend did fairly well, according to John Carruth of Davenport, a fishing guide who entered the contest. Largest walleye caught, he said, weighed 9 pounds.
Carruth said one of the most productive walleye fishing spots along Lake Roosevelt has been in the Gifford area. However, most of the fish boated have been small.
Carruth said fishing in the Spokane arm has been slow since it opened June 1.
Numerous North Idaho lakes are providing excellent fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass, according to Ross Fister of the Fins & Feathers shop at Coeur d’Alene.
Hayden, open to catch-and-release bass fishing until July 1, has been producing outstanding fishing for both bass species. Fister also said Hauser, Coeur d’Alene and most of the lakes in Bonner and Boundary counties are good bets.
Trout, Washington
It’s the time of year when morning and evening are the most productive times to fish for trout. There are times, however, especially on cool, cloudy days, when the fish will take bait fished just above the bottom or baited lures fished deep.
Don’t overlook mixed-species lakes. Some are producing more trout than lakes managed especially for trout.
For example, trout fishing has been good at Sprague Lake, with anglers catching limits or near-limits of 12- to 20-inch rainbows. Troll deep or fish off the docks at the resorts.
Other mixed species lakes worth fishing include Silver, Clear, Liberty, Waitts and Jump-off Joe. There are good-sized brown trout, as well as rainbows, in Silver, Clear and Waitts.
Anglers have cut deeply into the trout populations of Fishtrap, Badger, Williams and West Medical, but you can still take limits if you are persistent, especially in the evenings.
Several northeastern Washington lakes are good bets for cutthroat, brook and rainbow trout. Among them are the lakes in the Little Pend Oreille chain, Yocum, Marshall, North and South Skookums and Deep.
Blue and Park lakes southwest of Coulee City haven’t been fished as hard as fisheries managers thought they would be. Joe Foster, Basin fisheries manager, said he believes the two large lakes still have plenty of rainbows for good fishing the next couple of months.
The selective gear and fly fishing-only lakes continue to attract lots of fly fishers and spin fishermen. However, fishing has been slow at times at most of the lakes.
Blue, a 160-acre selective gear lake 10 miles south of Loomis, has been popular lately with fly fishers. It holds lots of 12- to 18-inch rainbows and browns. Fishing was good last week but slow during the weekend.
Grimes, another selective gear lake, opened to fishing June 1, but fishing has been poor. There’s a possibility the Lahontan cutthroat population is considerably smaller than those of the last few years.
Chopaka, a fly fishing-only lake, is one of the few managed for quality trout that continues to provide excellent fishing. The Callibaetis mayfly hatch has peaked and most fly fishers are spending their time fishing midge and leech patterns.
Fishing has been slow at Dry Falls, Lenice, Nunnally and Medical lakes. Amber, which apparently has a large population of rainbow, has been productive, especially during evenings.
Kokanee
Lake Coeur d’Alene continues to be the most productive lake in Idaho for nice-sized kokanee.
Fister said experienced kokanee anglers are taking 25-fish limits of 10- to 11-inchers in the south part of the lake. Spokane and East points have been popular, he said. The kokanee are being caught from near the surface down to 20 feet.
Some kokanee have been caught in Mica Bay and off Higgen’s Point.
Anglers have been taking six-fish limits of 10- to 11-inch kokanee at Mirror Lake, Fister said. Mirror also is a good trout lake.
Trollers had trouble catching kokanee last weekend and early this week at Loon Lake, Joe Haley, manager of the Granite Point Resort, reported.
Anglers have had to put in a lot of hours to catch 10-fish limits of kokanee at Lake Mary Ronan. Gary Thomas, co-owner of Camp Tuffit, said trolling has been more productive than still-fishing.
Thomas also said he’s seen more cutthroat than in the last several years. Anglers have been catching good numbers of cutthroat that average 12 inches long; they’re also catching lots of rainbows.
Experienced trollers are taking 20-fish limits of kokanee that average 13 inches in length at Koocanusa Reservoir, said Conrad Coggeshall, owner of the Koocanusa Resort.
Pike
Pike fishing has been good at Lake Coeur d’Alene, Fister said. The pike are prowling for prey fish in 2 to 8 feet of water in all the shallow bays. Good spots to fish are in Cougar, Carlin and Squaw bays.
Salmon
Anglers have been catching 15- to 40-pound chinook salmon near Ringold Springs and the Icicle River.
If you decide to try your luck in the Ringold Springs area of the Columbia River, check the water level before you make the long drive. When the river is fairly low, fishing can be rewarding. However, it’s been almost unbelievably high for this time of year much of the time. When the water is over the willows, you’ll have trouble finding a place to fish. You must fish from shore.
If you go to the Icicle, expect plenty of company. The section that’s open to fishing for chinooks is short and good places to fish are usually occupied long before sun-up.
Montana streams
Big salmonflies are hatching along Rock Creek and the Bitterroot rivers.
Drew Miller, a guide for Grizzly Hackle International at Missoula, said the huge stoneflies are hatching all along Rock Creek. Also hatching are some Green Drake mayflies and Golden Stoneflies.
Miller said Rock Creek is clear and running at 1,100 cubic feet per second, high but not too high to wade.
Salmonflies and some caddisflies are hatching along the Bitterroot, he said. The stream is clear and running at 2,000 cfs, too high for easy fishing.