Fishing Report

Trout, Washington

Nature played a trick on anglers who had hoped to fish from boats last weekend at Fourth of July Lake.

The popular 4-mile-long lake had lost its ice cover as the result of unseasonably high temperatures and rain early this month and fishermen were starting to launch small boats at the upper end. However, night-time temperatures in the teens and low 20s put an ice cap back on the lake just before the weekend, preventing anglers from launching boats.

The ice at the public access area was an inch thick Sunday and Monday. Some fishermen tried to break the ice and get to the thinner ice several hundred yards from the launch site but failed.

Most hiked down the lake to open water and fished from shore. A few caught limits, but fishing was slow.

It’s possible the ice will be gone this weekend and fishermen again will be able to launch boats. However, anglers should be prepared to park their vehicles and boats at the big parking area and walk to open water. If there is ice, it will be too thin for ice fishing.

Incidentally, two rigs in the parking lot Sunday had boats with outboard engines on trailers. It’s illegal to use internal combustion engines on the lake; only electric motors are legal.

The water level in Fourth of July is about as high as it’s been in several years. Heavy rains in January and earlier this month caused the level to go up at least a foot. As a result, the narrow road adjacent to the main launch site that some have used to launch boats is flooded. Anglers will have to launch at the main site.

Williams and Hatch lakes in the Colville area continue to attract fishermen. Both have ice covers.

Four lakes south of the Lind Coulee continue to yield 12- to 14-inch rainbows. They include Windmill, North Windmill, Hart and Canal. All were rehabilitated nearly two years ago and were replanted with rainbows.

Also open to fishing are lakes north of the Windmill lakes. It’s necessary to walk short distances to get to most of the lakes.

Lake Roosevelt was popular with anglers last weekend, but fishing for rainbows was slow, particularly at the lower end of the lake. However, anglers continued to catch many large kokanee that they had to release. Only kokanee with clipped adipose fins can be kept.

A couple of Spokane fishermen said they hooked more than a dozen big kokanee, but had to release all of them because they had intact adipose fins.

Some boat and shore fishermen caught deep-bodied triploid rainbows at Rufus Woods Lake last weekend. Most of the trout weighed 3 to 5 pounds, but a few were in the 8- to 10-pound class.

Trout, Idaho

Most North Idaho fishermen have been concentrating on perch, but a few have been trying for trout, said Jeff Smith, owner of the Fins & Feathers shop at Coeur d’Alene.

For those interested in catching hatchery-raised trout, he recommended fishing at Fernan, Kelso or Round.

Mirror, southeast of Sandpoint, also holds some nice trout. The ice cover is thick enough for safe ice fishing.

There hasn’t been much interest in trolling for the mackinaw trout at Lake Pend Oreille the last couple of weeks. The few who have been fishing for the lakers have trolled lures around the islands near Hope.

Spiny rays

The low temperatures that restored ice caps to many Eastern Washington lakes last week put a thin layer of ice on Sprague Lake. It’s possible the ice will be gone this weekend, but fishermen should expect that they might not be able to launch boats at either of the two private launch ramps.

The ice was too thin early this week to safely support anglers.

Several North Idaho lakes continue to churn out perch, Smith said. Among them are Upper Twin, Round, Fernan, Gamble and Blue.

Gamble and Chase hold the biggest perch. Because of the depth of the snow, vehicle access to Chase is difficult, if not impossible. Anglers must walk into the lake.

The perch in Blue, which is near Priest River, are 9 inches long.

Ice is thick and solid at most of the lakes in Kootenai, Bonner and Boundary counties, Smith said, but it’s poor on the lakes adjacent to the lower Coeur d’Alene River.

Steelhead

As usual, the most productive steelhead fishing is along the tributaries of the Snake River. Most steelhead that migrated up the Columbia and into the Snake have moved into the streams where they will spawn this spring.

The lower Clearwater and its North Fork are good choices. Fishing has been good the last two weeks. Many anglers have been plunking bait or fishing bait under bobbers.

Anglers averaged 17 hours per steelhead along the lower Clearwater last weekend, the Idaho Fish and Game Department reported. Other averages: upper Clearwater, 13 hours; North Fork, 19 hours; Salmon to Vinegar Creek, 20 hours; Vinegar to Riggins, 36 hours; Little Salmon, 20 hours.

The catch rate along the Grande Ronde has ranged from 6 to 17 hours per steelhead the last few weeks, according to Jerry Dedloff of the Snake River Laboratory.

The Tucannon, Touchet and Walla Walla are fair bets for steelhead as long as the rivers are clear.

Some streams may be off-color or muddy as the result of this week’s rains.

Salmon

Fishing for the small chinooks in Lake Coeur d’Alene was fair last weekend, Smith said. The best “bites” were in the late afternoon.

Most of the chinooks caught by trollers last week and on the weekend were in the top 20 to 30 feet of the surface. However, a few were hooked in water as deep as 80 feet.

Smith said the best fishing lately has been from Tubbs Hill to Kidd Island Bay and from Mica Bay to Loff’s Bay. Anglers are trolling helmeted herring at 1.8 mph and Rapala plugs at slightly faster speeds.

Some of the salmon are only 12 inches long. However, Smith said, he caught 3- and 9-pounders late one afternoon last week.

Kokanee

Ice fishing for small kokanee has been excellent lately at Spirit Lake, Smith said. Some fishermen have been accessing the lake in the Silver Beach area, others in the south end.

Most have been using weighted bead chain spinners with maggot-baited glow hooks 25 to 30 feet deep.

Burbot

Fishermen continue to catch small burbot (ling) at Sullivan Lake and in some areas along Lake Roosevelt.

Sullivan is still covered with ice; however, fishermen should be cautious when going out on the ice.

Lake Roosevelt is ice-free and fishermen have been hooking a few burbot in deep water at the mouth of the Spokane River.

Whitefish

The Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam is the place to go to catch 12- to 14-inch whitefish. Some have been fishing from shore; others fish from boats.

Soda Lake is full of big lake whitefish. However, the best time to fish for them will be when the Bureau of Reclamation starts pumping water from the Potholes Reservoir through the canal system. Whitefish congregate at the inlet of Soda Lake and fishermen do well for a brief period.