Hunting & Fishing

Trout

Sub-freezing nights have firmed the ice cakes on popular trout fishing waters in the region, enabling anglers to get to the spots they like to fish without having to worry about taking a cold bath.

The ice on all lakes is opaque and 4 to 5 inches thick as the result of melting snow on the surface and refreezing. It was clear and hard before snow covered it and mild weather melted the snow.

As usual, Fourth of July Lake is attracting the most fishermen. Although the fishing can be slow at times, experienced ice fishermen usually catch enough rainbows for a few meals.

Since anglers can take only two fish longer than 14 inches, some occasionally go home with only two or three trout because they can’t catch fish shorter than 14 inches. A high percentage of the rainbows in Fourth of July are 13 to 16 inches.

Williams, north of Colville, has plenty of 12- to 14-inch rainbows, as well as 10-inch yearlings. Fishermen have caught most of the large rainbow in tiny Hatch, east of Colville, but there are enough left for fair fishing at times.

Lake Roosevelt and the Potholes Reservoir continue to yield good-sized rainbows. Roosevelt is the most productive reservoir with anglers often catching five-fish limits of 14- to 16-inch trout.

The small lakes south of Lind Coulee, covered with enough ice to support fishermen safely, hold fair numbers of 10- to 16-inch rainbows.

Most North Idaho lakes were planted regularly with hatchery trout last summer. They still have enough trout for fair to good fishing. Among the most popular are Hauser, Fernan, the Twins, Round and Mirror. The latter holds cutthroat and brook trout, as well as big kokanee.

Spiny rays

Where did the big perch go? That’s what anglers who have been fishing Sprague Lake the last few weeks have been asking.

Some filled 5-gallon buckets with 12- to 13-inch perch soon after the ice formed three weeks ago. They’ve been trying the last week or so to find schools of big perch.

All they could catch last weekend were perch averaging 4 to 5 inches. Most moved around at the upper end and drilled hole after hole. A few caught good-sized bluegills and crappies, but they had to fish long and hard for a half dozen or so. The bluegills averaged 9 inches long and the crappies were 9 to 12.

Numerous North Idaho lakes are dotted with ice fishermen every day the weather is reasonably fair, said Jeff Smith, owner of the Fins & Feathers shop at Coeur d’Alene. Ice is thick enough for safe fishing.

Most fishermen have been going after perch, he said. Among the favorites are Lower Twin, Fernan, Perkins and Hauser. Some lakes also yield good-sized rainbows.

Perch in Twin and Perkins average 9 inches long, he said. Occasionally, an angler catches a 10-incher. Most anglers release perch under 6 inches.

Also popular in North Idaho is pike fishing.

Smith said Dave Fowler of Coeur d’Alene caught a 37-pounder through the ice at Hayden Lake last week. At least three more heavier than 20 pounds have been pulled through the ice the last 10 days.

Most of the pike at Hayden weigh 3 to 6 pounds.

Thompson seems to be the most productive lake adjacent to the lower Coeur d’Alene River, Smith said. The pike run 2 to 5 pounds.

More and more anglers who fish regularly for pike are investing in power augers, he said. The augers cost $250 to $350, but serious anglers sometimes drill more than 30 holes during a day’s fishing, so they think the investment pays off.

Waterfowl

Ducks and geese have been on the move almost constantly the last couple of weeks because of the frequent weather changes, frustrating hunters.

Where are the birds now? You have to make a lot of phone calls to agencies and friends to find out where they are feeding and resting. Even then, you may guess wrong.

Tens of thousands of ducks and geese used such waters as Lake Roosevelt, Moses Lake, the Potholes Reservoir and small ice-free lakes for resting spots when temperatures were mild. They began moving after temperatures plunged and snow fell.

Then temperatures rose into the 40s and remained above freezing at night last week. And rains came. As a result, the birds began moving back up into the northern Columbia Basin and into the Spokane region. Some hunters took limits.

When temperatures nose-dived last weekend, the birds began to move again.

It’s possible there will be enough ducks and geese in the Ringold Springs area of the Columbia River this weekend for good hunting. However, hunting along there has been poor the last couple weeks.

Eastern Washington’s duck and goose seasons end in nine days.

Idaho’s goose season will end Saturday. The duck season will continue through Jan. 16.

Goose hunting was excellent at Lake Coeur d’Alene last weekend.

Upland birds

If you’ve been waiting for a chance to hunt partridges without having to compete with other hunters, now is the time to hike to your favorite spot. Nearly everyone has given up hunting the birds.

You have two more days to hunt partridges in Eastern Washington and seven more to try your luck in North Idaho. The Washington partridge season ends Sunday. Idaho’s season continues through next Friday.

Washington hunters can continue to shoot quail through Sunday. Idaho’s quail and pheasant seasons are closed.

This is a good time to hunt chukars and Huns. Although they are wary after being pursued by hunters since last fall, coveys have combined into good-sized flocks.

Besides, you and your dog won’t get overheated hiking the steep country where chukars thrive.

Steelhead, salmon

If you’re willing to ride around in a boat for several hours when the air temperature is below freezing, you can hook small chinook salmon.

Smith said the salmon are hitting helmeted herring regularly at Lake Coeur d’Alene. Denny Seagraves of Kellogg caught a chinook weighing 13 pounds, 8 ounces. Sunday, Rick Wisecarver of Spokane, fishing with guide Rick Caddy, caught a 12-pound, 7-ounce chinook.

Most of the chinooks weigh 3 to 5 pounds.

The Snake River and most of its tributaries were high and muddy at midweek and aren’t likely to be clear enough this weekend for good steelhead fishing.

Last week’s rainstorms and above-normal temperatures caused big runoffs of most streams, including the Clearwater and Grande Ronde.

Visibility along the Snake was less than 12 inches at midweek.

Steelheaders probably will have to wait for several more days before the rivers are clear enough for the steelhead to find the bait and lures. If temperatures are above normal, however, the streams likely will remain off-color.