Fishing Report
Kokanee
Loon Lake and Lake Coeur d’Alene are among the most productive waters within 40 miles of Spokane for hooking kokanee.
Anglers can also catch kokanee at Chapman, Dworshak Reservoir, Koocanusa and Mary Ronan lakes, but most will spend their time at Loon and Coeur d’Alene.
If the weather is good this weekend, experienced anglers could take limits of 10 kokanee both day and night at Loon. However, good weather always brings out water skiers and speedboaters during the day.
Night fishermen start searching for kokanee schools about 9 and often anchor and settle down for several hours of fishing in 30 to 35 feet of water. They’ll fish maggot- or corn-baited glow hooks just off the bottom.
Trollers could do well at Koocanusa and Mary Ronan in Montana.
Spiny rays
If you want to catch outsized bluegills, fish Sprague Lake. Mike Mielke, co-owner of the Sprague Lake Resort, said that last weekend anglers caught some of the biggest bluegills he’s seen in six years.
“They were using Beetle Spin and a jig under a bobber tipped with a piece of worm,” he said. “We watched them move around, find a school of fish and then keep up with them. It really paid off.”
The resort is in the upper end of the lake.
Fishermen also have been catching good numbers of crappies and perch, Mielke said. Some of the crappies and perch are at least 12 inches long.
Anglers also are catching rainbows to 14 inches.
If the weather is fair this weekend, Mielke said, fishing for spiny rays could be rewarding. The Potholes Reservoir and a few nearby waters have been producing excellent fishing for smallmouth bass, according to Mike Meseberg of the Mar-Don Resort.
Some anglers have been taking smallmouths from shorelines, while others, a few in float tubes, have been working the face of O’Sullivan Dam, the south end of Soda Lake and all of Long and Crescent lakes.
Walleyes to 7 pounds have been caught off the Mar-Don dock, according to Meseberg. It’s a bit unusual, but not rare, for walleyes to be taken by dock fishermen.
Trout fishing has been terrific, Meseberg added. Most of the rainbows are 14 to 16 inches long, but a few to 7 pounds have been taken. Meseberg said the Potholes Reservoir’s water level has dropped more than 4 feet since Memorial Day. However, anglers can still get their boats around the sand dune islands.
Bass fishing has been excellent at numerous North Idaho lakes, Jeff Smith, owner of the Fins & Feathers at Coeur d’Alene, said.
Hayden Lake is closed to catch-and-keep bass fishing until July 1, he noted, but some anglers have been hooking and releasing numerous smallmouths to 4 pounds the last week or so.
“They’ve been working the shorelines in 8 to 10 feet of water, using grubs, small plastic worms and jigs,” Smith said.
The largemouths are getting ready to spawn at numerous Panhandle lakes, he said. Fishing has been good at the chain lakes. Among the most productive have been Thompson, Black and Anderson. The latter won’t open to catch-and-keep fishing until July 1.
Crappie fishing has been excellent at many lakes, including Hayden, Smith said. Most productive areas at Hayden are the edges of weed pads or under docks and boat houses. Most of the crappies are 9 to 14 inches long. Crappie fishing also has been good in Denton Slough and Ellisport Bay at Lake Pend Oreille, he said.
Trout, lakes
It’s getting tough to catch a limit of trout at many Eastern Washington lakes.
Reasons: Fish populations have been cut drastically the last few weeks. Most insects have hatched and the trout at some lakes are on a diet of minute crustaceans. And fish feed only early and late in the day.
So don’t expect to catch a limit every time you go fishing. And try to leave home after 5 p.m. and plan to fish until or after dark.
Try trolling deep or still-fishing 20 to 30 feet deep. The deep lakes are stratifying and the trout spend most of their time in fairly deep water. But don’t fish too deep. You may be dragging your lures through water that doesn’t hold much oxygen.
The little lakes in Pend Oreille, Stevens, Ferry and Okanogan counties are popular this time of year. There are camping areas at some of the lakes and some anglers take their families to such lakes as Swan, the Little Pend Oreilles, Browns and the Skoookums. The fish aren’t big, but they taste better than those at some of the big lakes in the Spokane area.
Although fishing has slowed at many lakes, it’s better than normal for this time of year because of the late, cool, and wet spring. Water temperatures are just starting to rise into the 70s at most lakes.
Some lakes haven’t been fished so frequently that the trout populations have been reduced dramatically. Consider fishing the big lakes on the Colville Indian Reservation and the fairly large lakes in Okanogan County.
You can still catch mackinaw trout at Loon Lake. While fishing one evening a few days ago, Don Ostlund caught 19- and 6-pounders. Later, Glen Biddle, owner of the Granite Point Resort caught 14- and 17-pounders. Both used Nordic jigs.
Shad
Shad fishing is peaking along the lower Snake River.
Recent counts along the dams, however, indicate this year’s run could be smaller than normal. Only 1,118,180 shad had been counted at Bonneville as of Sunday and fewer than 25,000 at McNary Dam.
Biologists have been saying that shad are one anadromous fish that seem not to have been affected by El Nino and other factors.
Despite the relatively low counts, there have been enough shad near the lower dams for good fishing.
Specially managed waters
One of my fly fishing friends, considered one of the top fly fishers in the Inland Northwest, was shocked when he fished Dry Falls Lake recently. He had anticipated hooking a dozen or so rainbows and brown trout on damselfly nymphs and chironomid pupa patterns.
He discovered the damselfly hatch had already occurred and there were no more damselfly nymphs swimming toward shore to hatch.
Then he learned the trout were picky when it came to taking chironomid pupa patterns. And no mayflies were hatching. For the first time this season, he had to work hard for a half-dozen fish.
That happens to many fly fishers at the region’s lakes late every June and during the summer months. Trout can’t be counted on to cooperate with fly fishers after most insects have hatched and waters have warmed.
Prospects for fishing the fly fishing-only and selective-gear lakes are not as good as a couple weeks ago. However, there will be times when anglers are surprised.
Such lakes as Amber, Bayley, Dry Falls, Lenice, Blue (Sinlahekin) and Chopaka are still potentially good fishing spots.
However, many fly fishers soon will stop fishing the lakes and start fishing the region’s rivers. And many will travel to British Columbia to fish the lakes that hold huge Kamloops and Gerard strain rainbows that will be feeding on damselfly nymphs and big caddisflies the next couple of weeks.
Stream fishing
The most productive stream fishing in North Idaho apparently is along the Coeur d’Alene River. Smith said although the river is still high, it’s been clear enough for good fishing.
“Some of the best fishing has been near Enaville and the Bumblebee campground,” he said.
Most of Western Montana’s rivers are still too high and murky for good fishing. The big salmon flies are still hatching along Rock Creek in the Missoula area, The Missoulian Angler shop reported. However, the stream is very high.
Most fly fishers have been dredging big nymphs along the banks.
“Floaters should be careful,” the shop said in its weekly report. “The flows are very heavy and floating can be very technical. You must constantly look for new snags and deadfalls. It’s no time to be bird watching while rowing.”
The shop reported the Blackfoot River, though running high, should produce good fly fishing soon.
Salmon
Chinook salmon fishing has been slow at Lake Coeur d’Alene, Smith said.
“The salmon are 40 to 60 feet deep,” he said. “Most fishermen have been using dodgers and herring, but some are starting to hook fish by using flashers ahead of mini-squids.”
The Lake Coeur d’Alene Anglers’ Association will have a chinook derby Saturday and Sunday. Entry fee is $10.