Fishing Report
Trout, open water
Fishing was slow at most of the Columbia Basin lakes that opened Monday. However, a few provided good fishing for big rainbows.
Top producing lakes were Upper and Lower Caliche, where anglers averaged 3.2 rainbows each. The yearling trout were 12 to 13 inches long and the carryover fish were 16 to 20 inches.
Dusty Lake also pleased fishermen. Although the average catch was 2.3 rainbows, yearling rainbows were 13 to 15 inches long, carryover rainbows were 18 to 26 inches and brown trout were 14 to 18 inches. Forty percent of the catch was brown trout.
Walk-in lakes in the Quincy area yielded a few 12-inch yearling rainbows and some 16- to 20-inch carryover rainbows.
Catchable-size trout released into Warden and South Warden had lockjaw. Fishing was poor, with anglers averaging .3 fish each.
Four out of five rainbows hooked at Lenice and Nunnally were carryover fish measuring 18 to 24 inches. Few of the 14- to 15-inch yearlings were caught. Anglers, many of them fly fishers, averaged 1.3 fish each.
Lenore Lake was opened for catch-and-release fishing, but the Fish and Wildlife Department didn’t check Lahontan cutthroat.
Several lakes in the Seep Lakes area provided good fishing. They included Corral, Blythe, Heart, Canal and Windmill.
Only a few fished Coffeepot Lake. Fisheries biologist Bob Peck said they caught some 14- to 16-inch rainbows.
Coffeepot is extremely high, even higher than it was last year, a highwater year.
The Pillar-Widgeon lakes provided fair fishing, anglers averaging 1.9 8- to 10-inch rainbows each.
Lake Roosevelt is still one of the most productive lakes in Eastern Washington for fairly large rainbows.
Most fishermen have been trolling lures and flies from boats, but a few have been fishing from shore. Majority of the rainbows are 14 to 16 inches, but a few are 18 to 21 inches.
Winter lakes
If you’re going to fish the winter trout lakes this season, do so the next three weeks. Fourth of July, Williams and Hatch, as well as a few in the Columbia Basin, will close March 31.
Fourth of July is the best choice for big rainbows, although you’ll catch trout as short as 10 inches. Many of the trout you catch will be more than 14 inches long.
Fishing was excellent at the lake early this week, Peck said. He said the lake, which was ice free, attracted numerous fly fishers and spin fishermen. Some of the fly fishers hooked and released many rainbows in the 14- to 15-inch range.
The popular lake was hit hard when the ice was thick enough for safe ice fishing, but an unusual weather pattern developed in February. As a result, fishing pressure wasn’t as heavy as it could have been.
Fourth of July still has a fairly large population of rainbows. Some anglers, particularly fly fishers, will hook and release large numbers of rainbows at times the next three weeks. However, as usual, there will be days when the fish will have lockjaw.
Williams and Hatch still have ice covers. Part of Williams has been kept open by an aerator. This week’s sub-normal night-time temperatures may have firmed up the ice at Hatch, but fishermen will be cautious before walking out on the lake.
When Hatch was high last spring, water crossed the near-by highway and many rainbows migrated into a pond. At the same time, perch migrated from the pond to the lake. Now fishermen are catching 6- to 9-inch perch, as well as a few big rainbows.
Trout, Idaho
North Idaho’s Priest Lake won’t open until April 24 to catch-and-keep fishing, but some fishermen are hooking and releasing fairly large numbers of mackinaw trout.
Rich Lindsey, owner of Blue Ribbon Charters, said four anglers fished with him a few days ago and caught 24 macks ranging from 4 to 14 pounds. Three of the fish weighed more than 12 pounds. They caught all their fish during a 5-hour period, using dodgers and hootchies in 140 feet of water. They fished around the south end of the islands.
Anglers soon will fish for rainbows in open water at Fernan and a few other North Idaho lakes, Jeff Smith, owner of the Fins & Feathers shop at Coeur d’Alene, said.
Ice is pulling away from shorelines at many lakes, making it difficult for fishermen to get to safe ice. Most put a board from the shore to ice cakes.
Spiny rays
Perch and bass will be targeted by some fishermen at several of the region’s lakes the next week or so. A few fishermen have found schools of good-sized perch at Sprague Lake, but fishing has been spotty for most anglers. If you fish Sprague, move around a lot to find perch.
Peck said perch fishing was good this week in the upper end of Sprague Lake. He said he checked a young couple, who fished near the Sprague Lake Resort, with numerous 9- to 11-inch perch. The couple had fished in several places before locating a school of big perch.
The perch are getting ready to spawn and have moved into fairly shallow water. The upper end of the lake is the most productive area.
Fishermen may catch perch and bass at Coffeepot Lake this weekend. However, the perch fishing may be better than the bass fishing. The water temperature is still in the low 40s and high 30s.
Some fishermen have been catching walleyes to 10 pounds along the Columbia River, particularly in the McNary Dam area and near Arlington and Irrigon, according to fishing guide John Carruth of Davenport.
Nearly all the walleye fishermen have been casting jigs with plastic skirts, he said.
Walleye fishing has been fair to good at Lake Roosevelt, he said. Anglers have been fishing in eddies off the main current with jigs. Most of the walleyes are small, but a few big ones have been caught in recent weeks, he said. The largest reported as of early this week was a 12-1/2-pounder.
Steelhead
Anglers continue to catch a few steelhead along the Snake River, but the most productive streams are the Snake’s tributaries, including the Clearwater, Grande Ronde, Salmon, Tucannon, Touchet and Walla Walla.
The Clearwater River was muddy last weekend. Possibly as a result, fishing was poor. The Idaho Fish and Game Department reported anglers averaged 62 hours per fish along the lower Clearwater and 90 hours along the upper river.
The North Fork, just below Dworshak Dam, was clear and cold. Anglers averaged 56 hours per fish.
Fishing was good along the lower Salmon River, with anglers averaging 12 hours per fish from Whitebird to Riggins and 19 hours from Riggins to Vinegar Creek. Average for the Little Salmon was 24 hours per steelhead.
Some of the streams may be offcolor this weekend. Steelhead seasons will end soon; consequently, anglers should check regulations for the streams they intend to fish.
Salmon
Salmon fishing was poor last weekend at Lake Coeur d’Alene, Smith said. Fishermen caught a few small chinooks, but couldn’t get the 6-pound-plus salmon to hit their lures.
Northern pike
If you want to catch a big northern pike, March is the prime time to fish Lake Coeur d’Alene, Smith said. The big ones are starting to move into the bays to spawn.
He suggested anglers fish herring or smelt on or near the bottom of Cougar, Squaw and Wolf Lodge bays in the north or Harrison Bay in the south end.
The last four state-record pike came from Cougar Bay, he noted. Consequently, some big-fish anglers head for that bay when the pike move into the bays to spawn. Smith said anglers are fishing for pike in open water at Thompson and Killarney lakes adjacent to the lower Coeur d’Alene River. They’re fishing herring and smelt under slip bobbers.
Kokanee
Ice fishing for kokanee at Spirit Lake in North Idaho soon will end, Smith said. Ice is receding from the shoreline, making it difficult for anglers to get out on the ice. If the ice is solid this weekend, Smith said, persistent and knowledgeable fishermen will take 25-fish limits of 7- to 8-inchers.
Incidentally, the fish and game department is evaluating the catch at Spirit to determine whether ice fishermen are taking excessive numbers of kokanee.