Fishing Report

Tiger muskies

If you want to catch a trophy-sized fish, go to Idaho’s Hauser Lake, cruise around the weed beds and look for a big fin protruding out of the water and, when you see a long torpedo-shaped outline cast an outsized plug in front of the shadow and then, if the fish opens its mouth, brace yourself. This is the right time, it seems, to fish for the big, ugly tiger muskies in the lake. Numerous 20- to 37-pounders have been caught in recent weeks, including a state-record 37-pound, 13-ouncer caught on Monday.

Jeff Smith, owner of the Fins & Feather shop, said the tiger muskies have been hitting such big plugs as the Zerox Spook, Mann’s Stretch One Minus and floating Rapalas.

“The fish prowl around the weed beds looking for perch, crappies and other small fish,” Smith said. “You can often see the fish near the surface. They cruise around just under the surface and their dorsal fin can be seen above the surface. ” Several North Idaho lakes have been stocked with tiger muskies, but none of the muskies are nearly as large as some of the ones in Hauser Lake.

Kokanee

Both trollers and still fishers have been doing well at Loon Lake, Joe Haley, manager of Granite Point Resort, reported. However, still fishing can be spotty, as the kokanee will take baited lures one night and virtually ignore the lures the next night. Some trollers have been catching 10 kokanee every time they fish the lake, he said. There are two age classes in the lake, the 9- to 10-inchers and the 11- to 13-inchers. The 9- to 10-inch kokanee don’t have the girth of the bigger fish.

Haley said trollers have been letting out 3 1/2 colors of leaded line ahead of flashers or dodgers and the baited glow hooks. Still fishermen have been finding kokanee schools in 25 to 28 feet of water. Haley also reported that expert mackinaw fishermen have been hooking mackinaws. John Tracy of Spokane caught four macks in one week, including an 18-pounder. He trolls a Sutton spoon.

The 11- to 12-inch kokanee in Loon Lake have been hitting trolled lures regularly, with some persistent and knowledgeable anglers taking home 25 fish, Smith said. The most productive fishing has been off Squaw and Powderhorn bays, but some trollers have done well in the middle of the lake. Smith said that anglers who use leaded line have been letting out four colors of line ahead of flashers and baited hooks. Those who use monofilament line have been attaching 1 1/2 to 2 ounces of lead to the line to get the lures down to the fish. Montana’s Lake Mary Ronan and Koocanusa Reservoir have been yielding good catches of kokanee.

Salmon

Anglers fishing for hatchery steelhead now can keep jack chinook salmon and adult sockeye salmon they catch on the main Columbia River from the Highway 395 bridge downstream to the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line.

The season will last through July 31. The Fish and Wildlife Department authorized the season to enable anglers who fish for hatchery steelhead to take additional species. This year’s sockeye return is expected to be the largest since 1988. Daily limit is six salmon, of which two may be sockeye. For chinooks, only fish larger than 12 inches and smaller than 24 inches may be retained.

Several areas off the Coast will be opened to salmon fishing the next few days. Most of Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands), Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) and a portion of Area 12 (Hood Canal south of Ayock Point) will open Saturday. Areas 2, 3 and 4 (from Ledbetter Point to the mouth of the Sekiu River) will be opened July 3. Anglers should check the department’s “2000 Fishing in Washington” rules for closed days, catch limits and additional regulations, which vary by area.

Anglers have started losing interest in fishing for spring chinook salmon along Columbia River tributaries. One reason is that the chinooks have turned dark and their flesh no longer is as firm and tasty as the fish caught a month ago. Many anglers either are releasing the salmon they hook or they are having their fish smoked. Another reason is that fishing has been slow at Ringold Springs on the Columbia River, in the Yakima and along the Icicle River. However, fishing was good along the North Fork of the Clearwater River during the week ended Saturday.

Biologist Larry Barrett of Lewiston said that anglers kept an estimated 230 chinook salmon along the North Fork last week. They fished an average of 17 hours per fish. Nearly all anglers fished the North Fork; no one was checked on the Clearwater below the North Fork’s mouth with a salmon. Fishing pressure was heavy along the Icicle River last week, but not nearly as heavy as it was when the stream was opened to fishing. Smith said that salmon fishing was slow at Lake Coeur d’Alene last week and early this week. Only a few chinooks to 12 pounds were boated. The salmon were scattered and ranged in depths from 30 to 70 feet. He said anglers trolled dodgers and minisquids and flashers and herring.

Trout, Montana

Numerous Montana streams are in excellent condition for fishing. One of the most rewarding in the Missoula area for fly fishers is the Clark Fork. The Kingfisher fly shop said “there’s no better place to be right now” than the river.

“The fish are in the 15- to 19-inch class and are more than willing to eat dries all day long,” the shop said in a report this week. Hatching have been Pale Morning Dun and Green Drake Mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies. And grasshoppers are out and occasionally falling into the river. The shop said the most effective patterns have been the size 8 Royal Stimulator and sizes 12 and 14 Parachute Adams. Other patterns that have been productive have been the Elk Hair Caddis and the Goddard Caddis. Most of the same flies have been hatching along the Bitterroot. Besides the above patterns, fly fishers have had good luck on sizes 14 and 16 Golden Stonefly patterns and sizes 12 and 14 Parachute Madam X in red and yellow.

Rock Creek has been providing good fly fishing, the shop said. Patterns that have been effective have been extended body Green Drakes, size 8 red parachute Madam X, Turck’s Tarantulas and big orange Chernobl Ants.

The Missouri below Holter Dam is low enough for easy wading and the fishing has been excellent. A size 14 Elk Hair Caddis and Parachute Adams have been among the most productive patterns.

Trout, Idaho

North Idaho’s premier cutthroat streams should be in ideal condition for the Fourth of July period.

With the exception of the Coeur d’Alene River, the streams have been a little too high and wild for easy fishing. The St. Joe, Lochsa and Selway rivers and Kelly Creek are expected to be low enough for comfortable wading and the cutthroat should be after hatching insects.

Mayflies and caddisflies are hatching along all the streams.

Forest Service campground along the Coeur d’Alene, St. Joe and Lochsa are almost certain to be full if the weather forecasters predict mild conditions and little or no rain. The region’s fly fishers have been waiting for the rivers to drop enough for good fly fishing.

Smith said that fishing has been fair to slow at Pend Oreille and Priest lakes. However, both lakes are expected to be dotted with anglers’ boats, as well as boats pulling water skiers during the next few days. Several of North Idaho’s small lakes have been yielding 10- to 16-inch trout.

Spiny rays

Anglers who fish primarily for spiny rayed fish should have good luck during the early July period.

Mike Mielke, co-owner of the Sprague Lake Resort, said fishers have been catching good numbers of walleyes, bluegills and catfish. Most anglers have been using Beetle Spins and floating worm harnesses to take the walleyes.

Some fishermen will go after bluegills and crappies this weekend. With the water temperature over 60 degrees, the fish are active and in the shallow areas. Royal Lake has been yielding big bass, walleyes, perch, crappies and bluegills, according to Mike Meseberg of the Mar-Don Resort. The lake, which is scheduled for rehabilitation in the fall, also holds tiger muskies, but the fish are too small to keep. Speaking of tiger muskies, Meseberg reported that Redrock Lake east of Royal City holds tiger muskies to 22 inches. Fishermen have caught small bluegills and perch of the Mar-Don dock, but few crappies have been caught.

Several North Idaho lakes are yielding good catches of smallmouth and largemouth bass, perch and crappies. “You can catch smallmouths any time at Hayden Lake,” Smith said. “Just fish a 4-inch plastic worm or lizard in 15 to 20 feet of water.”

Lake Coeur d’Alene also has a big population of smallmouths. Most anglers cast small lures off rocky points in fairly shallow water.

Trout, Washington

Trollers and still fishermen will have the best luck at Eastern Washington’s trout lakes the next few days, especially if they fish early and late in the day.

Now is the time to fish deep. Still fishermen who fish their baited hooks 20 to 25 feet under the surface will have a good chance to hook trout. Trollers who drag their baited lures just over the bottom should take fish. Bear Lake north of Spokane was spiced this week with 1,300 extra rainbow trout to give family’s a better chance of catching 8-10 inch trout during the weekend and holiday.

Bear Lake fishing season is open year-round to Juveniles (under 15 years old), licensed adults accompanied by a juvenile, and holders of disability fishing licenses.

Trout fishing has been better than spiny ray fishing at the Potholes Reservoir. Numerous anglers who have trolled near the mouth of the Frenchman Hills Wasteway, in the Crab Creek channel and off the face of O’Sullivan Dam have caught 13- to 20-inch rainbows.

Lake Roosevelt now is less than 10 feet below full pool. Anglers will be able to fish nearly all the spots where they have caught rainbows when the lake has been full. All launch ramps now can be used. Numerous anglers likely will troll for rainbows and kokanee the next few days. Prospects are for fair to good fishing for rainbows to 20 inches.

The WDFW reported that North Skookum Lake is producing 13- to 14-inch rainbows and 8- to 9-inch brook trout and that Ledbetter Lake is yielding brookies to 3 pounds.

The agency also said that 1,300 catchable-size rainbows have been released into Bear Lake to provide opportunities for juveniles, licensed adults accompanied by juveniles and holders of disability fishing licenses to catch fish.

The department also said Sidley and Bonaparte lakes in north central Washington are good spots to fish during the holiday period. In addition, Rufus Woods Lake below Grand Coulee Dam has been yielding big triploid rainbows, as well as kokanee.

Sturgeon-halibut

The Fish and Wildlife Department has extended the number of days when sports anglers may retain sturgeon between John Day and McNary dams. The retention period, now extended until further notice, originally was scheduled to end July 1. However, less than 20 percent of the 560 fish harvest guidelines for the section of the Columbia has been taken. The department also said that Marine areas 3 and 4 off the Washington coast will be open to halibut fishing Saturday and July 4. For more information call Greg Bargmann, 360-902-2825.