Fishing Report
Trout, Washington
Above normal temperatures this week could improve fishing at the winter lakes and a few of the lakes that were opened March 1.
Water temperatures have remained lower than normal for this time of year at the region’s lakes. Fourth of July Lake’s surface temperatures ranged from 41 to 43 degrees last week and few bugs hatched. Columbia Basin lakes also have remained cold; however, fishing has been fair to good at a few, including Coffeepot.
High winds kept most anglers off the lakes last weekend. However, some fished from shore at several of the lakes, including Fourth of July.
Fourth of July and the other winter lakes will close March 31. For many fishermen who can fish only on weekends, the next two days will be the last time they can fish the lakes.
Fourth of July is the best of the winter lakes. Although it’s been fished hard much of the time the last few weeks, it still holds a good population of 14- to 20-inch rainbows. Yearling rainbows have been showing up in good numbers lately.
Fishing has been spotty at Fourth of July. Fly fishers have complained that the dearth of bug hatches has hampered them. Anglers who have fished bait from boats and the shore have had better success. Some trollers, who have trolled baited lures, also have done well.
Hog Canyon and Williams also will be closed March 31. The best fishing is at Williams, about 18 miles north of Colville. Anglers have cut deeply into Hog Canyon’s population of rainbows.
Coffeepot doesn’t have a big rainbow population, but the fishing has been rewarding this month. Most of the rainbows are 14 to 25 inches long. The trout may average about 3 pounds. Because the limit is only two trout a day, it will take a few more weeks for fishermen to catch most of the lake’s rainbow population.
Numerous fly fishers, some in float tubes and on pontoon boats, have been fishing Coffeepot. Fish and Wildlife agents have issued citations to some fishermen who have been using bait at Coffeepot. Although there’s a sign at the public access area saying that bait is prohibited and only barbless hooks are legal, fishermen have ignored the regulations to their regret.
Lake Roosevelt is down about 30 feet from full pool, but most of the major public launches are usable. Trollers are continuing to catch good-sized rainbows and a few big kokanee.
The best of the March 1 lakes in the Columbia Basin have been the Hamptons, Pillar and Quincy and Burke. The biggest trout are in the Hamptons and the smallest are in Quincy and Burke.
Trout, Idaho
Expect fishing pressure to increase dramatically at Lake Pend Oreille as temperatures rise into the high 50s and low 60s during the next few weeks.
High winds and rain have kept all but the most hardy anglers of the lake most of the time since the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Commission opened the lake to trout fishing.
Some anglers apparently have had good luck. Ed Dickson, operator of Diamond Charters, said his clients have caught numerous rainbows in the 10- to 20-pound class the last few weeks.
“On some days,” he said, “we’ve had five fish over 15 pounds.”
The most effective lures have been Apex plugs and jointed Rapalas. He has had the clients troll the lures near the surface.
Dickson said the clients kept only five of the 57 rainbows they caught.
The Fish and Game Department has been urging fishermen to kill all the rainbows that are legally caught in order to reduce the rainbow population so that the kokanee can survive. The kokanee population is the lowest on record.
Jeff Smith, owner of the Fins & Feathers shop in Coeur d’Alene, said that Fernan and Cocolalla lakes have been the most popular destinations of the anglers who want to catch good-sized rainbows. The trout are 11 to 14 inches long.
One of the most productive ways to catch the trout, he said, is to use baited jigs.
Spiny rays
Moses Lake might be the best spot in Eastern Washington to catch fairly good numbers of perch large enough to provide nice fillets.
John Carruth of Davenport, a fishing guide, said fishermen have been catching 9- to 12-inch perch in several places around Moses Lake. Some have fished off the shore near Interstate 90 and boaters have found schools throughout the lake.
“One of my friends went out for two hours and caught more than 15 big perch,” Carruth said. “Fishermen have caught nice-sized crappies but have released them because they only wanted perch.”
Not all the perch are worth keeping. Fishermen have had to move around to find schools of big perch. When they start catching 5-to 7-inchers, they pull their anchors and try different spots.
High winds, rain and hail plagued anglers who fished Sprague Lake last weekend, but, surprisingly, some fishermen caught quite a few perch and crappies, Mike Mielke, co-owner of the Sprague Lake Resort, reported.
“Some used bobbers and jigs tipped with a worm,” he said, “Others I talked to used a slip bobber in 5 to 9 feet of water. I think most of the fish were caught on the drop, so casting a jig and worm without the bobber should work.”
He said he didn’t see any walleyes. However, he said most anglers anchored in places to get out of the wind, places which weren’t necessarily good places to catch walleyes.
Anglers have little time left to fish the Spokane arm of Lake Roosevelt. The arm will be closed to fishing March 31 to protect spawning walleyes.
Carruth said walleye fishing has been tough at the lake in recent days.
Now is a good time to fish for crappies at the lakes adjacent to the lower Coeur d’Alene River, Smith said. The most popular lately have been Cave and Black, where fishermen have caught lots of 9- to 10-inchers.
“However, all the lakes have good crappie populations,” he said. Perch are too small to keep at the lakes, he said.
The best northern pike fishing last weekend was at Benewah and Chatcolet lakes, Smith said. Most anglers fished smelt or herring under bobbers.
Smith expects Lake Coeur d’Alene to start producing lots of pike when runoff from the St. Joe, St. Maries and Coeur d’Alene rivers raises the lake’s level. The water is too shallow in the popular bays for the pike to move in. As the water level increases, pike fishing will be hot.
Fishing success has improved a little in The Dalles pool of the Columbia River. The Fish and Wildlife Department said boaters averaged better than a legal-sized walleye for every three rods during the week ended Sunday.
Salmon
Salmon fishing was excellent at Lake Coeur d’Alene over the weekend, Smith said.
He reported he and Rick Caddy guided clients on Saturday. The fishermen caught nine chinooks up to 7-1/2 pounds.
The best fishing was in the south end near East Point. The salmon were near the surface, so the guides used planing boards and downriggers to fish the helmeted herring and plugs in the top 15 feet of water.
Trout, Montana
More and more Skwala stoneflies have been showing up along Missoula area trout streams, creating good fly fishing at times. The first of the March Brown and Grey Drake mayflies also have been hatching.
The Kingfisher fly shop said Skwala stonefly imitations took trout during afternoons along the Bitterroot River during the last week. At times, fly fishers had excellent fishing during snow squalls.
Fly fishers also “should have some size 10 and 12 Parachute Adams or extended bodies for the March Brown mayflies.” Kingfisher clients also had surface action on sizes 8 and 10 Goddard Caddis patterns.
When stoneflies and mayflies aren’t hatching, the beaded San Juan Worm has been the most productive pattern.
If you want to catch 15- to 16-inch rainbow-cutthroat hybrids, the Clark Fork is the place to be, the shop said. Recommended patterns: Sizes 16 or 18 Adams or Wulffs, sizes 10 or 8 Goddard Caddis, sizes 10 and 12 extended body drakes or Parachute Adams.
When the bugs aren’t on top, lead head size 8 Crystal Buggers are a good choice.
Fly fishers have seen a few Skwala stoneflies along Rock Creek. However, the most productive patterns have been sizes 6 to 12 Kauffman stones, Flashback Pheasant Tail nymphs and the San Juan Worm.