Hunting & Fishing

Unpublished correction: The name of Higgens Point is misspelled in this story. This information is from the Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation.

Deer, elk

Thousands of hunters this weekend will be in places where they think they can bag a deer. The general deer season begins Saturday.

The turnout should be a big one. The season will be short, so hunters will have to be in the woods and other places where deer hang out the next 9 to 14 days.

Many game management units will be open only until Oct. 22; others will close Oct. 27.

Deer populations in the Spokane region, as well as in the Okanogan, have increased dramatically since the harsh 1996-97 winter, so hunters should see lots of spike and two-point bucks. Older three- to six-point bucks are still somewhat rare.

Several game management units in North Idaho opened Tuesday to elk hunting by rifle hunters. The regulations are somewhat complicated and wildlife officials have warned hunters to study the rules closely.

Upland birds

North Idaho isn’t considered prime pheasant country. However, those who have hunted in Benewah, Latah and Nez Perce counties will find plenty of roosters for fairly good shooting.

The north Idaho counties will be opened to hunting pheasants Saturday. Most south Idaho counties will be opened Oct. 21.

Some Washington hunters discovered good numbers of pheasants in the Columbia Basin. Roosters were numerous enough in southeastern counties along the Snake River for fair to good hunting, depending on location.

Wildlife agents in a boat showed heavy pressure on pheasants in the Central Ferry area of the Snake River over the weekend, Madonna Luers, spokesperson for the Fish and Wildlife Department, reported.

Field checks in Walla Walla, Columbia and Garfield counties showed light pressure, she said.

Chukar and quail hunters had terrific hunting in Douglas and Chelan counties, confirming guesses by biologists that the birds did well during the nesting season.

Hunters were pleased to see good numbers of quail and Hungarian (gray) partridges in the Spokane region. Some gunners even bagged limits of both species.

Waterfowl

Many members of waterfowl clubs that have leased or own prime hunting spots in Eastern Washington took home duck and goose limits on opening day Saturday. Some freelance hunters who hunted where there are large numbers of birds also limited.

Luers said that enforcement officers and WSU students checked 373 duck hunters in the Basin and many had limits of seven each.

Hunters who hunted the Desert Wildlife Area had an average of 2.5 ducks each. The average for the Potholes Wildlife Area was 3.14 ducks.

Luers said that pheasant hunting in the south central region was poor, but chukar and quail hunting was good. Duck hunters had good success, averaging nearly four birds.

Some Idaho waterfowl hunters who hunted the prime spots on lakes adjacent to the Coeur d’Alene River, in the bays around Lake Pend Oreille and on the Kootenai refuge had fair to good shooting.

Jeff Smith, owner of the Fins & Feathers shop at Coeur d’Alene, said that the area around Killarney and Hidden lakes “sounded like a war zone” as the season opened Saturday.

Smith said he and friends hunted another lake in the chain of lakes adjacent to the lower Coeur d’Alene River and had fair shooting, getting some ducks and geese. He said he felt there were a few more mallards than last year but fewer wood ducks. Lots of geese flew on Saturday, but many left the area after all the shooting.

Steelhead

The Clearwater River will be dotted with anglers’ boats and fishermen along the shoreline from Lewiston to Orofino starting Monday.

Although some anglers have been hooking steelhead in the lower river the last few weeks, they’ve had to release all fish. On Monday, they can keep steelhead.

There probably are enough steelhead in the Clearwater for fair fishing, but the most productive fishing will be in November as more of the larger “B” run fish enter the river.

Boaters likely will do better than the shore anglers. Most boaters will back troll and drift down through known steelhead hot spots. A few will anchor and hope migrating steelhead will bite.

More than 270,000 steelhead have climbed the fish ladders at Bonneville Dam. The count has passed 110,000 at McNary, 90,000 entering the Snake River and nearly 80,000 at Lower Granite Dam.

Water temperatures are still fairly high along the Columbia (63 degrees at McNary earlier this week) and Snake (62 to 63 degrees) rivers. The Clearwater and Grande Ronde were several degrees cooler.

The most crowded areas during the next few days will be above and below Little Goose and Lower Monumental dams, the confluence of the Clearwater and Snake rivers, the Snake just below the Ronde’s mouth and the Grande Ronde River. Of course, when the Clearwater opens Monday, that stream will be popular.

Rainstorms have muddied some rivers. Rain in the Oregon section of the Ronde kept that river looking like coffee with cream much of last week.

Anglers are reminded that barbless hooks are required for the Snake and all wild fish must be released.

Salmon

Although there are plenty of chinook salmon in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River, fishing pressure probably will drop gradually the next week or so because the salmon now are in their fall spawning colors. The males have hooked noses. The fish no longer are photogenic.

Some 240,000 chinooks, including 53,000 jacks, have been counted at Bonneville Dam. At least 80,000, including 16,600 jacks, are between the Tri-Cities and Priest Rapids Dam.

Anglers have caught a relatively small percentage of the salmon during the last few weeks.

If the fishing is slow the next few days, blame the high water temperature. Getting a chinook to take a lure or bait is difficult when water temperatures are high. Still, some anglers have caught limits.

Scores of anglers who have been fishing for chinooks have hooked sturgeon and steelhead.

Anglers have been catching coho salmon above and below Bonneville Dam, the Fish and Wildlife Department reported.

Smith said that salmon fishing at Lake Coeur d’Alene has been fair to good. He suggested anglers fish minisquids behind flashers at 100 or more feet deep in mid-lake from Driftwood Point to Carlin Bay.

Trout, Washington

Now is the time to fish trout lakes that are still open. Water temperatures have dropped a few degrees and the trout are feeding actively on midge pupae, leeches, scuds and immature nymphs.

The best choices are the selective gear and fly fishing-only lakes, including Dry Falls, Lenice, Nunnally, Ell, Aenaes, Chopaka and Blue (Sinlahekin). They have large trout populations, some 16 to 20 inches long.

Anglers who have fished Amber the last couple of weeks have been disappointed with the condition of some of the rainbows. Fishing has ranged from poor to fairly good.

West Medical Lake remains open through Oct. 22. The trout population is not big; however, there are enough rainbows and browns in the lake for fair to good fishing. Anglers can keep as many trout as they can catch.

The lake will be treated with rotenone Oct. 23. The Fish and Wildlife Department no longer permits people to be on a lake that is being treated with the chemical.

Limits and other restrictions have been lifted for the following Columbia Basin lakes due for rehab later this month: Beda, Brookies, Coot, Falcon, Goldeneye, Heron and Davis.

Moses Lake is continuing to provide good fishing for rainbows that average about 2 pounds, fish biologist Jeff Korth said.

October caddisflies are hatching along the Yakima River, Steve Worley of the Worley Bugger Fly Co. reported. The river is in good shape for fly fishing, he added.

Trout, Idaho

The best time to troll for the big trout at Lake Pend Oreille is through November, Smith said. A few have hooked rainbows and mackinaw trout in the 15-pound-plus range.

The fishing will get better as the season approaches its end, he said.

Priest Lake also will provide good fishing for small mackinaw trout and a few large ones during the next few weeks, he predicted.

The Coeur d’Alene and St. Joe rivers are continuing to provide fairly good fishing. October caddisflies, some Baetis and Pale Morning Dun mayflies continue to hatch, creating excellent opportunities for fly fishers.

Kokanee

Some of the kokanee in Lake Coeur d’Alene are still in good enough condition to keep, Smith said.

“I thought the fishing would be over last weekend,” he said, “but fishermen are continuing to fish. They’re doing some sorting to take home the brightest fish. Boats have been concentrated from Higgins Point to Wolf Lodge Bay. The fishermen are trolling lures from near the surface down to about 30 feet.”

Trout, Montana

Fly fishing has been outstanding along the trout streams in the Missoula area, the Missoulian Angler fly shop reported.

Rainstorms have put more water in the streams, but not enough yet for the fish to live comfortably during the winter months. Mahogany Dun and Baetis mayflies and October caddisflies have been hatching. Trico hatches have been sparse.

Trout are in pods along the lower Clark Fork and are eating most anything that hatches, the shop said. Fishing has been excellent all day long.

The Bitterroot and the Blackfoot have been delighting fly fishers. The Bitterroot, which was too low to float a couple of weeks ago, now is high enough for easy floating. The trout are feeding actively and taking any bug that drifts by them.

Strong tippets are needed to match the size and weight of the trout that are on the prowl along Rock Creek, the shop said. The fish like their flies “ugly, heavy and bright.”

Spiny rays

Northern pike are hitting lures at Coeur d’Alene and Hayden lakes. Fishing hasn’t been fast, but those who know the pikes’ habits are taking fish in 10 to 12 feet of water off weed beds.

Sprague Lake is still a good bet for bluegills and walleyes.