Hunting and Fishing

Salmon and steelhead

Clearwater River steelheaders outfished those on the North and South Fork Clearwater last week, averaging a fish for every 5 hours of effort. Steelhead guide Tim Johnson of FishHawk Charters out of Clarkston reported decent fishing on the Clearwater. He said the lower end of the Imnaha has been fair.

The Grande Ronde is less than 2,000 cfs and the water is “steelhead green,” said guide Rick Hedding of Family Christian Anglers. Hedding, fly-fishing upstream from Boggan’s Oasis earlier this week, hooked 12 steelhead and landed eight. He was particularly enthusiastic about the condition of the fish.

The Snake River near Lewiston is still dirty, but visibility is better downriver toward Wawawai Canyon. Steelhead fishing has been poor everywhere on the main river.

Latest creel surveys showed an average of 2 1/2 hours per steelhead caught on the Touchet River, just less than 3 hours per fish on the Walla Walla River, and a little more than 4 hours per fish on the Tucannon River.

Good flow, good color and lots of wild steelhead are reported for the Kalama River canyon this week.

The 2005 adult spring chinook returns to Washington tributaries in Bonneville Pool and below Bonneville Dam were about half of the preseason forecasts. Returns to all tributaries above and below Bonneville Dam were overforecasted. The largest difference was on the Klickitat River, where less than a quarter of the forecasted run actually returned. In 2006, adult spring chinook returns to Washington tributaries below Bonneville Dam are expected to be down slightly from last year for the Cowlitz and Kalama rivers, but higher in the Lewis River. The Wind River and Drano Lake forecasts for 2006 are nearly double and more than triple, respectively, the 2005 actual returns. This year’s Klickitat River run is expected to be similar to last year’s actual return.

Beginning Wednesday, anglers will have more opportunities to catch blackmouth as Marine Areas 7 and 9 open, with a daily bag limit of one chinook in both areas. Catch rates are picking up in nearby Marine Areas 8-1 and 8-2, suggesting fishing could be just as good in Marine Areas 7 and 9.

“Rivers have been dropping into shape throughout Western Washington, drawing an increasing number of anglers,” said WDFW fish biologist Mike Goss. One popular choice was the Sol Duc River, where checkers last weekend interviewed 63 anglers with 29 wild steelhead (including 25 that were released) and nine hatchery fish.

Trout

Lake Roosevelt rainbow are biting near White Rock, but fishing should start picking up closer to the dam. The water is dropping and successful anglers speculate the current is pushing food downstream. Fish are still in the upper 15 feet of water, but trollers are experiencing hours of inactivity between short periods of frantic strikes. Troll the bays for best results. Spokane angler Dale Moffat and friends fished from shore near Lincoln on Wednesday, all limiting on worms, Power Bait and red marshmallows in assorted combinations.

Rufus Woods has been kicking out consistent triploid limits for guide Ray Bailey of R/C Guide Service, with his biggest of the month right at 20 pounds – and many between 10 and 15. Rather than pulling plugs, Bailey has been drifting night crawlers on bottom. Other anglers on Rufus also reported good fishing using a variety of techniques, from trolling plugs and flies to throwing spinners. If you go, don’t be afraid to experiment.

Rocky Ford is still giving up big rainbows, said Sean Visintainer at Silver Bow Fly Shop on east Indiana. He also noted that anglers willing to risk the passes are finding fish on the Clark Fork near Superior and St. Regis.

Most of the ice has melted at Fourth of July and Hog Canyon lakes. Boat launching and shore fishing continue to be challenging, with thin shoreline ice forming each night. The lower end of Hog Canyon where the creek runs in is wide open, and fly fishers reported a good day recently casting black Crystal Buggers.

Anglers who visited Williams Lake in Stevens County earlier this week said the ice was “scary,” with 4 inches of slush on top as well as some open water. Those managing to get a line in are doing well, with near limits of rainbow that run from just less than 10 inches to 14 inches.

Spiny ray

Roosevelt Walleye are hitting smoke or clear-colored worm-tipped jigs in 25-35 feet of water. Try the flats across from Seven Bays, the mouth of the Spokane Arm, or the big flat just before Camp Neighborly by Enterprise. On Rufus Woods, walleye limits are coming fairly consistently to knowledgeable anglers.

In the Columbia Basin, Moses Lake ice has pulled away from the shore, and Potholes is ice-free. Walleye and perch fishing at the Interstate 90 Bridge on Moses Lake has been sporadic, said WDFW district fish biologist Jeff Korth of Moses Lake.

Other species

Long Beach, Mocrocks and Twin Harbors beaches will be open for razor clam digging on evening tides today, tomorrow and Sunday. Kalaloch will probably also open, but that has not been confirmed. You can find out by calling the WDFW Shellfish Hotline (866-880-5431).

The “smelt watch” is intensifying on the Cowlitz. With the river dropping, the popular fish could start entering at any time, said WDFW fish biologist Joe Hymer.

Anglers are catching legal-size sturgeon on the mainstem Columbia River, notably in the pools above Bonneville and The Dalles dams.

Hunting

This is the last weekend Washington waterfowl hunters will have to set their alarm clocks. The season ends after Sunday. Big flocks of geese have been flying off Rufus Woods Lake this week, and the fields around Moses Lake and Tri-Cities still attract their share of birds. A lot of the scab rock ponds south of Spokane, however, have an ice cover again, and the ducks have moved on.

There is a fairly good concentration of birds, mostly mallards and widgeon, on the McNary pool near Badger Island and the western shore of the Columbia River near Finley. Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge holds good numbers of birds despite much of the area being frozen, and the Hanford Reach of the Columbia has good numbers as well.