Hunt & Fish
Winter lakes Fourth of July, Hog Canyon, Williams and Hatch will close at the end of March. Anglers are taking quite a few trout from open water on all but Hatch. Fly-fishing is getting good again on Fourth of July and Hog Canyon.
Coffeepot and Amber lakes have been excellent at times, reported WDFW biologist Chris Donley. He said there are periods of frantic action followed by dead times, but that the fish in both lakes are 12-18 inches long with a predominance of 14- to 16-inchers. Anglers report these fish are well-fed “footballs,” and are falling for small leech patterns and Bionic Worms. Amber is at full pool.
In the Okanogan, Ice is finally off Roses Lake, and bank fisherman are catching a few 10- to 14-inch rainbow on Power Bait. Limits have not come easily. There are still ice fishing opportunities in Okanogan County. Davis Lake, near Winthrop, is producing 11- to 12-inch rainbow; Sidley Lake, near Oroville, is providing good fishing for rainbows up to 14 inches; and Bonaparte Lake, east of Tonasket, provides fishing through the ice for Eastern brook trout.
Grant County lakes Martha, Quincy and Burke, have been particularly good for trout. Dusty will also improve as the season continues. On the opener, Dusty averaged about 4-5 fish caught and released per angler, with 2-3 fish caught per hour, mostly 14-16 inches, with some up to 22.
At White’s Fly Shop, Barry Pipella said the south end of Lenore was good to him earlier in the week when he hooked 15 Lahontan cutthroat.
Salmon and steelhead
The Clearwater River and the South Fork of the Clearwater got a lot of angler attention last week, but the South Fork produced few fish. On the Clearwater, it was one fish per 11 hours. With the exception of the Salmon between the Pahsimeroi River and the East Fork (14 hours per fish) and the Grande Ronde, most other waters in the area were stingy with their steelhead.
Steelhead fishing is starting to pick up on both the Methow and Okanogan river systems in Okanogan County and should improve as the weather warms. WDFW district fish biologist Bob Jateff encouraged anglers to retain hatchery adipose-clipped steelhead, since one of the reasons for this fishery is to remove hatchery fish. The season is scheduled to close March 31, but anglers should be aware that because of wild fish impacts, closures could come at any time. If early closures are needed, they will be posted on the WDFW Web site at Emergency Fishing Rules and at WDFW access points along the rivers.
The Wind River from the mouth (boundary line/markers) to 400 feet below Shipherd Falls opens Thursday through June 30 for spring salmon. Drano Lake downstream of the markers across from Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery and upstream of the Highway 14 Bridge opens the same day. That season runs through June 30 but will be closed every Wednesday from April 12 through May 31. Drano Lake is expected to see a return of 12,500 spring chinook this year compared to 4,000 last year. The forecast also calls for the return of another 7,400 fish to the Wind River – more than double last year’s return.
Some hatchery spring chinook and wild winter run steelhead are being caught around the salmon hatchery on the Lewis River. In the lower Columbia from the I-5 Bridge downstream, effort is increasing. There was some chinook catch observed in the Woodland area last weekend.
On The Dalles Pool, bank and boat anglers are averaging about a steelhead per rod. The catch consisted of an equal mix of hatchery and wild fish. John Day Pool bank anglers are also catching some steelhead.
Fishery managers need actual dam counts to set spring chinook seasons and limits, but officials expect to have that information by mid-April. Idaho Fish and Game fishery managers say salmon are heading for Idaho. Numbers are uncertain, but it appears that a salmon season similar to last year will be likely.
The Kalama River has a good flow and good fishing for winter steelhead. Most are fresh, bright fish with the catch comprised mostly of wild fish.
Predicted rain for the weekend could mean good news for Olympic Peninsula steelheaders, said WDFW fish biologist Mike Gross “Often, a good time to hit it is when the flows peak and start to drop,” he said.
“Hood Canal may be the best place in the region right now to catch a blackmouth salmon,” said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW Puget Sound recreational salmon manager. He noted that Coyote Banks in Marine Area 6 has also produced some nice fish lately, as has the middle part of Marine Area 9. Anglers fishing off Ediz Hook near Port Angeles have been logging consistent catches.
Spiny ray
It’s not too early to start seeking panfish, especially perch, in East Side year-round waters. Though Eloika was still mostly ice on Thursday, there is open water around the edges. Bonnie and Long would be a better bet for open-water fishing.
The Columbia River pools are giving up a few walleye and smallmouth bass, and persistent anglers are finding Spokane Arm walleye in tight schools and not too deep.