Salmon and steelhead

Catch and release steelhead action on the Clearwater River in Idaho is finally picking up with anglers averaging 11 hours per fish recently.

Until last week, steelhead counts at Bonneville Dam had been lagging, but they have improved dramatically. Last Saturday, more than 7,800 steelhead were counted, the highest single daily count since 2002.

Steelhead are in the Tucannon River and anglers are beginning to take a few. This is a catch and keep fishery.

Salmon fishing on the Columbia near Wells Dam is pretty spotty, but 60 boats took 90 fish last weekend. Herring, plugs and the new Super Baits are most effective on chinook running 15 to 30 pounds. There are few fish up river from Brewster at this time.

Steelhead are being caught near Blue Creek on the Cowliz River. Not much is going on at Wind River, but Drano Lake anglers are catching summer run steelhead and a few chinook. On the White Salmon River, bank anglers averaged about one steelhead for every two rods last week. The best steelhead action on the lower Columbia was in the Gorge.

The fall chinook salmon fishery on the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River near the Tri-Cities opens Thursday. The run is expected to be around 40,000 chinook, down from 50,000 last year. All areas of the Hanford Reach are closed for steelhead.

Last week at Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco), anglers averaged 1.85 salmon per rod, mostly coho. At Westport, 2,719 anglers caught 273 chinook and 3.287 coho from July 30 through Sunday. At LaPush, 248 anglers caught 46 chinook and 240 coho, and at Neah Bay, 980 anglers netted 54 chinook and 934 coho.

“Humpy Hollow,” a portion of Puget Sound stretching from Shipwreck to Mukilteo, should be a good bet for pink salmon the next few weeks. Fish biologists are predicting that 3.3 million pink salmon will enter Puget Sound this year and a good portion of them will pass through those waters.

The salmon fishery on the Snohomish River opens Thursday. Anglers will have a daily limit of two salmon, plus two additional pink salmon, but must release chinook.

Trout and kokanee

The cooler nights are bringing some area rivers back into shape. The Clark Fork is beginning to fish again, but you must still be off the water by 2 p.m. The St. Joe has cooled, also, and there is some good fishing to be had up high. Grasshopper patterns and large attractors are hard to beat. Try running a bead head nymph on a dropper off a big dry.

Lake Roosevelt rainbow trout fishing has been good lately and anglers are commonly catching 14- to 21-inch fish using streamer flies with a piece of worm behind dodgers at 35-45 feet. Trolling gear should be 100-150 feet behind the boat to avoid spooking the fish.

Trollers have been doing well at Spokane County’s Clear Lake. The fish are 12-14 inches long. The morning hours have also been good for rainbows at West Medical Lake.

Fishing for resident cutthroat trout has picked up on the Methow River recently. Selective gear rules and catch and release are in effect for this fishery. Check the fishing regulation pamphlet carefully, as some areas of the Methow River and tributaries are closed to all fishing

Experienced kokanee anglers are doing well on the south end of Coeur d’Alene Lake. The fish are averaging 12-14 inches. Loon Lake kokes aren’t as large, but trollers and still-fishermen are taking 10-fish limits.

Spiny ray

Banks Lake continues to have the hottest walleye fishing around. The hump at the north end has been good in 60 feet of water. Try jigs and ‘crawlers.

The Snake River near Little Goose Dam is attracting more and more walleye anglers. Troll downriver with a worm harness and bottom bouncer to take advantage of this relatively new fishery.

Walleye fishing has been good overall in the lower Snake River and the Columbia River, with anglers picking up walleye in the usual locations below McNary Dam, including Umatilla, County Line, Irrigon and Boardman. There has also been an increase in anglers fishing for walleye in and around the Tri-Cities and in the Hanford Reach.

Crow Butte near Patterson has seen some pretty decent walleye fishing lately if you manage to miss the wind. Spinners and nightcrawlers are bringing bites around the midstream hump just below the downstream outlet.

The Seven Bays area of Lake Roosevelt is said to be fishing well for eating-size walleye.

Besides its giant channel cats, Sprague Lake is giving up 11- to 13-inch crappie during the mornings and evenings.

Other species

The sturgeon fishing on the Snake River hasn’t slowed down like it usually does in July and August, said Tim Johnson at Fishhawk Guides in Clarkston. He has been having good success locating fish in Hells Canyon.

Elsewhere on the Snake River, keeper sturgeon are being caught off the wall at Little Goose Dam, as well as by the grain elevators and in the deeper holes above the dam.

Hunting

Washington duck and goose hunters will enjoy seasons similar to last year. The statewide duck hunting season will run Oct. 13-17 and Oct. 20-Jan. 27, and a special youth hunting weekend is scheduled for Sept. 22-23.

Washington goose hunting seasons vary by management areas, but most open Oct. 13 and run into January 2008.

Special permit applications are available now online or at license dealers for 800 late fall Washington turkey hunting permits in Game Management Units 101-124. The season runs Nov. 20 through Dec. 15. Deadline for applications is midnight on Aug. 31

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission earlier this year, approved a new “special unit” tag for some turkey hunts in the Panhandle Region. For the fall 2007 wild turkey season, which opens Sept. 15, Idaho resident hunters will be able to buy up to three “special unit” turkey tags for units 1, 2, 3 and 5, in addition to the two tags hunters could have in any Idaho turkey season. The special tags cost $5 each, including the vendor fee. The fall season in all Panhandle units have been extended to Dec. 15.

The application period for the second round of Idaho controlled hunt permits for deer, elk, antelope or fall black bear has started. Hunters who weren’t drawn in the first round have until Wednesday to apply for the second drawing on Aug. 20. Any leftover permits will go on sale Aug. 25.

Applications are available for prospective hunters who want to participate in a pilot cougar hunting season with the aid of dogs that begins Dec. 1 in five northeastern Washington counties. The special cougar hunt is limited to Washington residents who own hunting dogs capable of tracking and treeing cougars. Permit applications can be purchased for $5.48 at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov or by calling 1-877-945-3492. The deadline is Sept. 19.