Hunting+Fishing: Trout and kokanee

Rufus Woods rainbow trout fishing is “unbelievable,” according to Bob Fately in Brewster, as some 50,000 triploids that escaped from the net pens have spread throughout the system.

He said he and friends have been trolling F-7 Flatfish or No. 3 Krocodiles with a fly rod and quarter-ounce sinker for dozens of fish 2-5 pounds, but he saw a 19-pounder landed last weekend. Fately removes the back treble on the lures and replaces them with a barbless single hook.

Many other positive reports are coming from Rufus. Uncle Walt’s “Squidder” with a worm harness is gaining popularity, but trolled Muddler Minnows and Woolly Buggers are still working. White Powerbait is popular with bank anglers.

Lake Roosevelt anglers are finding both trout and an occasional kokanee to 3 pounds in the Whitestone, Splitrock and Swawilla Basin areas. Frisky Jenny flies were working better than Rippin’ Minnows last week, but guide Ray Bailey said the gaudy Punk Rocker fly has worked best for him. The Sand Poil arm is still a good trout area, with reports of limits on 19- to 24-inchers.

Lake Chelan macks are still smacking trolled Flatfish at a good clip in the lower basin. To score consistently, keep the lures working within 10 feet of the bottom and troll at 1.5-1.8 mph. Bank fishermen are nailing small triploids with Powerbait around Manson Bay.

Rat Lake, near Brewster, is starting to ice up, but bank anglers can still take 10- to 12-inch trout in open water on the boat launch end. Fly fishermen at Rocky Ford had little competition last week, but fishing was excellent. Little scuds or big ugly streamers were working equally well.

Planer boards and large flies are catching rainbow for those who venture out on Pend Oreille. Troll at 3 mph or better and make sure the fly is tuned to run upright. Priest Lake is at the winter pool level. The only two deep-water launches are Priest Lake Marina and the Indian Creek Campground. Call the Priest Lake Marina (208-443-2405) to see if the ramp is open.

Ice fishing, all species

Ice fishing opportunities are minimal at the numerous small Idaho lakes. Fernan, which is usually the first to freeze, has just a little skim ice, and Avondale is barely crusted. When there is finally safe ice for ice fishermen, try Avondale, Bonner, Cocolalla, Dawson, Fernan, Freeman, Hauser, Perkins, Medicine, or Upper and Lower Twin for spiny ray and some trout. The Springy Point area on the Pend Oreille River has some large perch, and the north end of Long Bridge into Sandpoint is fishable.

The best small Idaho lakes for pike are Hauser, Hayden, Killarney and Thompson. For trout, try Robinson, Round and Smith. Generally, the farther north you go the more the likelihood of finding hard water.

In Washington, Hog Canyon and Fourth of July anglers were having success in open water early in the week. Scott Young, WDFW regional access manager, reported on Wednesday that both lakes had about 2 inches of ice. Three inches of hard ice is usually considered the minimum for safe ice fishing.

Two other winter lakes, Williams and Hatch, are infested with small perch and fishing is poor.

Davis and Little Twin lakes near Winthrop should be good this winter for rainbows once the ice is thick enough.

Columbia Basin waters are freezing up, but none of the year-round big waters, such as Potholes Reservoir, Moses Lake or Billy Clapp Lake is ready to provide safe ice-fishing.

Newman Lake has ice all the way across but is of questionable thickness to be safe. Eloika Lake, on the other hand, has 5 inches of good ice and there have been some nice bass and perch catches straight out from the public access. Bait is available at nearby Miller’s One-Stop.

Waitts Lake remains open to fishing through February. It holds rainbow and brown trout that range up to 15 inches. At midweek, Waitts had only an inch of ice. Silver Lake, a mixed species water open year-round in southwest Spokane County, also had only about an inch.

Steelhead and salmon

Clearwater River steelhead anglers averaged a fish every 11 hours last week. On the North Fork Clearwater as well as the Snake downriver from the Salmon, the average was seven hours per fish caught.

Fly fishermen have been landing a fish a day despite the cold water – big B-run fish. At Clearwater Drifters in Orofino, Evelyn Kaide said limits are coming in to anglers either jigging or backtrolling sand shrimp.

WDFW creel checkers recently found steelheaders on the stretch of the Snake from the Oregon state line to the mouth of the Walla Walla River averaging just more than five hours of effort per fish. Steelheaders on the mainstem Snake River between Lower Monumental and Little Goose dams averaged just less than six hours. Those on the mid-Snake stretch above the interstate bridge near Clarkston were averaging just less than seven hours.

On the Washington section of the lower Grande Ronde River, from Boggan’s Oasis to the Oregon state line, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife creel checkers reported an average of nine hours of effort per steelhead.

The Okanogan and Methow rivers are icing up and access is difficult, but there are a lot of steelhead in the Columbia from Bridgeport to Pateros. Bob Fately, owner of the Triangle Shell in Brewster, said jigs and shrimp at 10-14 feet under a slip bobber are most effective for steelhead 4-9 pounds. Info: (509) 689-3473.

WDFW staff interviewed 48 anglers at Ringold this week with 13 steelhead. The average catch was one steelhead for every 12 hours of fishing.

The mainstem Grays River from Hwy. 4 Bridge to South Fork and West Fork from mouth to hatchery intake/foot bridge opens to fishing for hatchery steelhead Saturday.

Most Coeur d’Alene chinook anglers are catching fish in the 2- to 8-pound size range. The best deep-water boat ramp for winter launching is the IDPR ramp at Higgins Point. Call the Idaho State Parks, (208) 769-1511 to check on launch conditions.

Other species

The North Fork Coeur d’Alene is back down to winter levels and fishing for whitefish has been decent.

For the first time since 2003, tides are conducive to holding a razor clam dig during the Christmas week. Four beaches – Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis and Mocrocks – will open for evening digs Dec. 21 and 22, provided toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat. Twin Harbors beach is also tentatively scheduled to open for a third evening of digging Dec. 23.

Hunting

“The northerners have arrived,” said Mikal Moore, WDFW waterfowl specialist in Ephrata. Recent winter storms have moved ducks and geese from Canada into the Columbia Basin, providing opportunities for waterfowl hunters.

As an example, Columbia National Wildlife Refuge has had about 10,000 geese. The abundant corn acreage is mostly harvested, but several fields are still standing across the north basin area. Unless there is additional snow or ice to cover corn stubble fields, both ducks and geese should remain in good numbers.

WDFW district wildlife biologist Mike Livingston of Pasco reported major increases in duck numbers have been observed in Benton and Franklin counties in recent weeks. “The McNary and Umatilla National Wildlife Refuges and Hanford Reach all have good numbers now,” he said. “North Franklin County wetlands and irrigation canals are holding lots of birds, too.