Hunting+Fishing: Steelhead and salmon

The Columbia River chinook fishery near Brewster got off to a slow start and has not picked up much. Occasionally, a fresh pod of fish enters the system and action is frantic for a short time, but the best may be yet to come. Alpine Fishing Adventures in Pateros said herring and Bait Busters trolled with green or chrome flashers have been effective. Info: 923-1901

The Westport and Ilwaco salmon openers were the best in a couple of years with anglers averaging more than a coho each and a few 30-pound chinook also coming to dock. Both places have been a little slower since. Westport is closed to salmon fishing Fridays and Saturdays, but Ilwaco is open every day of the week.

Summer Chinook season remains open on the South Fork of the Salmon River until further notice. The river is open seven days a week from the mouth of Goat Creek upstream to a posted boundary about 100 yards downstream of the South Fork Salmon River weir and trap. Fish managers will continue daily assessments and updates.

Olson’s Resort in Seiku reported a few nice chinook starting to trickle in, many in the 20- to 25-pound range. There are also reports of a few coho being landed.

The salmon opener in most of Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands) on Sunday gave up approximately one chinook per boat. Anglers who get on the water early have the best success.

Below Bonneville is closed to retention of adult chinook. It remains open for chinook jacks and hatchery steelhead. Adult fall chinook from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam may be retained beginning Aug. 1.

Trout and kokanee

Fat Loon Lake kokanee are biting well at night for anglers dangling Glo-Hooks tipped with maggots in 27-29 feet of water, but trollers are also doing well fishing at the same depth.

The bite should stay consistent the rest of the summer, but it will be necessary to move a few feet deeper every couple of weeks.

On Tuesday, George Orr of Spokane took a 10-fish limit of kokanee from Chapman Lake. Fishing in the middle of the day in 29 feet of water, Orr said he caught his fish in an hour using a pink Glo-Hook and maggots.

Dworkshak Reservoir kokanee anglers are still doing well, focusing on the region up the reservoir between Mary’s Bay and Dent Bridge. There are reports of some 13-inch fish, but most are smaller.

Troll with standard pop-gear and baited hook with 2 ounces of weight during the day and baited Glo-Hooks at night.

Trout anglers are also doing well on Dworshak, especially near where small creeks drain into the reservoir. Clearwater River fly anglers have been most successful in the early mornings and evenings using Yellow Sallies and yellow stimulators.

Catch-and-release trout fishing in the Methow River should start to pick up during July as the river drops into shape, said Bob Jateff, WDFW district fish biologist in Omak. The Methow is under selective-gear rules.

Be sure to check the regulation pamphlet closely as some areas of the river and tributaries are closed to all fishing. Signs will be posted at all access sites informing anglers of both the open and closed areas.

Lakes under selective-gear rules in the Okanogan continue to provide good trout fishing. Rat Lake near Brewster, Davis Lake near Winthrop, and Blue Lake on the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area are holding up well despite warmer temperatures. WDFW Sinlahekin Wildlife Area Manager Dale Swedberg said Blue Lake is a blue-ribbon selective fishery, where rainbow and brown trout can weigh up to 3 pounds and reach up to 20 inches in length.

There’s also good brook trout fishing in Forde Lake, if you can find an open spot in the emergent vegetation, he said. Conner Lake is a good place to try to catch either rainbow or brook trout. If you don’t mind a good hike through rattlesnake country, Dohney Lake may produce large brook trout.

Lake Chelan Kokanee to 14 inches have been biting off Minneapolis Beach, along the face of Mill Bay and up near the Yacht Club. Most are being caught between 20-50 feet.

The warmer weather has concentrated the fish at Roses Lake near Chelan. Trolling and still-fishing with rainbow Power Bait has been effective. There are also some big channel catfish in Roses.

Fish Lake in Spokane County doesn’t get much attention, but the tiger trout are still hitting flies and trolled offerings. The larger fish have gone deep.

Fishtrap Lake trollers and still-fishermen are still finding many fat rainbow averaging 15 inches, with the still-fishermen doing best. Worm and marshmallow “sandwiches” or Power Bait will draw bites.

West Medical Lake is still fairly productive with bait or flies. As is the case with most of the put-and-take lakes, early and late are best.

The Clark Fork River was running at 5,390 cfs at midweek with high temperatures predicted for the weekend. Fish early and late. Try PMDs in the shade and anything yellow in the riffles.

The St. Joe is flowing was at 1,090 cfs at midweek and fishing well for lots of small fish. Creeks entering the Joe, such as Prospector and Marble, should be good. The Regis flow is only about 215 cfs, but fishing has been consistent.

The Clark Fork is down enough to allow fishing the mouth of the Regis.

Spiny ray

Smallmouth bass anglers are reportedly finding success in the Canyon Creek area of Dworshak Reservoir throwing rubber jigs, plastics and rooster tails. Smallmouth fishing also has been good in the Clearwater River between Greer and Kamiah, and practically anywhere in the Snake.

Anglers are catching walleye and smallmouth throughout the Lake Roosevelt system. At Banks Lake, Gordon Steinmetz at Big Wallys said walleye fishing has been good all over the lake, with particular success recently in the vicinity of Steamboat Rock and at midlake. Perch are scattered.

Other species

Sport crabbers started fishing Wednesday – two weeks earlier than previously scheduled – in the Anacortes to Bellingham area. Seven other areas of Puget Sound also opened for crab fishing on Wednesday this year.