Hunting+Fishing

Salmon

The region’s hottest and most urgent fishing news comes from – I’m not kidding – Seattle.

The hatchery chinook salmon fishing season that opened Monday for the first time since 1994 has been everything veteran anglers expected.

“Bordering phenomenal,” said Gary Krein of All Star Fishing Charters, which has boats in Seattle and Everett.

Reporting Thursday, he said, “The past three days have been incredible fishing, the best I’ve ever seen in Puget Sound. We’re catching mostly adults, some blackmouth, but most of the fish are 10-23 pounds. These are good teenagers; typical Puget Sound chinook.”

The season is for fin-clipped salmon only. Unfortunately, the season could end early if the hot bite continues and anglers catch the quota of 7,000 chinooks.

“This might not last past Aug. 1,” Krein said.

The limit is two king salmon or coho salmon a day, plus two pink salmon.

Speaking of pinks, the catch has been excellent in the Sekiu area, which means the biennial tide of pink salmon is flooding into Puget Sound. “They usually reach the Seattle area a week, 7-10 days after Sekiu,” Krein said.

Lake Coeur d’Alene chinooks are finally starting to show up again in anglers’ coolers. Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop reported that anglers fishing big squids and flashers 70-100 feet deep were catching salmon running 8-12 pounds from various portions of the lake.

Remember: The new salmon limit on Lake CdA is six salmon of any combination of chinook or kokanee.

The annual Big One Chinook Salmon Derby runs July 28-Aug. 5. Entry: $25.

Info: (208) 667-9304.

Trout/kokanee

Biggest surprise is how well trout fishing has held up, even in the scorching weather, for anglers heading out early and late at Spokane-region lakes, such as Badger, Williams and West Medical.

Williams was the latest target for Chris Donley, WDFW district biologist, fishing with his child and three other friends earlier this week. “It took us about an hour and half to get our 25 fish,” he said.

His trick is to hunt for fish concentrations in 27-30 feet of water using his fish finder (see Tip of the Week). Then he simply drops a single egg or worm over the side, getting it down with a split shot or a ¼-ounce sliding sinker and a couple of feet of leader.

Amber Lake has been good to anglers fishing at the 24-foot thermocline, he said.

Methow River cutthroat fishing should pick up again after a few days to clear from mid-week storms on fire-blackened drainages.

Clark Fork Trout & Tackle in St. Regis is opening at 6 a.m. to accommodate anglers taking advantage of the decent fishing and hatches before the daily 2 p.m. hot-weather closure.

The St. Joe River keeps producing cutthroats. With grasshoppers active, try rigging a hopper pattern in tandem with a parachute ant pattern or a sub-surface dropper such as a small stonefly, prince nymph, says Pat Way of Orvis NW Outfitters.

Kokanee fishing has been good at Loon but slow at Lake Coeur d’alene and Spirit.

Spiny rays

Potholes Reservoir levels are dropping fast and the fishing is picking up as water recedes from the willows and forces baitfish into more open water.

“It concentrates the fish, and that’s good for the bass and walleye, and for the fishermen,” said Levi Meseberg, a guide based out of Mardon Resort.

Topwater fishing for largemouths has been good in the evenings, he said.

Downs Lake is producing perch and bass, as well as trout.

Coffee pot bass are a good bet, and be ready to take some largely overlooked perch.

Liberty Lake has been fair for bass, but little else, WDFW district biologist Chris Donley said.

Lake Coeur d’Alene smallmouth continue to be the bread and butter of the fishing action (also at Hayden Lake). Northern pike are picking up again in 10-16 feet of water, according to Fins and Feathers.

Silver Lake bass anglers need to hold on tight when the cast into the docks. “The tiger muskies really like these rubber worms, and other stuff you use for bass,” said an angler pulling out his boat Monday after catching and releasing a 10-pound tiger that day and a larger one the day before.

Oh, yeah, he said the bass fishing was good, too.