Hunting+Fishing: Salmon and steelhead

In Pateros, Wash., Virgil Yancey said chinook fishing below Wells Dam has been good. Lots of limits are showing, although there are an inordinate number of jacks.

The Clearwater River opened to catch and release steelhead fishing on July 1, but there have been no catches reported. Daily counts at Lower Granite are reaching the high double digits.

Washington coast salmon anglers have encountered rough seas lately, which have kept averages down, but they are still taking about 1.4 salmon each at Ilwaco and Westport.

LaPush salmon anglers are averaging only 0.3 fish each, but this includes incomplete trips because of bad weather. The Neah Bay average is 1.2 coho per rod.

Angling for summer steelhead was fair throughout the lower Columbia River last weekend. Tuesday is the last day to fish Grays and Elochoman rivers for hatchery spring chinook and hatchery steelhead on the Grays (including West Fork). The Cowlitz River steelhead fishing improved at the end of last week. Lewis River steelhead are being caught at the mouth.

Drano Lake and White Salmon River steelhead effort and catches are on the rise.

Trout and kokanee

Williams and Fishtrap seem to be the most active put-and-take trout lakes in the Spokane area. Trollers and still-fishermen are doing well early and late.

Kokanee on Coeur d’Alene are running about a foot. If you don’t have a depth finder, start at about 30 feet and work down until you get into fish. The area off Eastpoint has been productive. Coeur d’Alene chinook are also hitting again.

Trollers are taking 11-inch kokanee from Loon Lake in 30 feet of water. The best bite is early. Still-fishermen are also scoring in 30-34 feet at night.

On Banks Lake, big rainbow have been reported on the west wall and the backside of Steamboat and Barker Flats by anglers trolling Apex lures and flies.

Lake Trout fishing is hot on Chelan’s Mack Bar, but the kokanee bite has tailed off. Most of the fish are coming off the face of Mill Bay and up at the Yacht Club. Kokes have been bigger, with some stretching more than 14 inches.

Rufus Woods is producing a lot of fat triploids, and reports are coming in of jumbo kokanee catches as well.

Sprague Lake has been giving up rainbow from 14 inches to 5 pounds. Bank anglers are taking them with worms and Powerbait.

Curlew Lake is producing good numbers of 12- to 14-inch rainbow, with a fair number of 3-pounders showing. Curlew also has good bass fishing.

Although many Montana rivers have angling restrictions because of the heat, a friend floated and waded the Madison River above Ennis for two days last week and did well on browns and rainbow to 19 inches. In Idaho, the St. Joe and the North Fork Coeur d’Alene are fishing well, early and late.

Kelly Creek in Montana is still fishing well and still producing some nice fish. There is more pressure on the North Fork, but the fish are bigger. If you are looking for a little solitude, head to Kelly Creek and trudge upriver a few miles. The St. Regis is still fishing well, but the larger fish are hard to find. Expect smaller cutthroat and rainbows with a few browns mixed in.

Priest Lake macks are hitting in 160-180 feet, and the best bite has been from 4:30 p.m. until dark. Drop-shotters are finding huge columns of 2- to 4-pound fish. Macks this size make excellent table fare.

Spiny ray

Walleye fishing on Banks Lake picked up when the weather cooled last week, but the heat wave is putting them down again. Crank baits have been effective from Steamboat south to Clay banks and Poplar Bay, and north of Rosebush in 15-18 feet of water.

Banks Lake bass have moved into 20-30 feet of water. Try drop-shotting Yamamoto 4-inch Shad Shape worms or double tail Hula Grubs in dark colors. Crappie and perch are spread out. If you find a school, stay on them and use jigs, worms and maggots.

Larger smallmouth bass are hard to find in the Snake River, but there seems to be plenty of fish less than 12 inches, said Tim Johnson of Fishhawk Charters in Clarkston. Coeur d’Alene and Hayden lakes smallmouth are another story, with fishing described as awesome. Use tubes in 20-30 feet of water.

Long Lake is fishing well for large numbers of perch 9-12 inches, and the smallmouth are smashing topwaters early morning and late afternoon. Look for the perch along the weed lines in 20 feet of water.

Sprague Lake does not have an algae bloom, reported Monika Metz at Sprague Lake Resort, and perch to 14 inches are being caught, along with channel cats weighing in the teens. A few anglers have reported excellent crappie action for big slabs, particularly late in the day.

Coffeepot Lake continues to surprise bass fishermen, with a lot of 5-pound-plus fish hitting topwaters and spinnerbaits. On Rock Lake, average bass size is down over last week, but there is no shortage of fish. Tubes are working.

Snake River walleye reports from Texas Rapids and Little Goose Dam have been coming in, with successful anglers using worm harnesses.

Other species

Sturgeon fishing has been fair to good in Hells Canyon with quite a few 7-9 footers caught, particularly in the lower end of the river, below the Oregon/Washington border. At Darver Tackle in Starbuck, Wash., Verna Foley said the Little Goose section of the Snake has been good for both sturgeon and catfish.

Snake River channel cats are biting well around the clock near Lyons Ferry, Central Ferry and Boyer Park.