Hunting+Fishing: Trout and kokanee

The river openers in Idaho and Washington were generally successful. The North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene had the best fishing, according to Bob Drummond at Aris Fly Shop in Coeur d’Alene, and the bite remains strong. He noted the lower river has also been good. PMDs and dry flies have been effective.

The St. Joe River is likely to be high this weekend because of the heavy rainfall, but it is running clear and recovers quickly. You can find some good wade fishing along the banks. Reports from the Silver Bow Fly Shop have indicated that fishing the upper stretch is best. Salmonflies, Golden Stones Green Drakes, caddis and attractors should produce.

The Clark Fork doesn’t usually recover from heavy spring rains as quickly as the Joe, and it was still rising Wednesday, although fishing was fair. Before the rains, Green Drakes, PMDs, Parachute Adams and big Stimulators were drawing strikes. A re-route channel alongside the Clark Fork to accommodate removal of the old Milltown Dam is in progress, but there should be no effect on the water until the dam is removed, probably in November.

The Regis has come up, but clarity is still good and the flow is less than the average for this time of year. The upper river around Haugen and Deborgia has been fishing well. There are lots of bugs hatching, but the fish have been consistently taking nymphs. Hatches include salmonflies, yellow sallies, caddis, golden stones and gray drakes. The mid-to-upper Bitterroot is also worth fishing. The farther up you go, the more likely you are to get into the big goldens and salmonflies. The Blackfoot has been slow. Subsurface presentations are working best.

Spokane-area put-and-take lakes such as Fish, Fishtrap, Williams, Marshall and Waitts are still fishing well. Fly fishermen on West Medical are using damsel fly imitations with good success, and Amber Lake anglers are fishing deep with Bloodworms and Wooly Buggers.

Sacheen anglers are finding plenty of 8-inch rainbow and brook trout while trolling Muddler Minnow flies sweetened with a piece of worm. Two colors of lead will put you in fish. The same technique is working at Diamond Lake, where the rainbow are running about 10 inches.

Kokanee fishing at Loon Lake has been good for trollers, but the night bite has not yet begun. Resident kokanee guru Red Crass said the kokes he is seeing are already 10 inches long. He suggests trolling slowly at 25-30 feet. The rainbow bite at Loon is excellent, Crass said, noting that 15,000 9-inch net pen fish were released in May, and 5-pound net pen carryovers are creating a lot of excitement. The north end near the Morgan Park dock has been good for still-fishermen throwing worms and Power Bait.

Kokanee fishing should begin to heat up in Yakima River reservoirs. All the area reservoirs are full, so boat launching should be good. Rimrock, Bumping, Kachess, Keechelus and Cle Elum reservoirs hold kokanee

Lake Trout fishing on Lake Chelan has continued to be good during the reporting period. Kokanee fishing is in full swing throughout the lower basin.

Coeur d’Alene kokanee are averaging 10-12 inches on the south end. Rumors of 14-inch kokes, while not impossible, are more likely small chinook, said Jeff Smith at Fins and Feathers.

Spiny ray

The best walleye fishing around has been at Banks Lake. Water near The Rosebush, Devil’s Punchbowl and Barker Flats are said to be loaded with 16-inch walleye and some jumbo perch.

The Spokane Arm opener last weekend was a disappointment to many Roosevelt anglers, who complained of a light bite and small fish. Indications are it has improved since then, particularly by the cemetery and near Buoy 5.

Largemouth bass fishing has been excellent on Newman, Eloika, Upper Twin, Hayden and Long. Smallmouth have outnumbered walleye for many Lake Roosevelt anglers. There are a lot of cooperative smallmouth available in Coeur d’Alene, Hayden, Dworshak Reservoir and the Snake River. Bob Drummond in Coeur d’Alene fished the big lake Wednesday and said bass spawning beds are prevalent and the fishing great. He threw little leech imitations and Wooly Buggers.

The Grande Ronde was excellent on last weekend’s Washington opener. Superb fly-fishing was reported for smallmouth to 5 pounds. Guide Rick Hedding said big mice patterns thrown against the walls worked best for him.

Moses Lake walleye have been thick near the Alder Street Bridge, but they are migrating and should be spreading out on the north end of the lake.

Walleye are hitting near Irrigon on the Columbia River in Oregon. Spinners in 20-30 feet of water seem to be most effective.

For some nice-sized perch close to home, fish the edge of Loon Lake weed beds in 20-25 feet of water. Long Lake was giving up some nice perch during the warm weather earlier in the week. For crappie, good reports are coming from Sprague Lake where anglers report 11- to 13-inch fish. At Sprague Lake Resort, Monika Metz said there are a lot of perch, and crappie are schooling up by size. She said they can be caught any time of the day.

Salmon and steelhead

The Tulalip Bay “bubble” chinook fishery, which began June 1, will run through Sept. 24 except for a one-day closure on June 23. The fishery is open each week from Friday through noon Monday. There is a two-salmon daily limit and chinook must be 22 inches in length to retain.

On the Wind River, salmon effort is light although some spring chinook are still being caught. Through Sunday, slightly more than 1,000 fish had returned to Carson National Fish Hatchery. The escapement goal is 1,200 fish. Drano Lake effort is also light. Some adult and jack chinook are being caught. The hatchery escapement goal of 1,500 fish has been met.