Weekly hunting and fishing report

Fly Fishing

The St. Joe is still a reasonable option for fly fishermen. Silver Bow Fly Shop suggests pink or yellow hoppers, caddis and ant patterns. Before making a long drive to any fishing destination, it would be wise to check the national fire information website: www.inciweb.nwcg.gov                      

The Spokane River is fishing well and temperatures have gotten down so low anglers are wondering why the hoot owl restrictions are still in effect. Droppers below grasshoppers or Chernobyl Ants will find fish in riffles and the faster current seams.

There is still good smallmouth fishing on the upper Spokane from Stateline to Harvard Road. Copper colored streamers have worked best. The next meeting of the Spokane Fly Fishers is Wednesday, 7 p.m. at St. Francis School, 1104 W. Heroy. Steve Temple from Superior, Montana will give a presentation called “Secrets of the Clark Fork.”

Salmon and steelhead

Steelhead and salmon are beginning to cross Lower Granite dam. Two friends who fished the opener Tuesday and Wednesday at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater managed only one wild steelhead on bobbers and shrimp. They noted, though, that trollers were doing pretty well, particularly on Chinook. Steelhead anglers on the Tucannon River must release all wild fish, but they must also keep their first two hatchery fish. The area from Marengo (at Turner Road Bridge) upstream is closed to fishing.

Waters of the Columbia River from the railroad bridge between Burbank and Kennewick upstream approximately 2.1 miles, and on the Snake River from the mouth to the Oregon State line, are now open to salmon retention.

Anglers are not having much luck at Wanapum, but some good Chinook reports have come from Priest Rapids. Anglers at Wells Dam are still doing well trolling Super Baits for Chinook averaging 18 pounds. About a quarter of the fish are hatchery.

The fall Chinook fishery in the Hanford Reach is starting to pick up, says WDFW biologist Paul Hoffarth. Some bright Chinook have been caught recently at Vernita, White Bluffs, Ringold, and in the Tri-Cities.

Salmon fishermen in ocean waters off Ilwaco and Westport can now keep up to two Chinook salmon as part of their two-salmon daily limit. Those fishing off La Push and west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line off Neah Bay can keep one Chinook per day as part of the two-salmon limit as well as two additional pink salmon. Fishing has been good at all of these destinations, and excellent reports are also coming in from Seiku.

The WDFW says that anglers will be allowed to retain both wild and hatchery coho beginning on Friday in all four open marine areas.

The bigger Coeur d’Alene Chinook are well into their spawn, milling around at the mouth of the Coeur d’Alene River. The smaller 3- to 15-pound fish are still being caught at mid-lake on the usual flasher and mini squid.

Trout and kokanee

Depending on what night you choose, Loon Lake kokanee fishing will range from fair to phenomenal. Most kokes are about 11 inches now.

Kokanee anglers continue to do well out of Keller Ferry near the mouth of the San Poil, at Hawk Creek and in Spring Canyon. Many are finding early success at 50-60 feet over 150-200 feet of water. The kokes weren’t as cooperative at Split Rock out of Lincoln, but there was a good trout bite for fish over 14 inches.

Sprague Lake rainbow and steelhead fishing has been good. The best chance to launch a boat is at Sprague Lake Resort.

Spiny ray

Friends who fished Lower Twin near Harrington last week said drop-shotting and throwing Senkos accounted for a lot of small bass. This week I got a report that there has been a big die-off of perch and crappie at Lower Twin and that thousands of dead fish are washed up along the shoreline.

Clear Lake trout aren’t doing much, but there has been a pretty good perch bite. Sacheen Lake, too, has seen some decent perch and crappie fishing.

Potholes Reservoir walleye fishermen are still doing well just outside the dunes between Crab Creek and Frenchman Wasteway. In addition to some decent ‘eyes, they are catching some 11-inch crappie and foot-long perch, all on No. 5 Shad Raps.

It’s easy to catch an eight-fish limit of Banks Lake walleye these days. Successful anglers recommend trolling a No. 5 Shad Rap in 12 feet of water or throwing a small swim bait. Look for weeds and fish on the outside edge. Fishing just below Rosebush has been very good in 10-25 feet of water.

Walleye in the Spokane Arm of Lake Roosevelt aren’t getting much bigger, but what they lack in size they make up for with enthusiasm. Drop-shotting has been good.

Lake Coeur d’Alene pike and smallmouth are becoming quite active. Swimbaits, spinnerbaits and spoons are taking the pike and jigs bounced on bottom in 25 feet of water do best on the bass.

Other species

State fishery managers in Washington and Oregon have rescinded a moratorium on sturgeon fishing in the Columbia River Basin. Anglers may again catch sturgeon on the Columbia River and its tributaries above Bonneville Dam, but they must release any sturgeon they catch because no scheduled retention seasons are open.

The Dungeness crab fisheries on the northern coast of Washington have reopened. Earlier this month, WDFW closed crabbing on the northern coast – from Point Chehalis north to the Queets River – when levels of marine toxins posed a threat to public health. That area, including Grays Harbor, is now open. The southern Washington coast – from Point Chehalis south to the Columbia River – remains closed to crabbing.

Hunting

WDFW has no plans to close or delay any general hunting seasons due to fire activity. Hunters should, however, be aware of widespread land access restrictions currently in place throughout the state due to wildfires. In an effort to assist hunters with access information, WDFW has compiled a list of major public landowners, along with contact details, in each region. This information is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/hunting_access/.

Idaho Fish and Game is extending the deadline to Sept. 11 to exchange tags for some early elk hunts that are in progress or about to start in the Panhandle, Clearwater and McCall areas that have large land closures due to wildfires. Hunters can keep their tags, exchange them for a different elk tag, or turn in their tags for a receipt they can redeem at no cost for another tag later this year. Tags can only be exchanged at regional offices, but hunters choosing the receipt option can redeem it for a tag at any Fish and Game license vendor.  Current fire information is at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/fire

Doves are already heading south. Hunters in Spokane County found largely diminished populations on the opener, and reports indicate numbers were down even in Grant County. Grouse, which also opened Sept. 1, had a good hatch but many of the popular haunts have been affected by fire.

Contact Alan Liere by email at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com