Alan Liere’s weekly fish and game report for March 2

Wed., March 1, 2017

By Alan Liere spokesmanliere@yahoo.com

Tip of the week

Early and late are always the best ice fishing for spiny ray until the very late season when they move in schools into the shallows and bite most of the day. At this time, 6 inches up or down can turn a so-so day into a blockbuster.

Heads up

There is still a little time to register for the Inland Empire Safari Club fundraiser on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Mirabeau Park Hotel in Spokane Valley. Registration forms can be found at Huntersbanquet.org or call Brian Nutley at (509) 844-3005.

Sixteen lakes in the Columbia Basin opened to fishing on March 1, but almost all are still completely ice covered and show little signs of thawing anytime soon. The north access road to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Quincy Lakes Wildlife Area near George in Grant County remains closed because there’s still at least 6 inches of compact frozen snow and very unsafe travel conditions. The trout fishing tournament on Burke Lake has been moved to March 25.

Idaho Fish and Game is seeking public comments on five management strategies that involve the Rapid River, Hells Canyon and Clearwater Basin chinook salmon runs. Through Saturday, anglers can review the proposals and provide their comments online at idfg.idaho.gov/comment.

Fly fishing

Besides Rocky Ford, the North Fork Coeur d’Alene is probably the best bet for fly fishing for trout this week as most other water is high and fast. Nymphs and streamers will be your best bet. At Rocky Ford, you’ll have your best luck sight-fishing with scuds, midges or baetis.

Salmon and steelhead

There were quite a few steelhead anglers on Idaho rivers last week and success was good. The Clearwater from the mouth to Orofino gave up a fish for every six angler hours. Upstream of Orofino, it was a fish every 10 hours. On the North Fork Clearwater from the mouth to Dworshak Dam, the average was a fish every six hours, and on the South Fork Clearwater, it was four hours.

The Grande Ronde River is at a very fishable level now, says Bill Vail at Boggan’s Oasis, and steelhead anglers are catching lots of fish. Vail said there was one fly fisherman on the river on Tuesday, and he reported having good luck, but the most effective presentation is still a corky and yarn. Vail says several 9-pound fish have been weighed recently and that overall, the average weight is greater than in year’s past.

The Columbia River chinook fishery expanded upstream starting on March 1. Fishing is now open to boat and bank anglers daily from the mouth of the Columbia to Beacon Rock. Bank anglers can also fish upriver to Bonneville Dam. Of the approximately 160,400 upriver spring chinook expected to return to the waters above Bonneville Dam this year, 80 percent of the allowable catch will be allocated to the sport fishery – up from 70 percent in previous years.

Anglers fishing below Bonneville Dam this year can catch up to 6,905 upriver spring chinook through April 6, before the early season closes until mid-May for a run assessment. The allocation for the commercial fishery will be reduced and no commercial fisheries will be considered before the run update,

Open water fishing

Fishing for Lake Roosevelt kokanee has been up and down, and not a lot of limits are showing. Many of the fish are weighing in at 4 pounds and better. Trout of 15-17 inches have come much more frequently.

Walleye anglers are finally able to launch at Ft. Spokane but say the water clarity is deteriorating. They are picking up a few fish in 35-45 feet of water pulling Smile Blades on Outhouse Flats. Anglers launching at Lincoln are finding clearer water and willing ’eyes by jigging the flats. Nothing huge has been reported, but there seem to be enough 15- to 20-inch fish to keep fishermen smiling.

Anglers have been able to launch out of Keller this week, but are still finding some ice. Thin ice has been reported at the Seven Bays launch and near Split Rock.

Anglers planning to launch at Spring Canyon early in the week were surprised to find that ice made that impossible. Some gave up, but others went down to Crescent Bay by the dam and got their boats in. They were rewarded with some large kokanee by trolling toward Plum Point, dragging blades and spinners from Kokabow Tackle at around 1.6 mph. Spring Canyon should be okay again now.

Lake Chelan has seen excellent kokanee fishing the past three weeks. Anglers are working the lower part of the Lucerne Basin along the edges of the north shore. The fish vary in size from 9-14 inches. Lake Trout fishing has slowed somewhat, but this the time of year the larger fish begin to show up around Colyar’s Ledge.

Ice fishing

The ice at Eloika Lake is still a foot or more thick – except along the edges. Friends and I all managed to get quite wet last week trying to cross from shore to solid ice just north of Jerry’s Landing, as the 8-foot plank we had relied on was a couple of feet short. On Tuesday, however, we could again walk from shore without a plank and caught fair numbers of 7- to 9-inch perch. Eloika Lake anglers who stay after dark are finding crappie just under the ice. Most are paying the $3 parking fee at Jerry’s Landing where accessing the ice has not been a problem.

The same friends and I drove up to Curlew Lake again last Friday, finding 24 inches of good ice but considerably fewer fish than last time. In a seven hour day, we managed approximately 25 8- to 10-inch perch and a couple of trout. On our first trip to Curlew three weeks ago, we released or gave away probably 50 perch and 15 trout and still came home with close to 200 fish. Other anglers I talked with on our last outing said the fishing has been hot one day and slow the next out of the State Park.

Fishing through the ice on Roses Lake is hot for rainbow trout, and it looks as if that ice, too, has firmed up.

Idaho Panhandle lakes like Fernan, Round, Kelso, Smith, Cocolalla, Hauser, Twin and Spirit lakes all have retained good ice through the freezing and thawing of late winter. Most have a variety of spiny ray and trout. It is suggested anglers bring a board to get from shore to firm ice. The Chain Lakes are through for the year.

Several Clearwater area lakes are scheduled to be restocked in March with 10- to 12-inch rainbow. These are Robinson Pond, Snake River Levee Pond and Hordemann Pond between March 13-17 and Mann Lake March 27-31. Stocking of all is dependent on water conditions or staffing constraints.

Priest Lake still has about 7 inches of good ice and macks 3-12 pounds are being taken with jigs and tubes or by drop-shotting Gulp Minnows.

Coeur d’Alene Lake salmon seem to be all over the water column, but the guides at Fins and Feathers say they are taking a few. Many Coeur d’Alene launches are iced in, but access is possible downtown and at Goulds. There was still ice at Higgins on Wednesday, but the wind was blowing and it might be open by the weekend.

Kokanee anglers at Hayden Lake are going out to the left from the public launch and catching some 12- to 14-inch fish. There is still about 7 inches of good ice. A popular offering is a Kastmaster with a Glo-Hook attached six inches below on monofilament and tipped with white corn or maggots.

Spirit Lake has 16-18 inches of good ice and kokanee anglers are finding suspended fish over 80 feet of water. Twin Lakes will produce a mixed bag consisting mainly of perch, crappie and bluegill.

Other species

Reel Time Fishing in Clarkston reports their guide, Jack Apperson, is finding keeper sturgeon for clients on the Columbia River. Info: Jack Apperson (541) 410-0695.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere @ yahoo.com