Alan Liere’s fishing-hunting report for July 21

Wed., July 20, 2022

By Alan Liere For The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

If you’re planning a fishing trip where you’ll need maggots this weekend, you had better start looking for them now. They have been difficult to find at the usual outlets this summer. My most reliable source has been The General Store on Division, but even they were out of them last week. You might try the Four Seasons Store just off the four-way intersection at Loon Lake.

Braggin’ rights

Two friends and I gave Loon Lake night fishing another try Sunday night. Jigging Glo Hooks and maggots on the west side of the lake between 9:00 pm and midnight, we caught a total of 14 big kokanee. My friend Mike caught 10 and my friend Jerry caught three. You don’t need to be a mathematician to figure out how many I caught. I did, however, catch a bonus fish in the first 15 minutes—a heavy, deep 22 inch tiger trout.

Jared Holt of Homedale, Idaho recently caught a new Idaho catch-and- release state record flathead catfish from the Snake River in Owyhee County. The fish measured 43 inches long, just an inch longer than the previous record-holding fish, also caught by Holt in 2020. Flathead catfish are found only in the Snake River, mostly in Brownlee Reservoir and upstream of it.

Heads up

The Liberty Lake water access area in Spokane County will be closed from 7 a.m. Thursday, July 21 until 7 a.m. Friday, July 22.

At their next meeting on July 27 at the Wildlife Council building (6116 N Market St. in Spokane), Spokane Walleye Club member Travis Sholtz will discuss fishing with crankbaits for huge late summer walleye. The meeting begins at 7:00 pm.

The WDFW has restricted campfires and other activities on WDFW-managed lands in Eastern Washington until further notice to help reduce the risk of fire on state wildlife and water access areas. This includes fires or campfires, including those in fire rings, discharge of firearms for target shooting or other purposes by anyone not engaged in lawful hunting, smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle, welding and operating chainsaws and operating a motor vehicle away from developed roads. All restrictions will remain in effect until further notice.

Overheard

About 23,500 sockeye must be counted at Tumwater Dam for a season to be opened on Lake Wenatchee. The early forecast was for low numbers, but sockeye populations seem to have boomed everywhere, and anglers still have hope there will be a season on the lake.

Fly fishing

The Spokane River continues to drop, and fishing has been consistent. Beat the heat and the inner tubers by fishing early and late. Near the state line, the upper stretches are getting warm – good for smallmouth but not so much for trout. Caddis are hatching in the afternoon and evenings.

The North Fork Coeur d’Alene River is still good top to bottom. Expect tubers noon and later. The St. Joe River is fishing well, especially the mid and upper reaches. Lower stretches have slowed a bit in the afternoons. Golden stones have been the name of the game, but drakes, PMDs and ants have been fishing well. Silver Bow Fly Shop said Hoodoo Pass is open and the North Fork Clearwater River is beginning to heat up.

Nymphing and streamers are best this time of year on the lower Clark Fork River in Montana. Stick with soft water, back eddies and foam buckets where fish are concentrated away from higher flows. Also in Montana, the Blackfoot River is fishing well as dry fly fishing improves in the late afternoon. Streamer prospecting can yield some big fish on the Blackfoot this time of year. Sparkle Minnows, Kreelexes, Mini Dungeons and Thin Mints/Buggers are all good to have available. Some of these rivers are getting warm, so for the health of the fish you might consider morning fishing only.

Trout and kokanee

Bead Lake kokanee are usually smaller, but this summer trollers are pulling in fish approaching 12 inches.

Night fishing for trout becomes popular at Waitts Lake when the weather gets hot. Anglers are using Power Bait or yellow corn just off the bottom near Winona Beach Resort.

Salmon and steelhead

Ocean salmon openings and closings are being constantly adjusted to make sure anglers will still have chinook and coho to fish for in August. If you are planning a trip to the coast for salmon, be sure to check ahead for current regulations on the WDFW Fishing hotline at (360) 902-2500. Press 2 for recreational rules.

Idaho Fish and Game will close chinook salmon fishing on the South Fork of the Salmon River at the end of fishing hours on Thursday. The sport fishing share of the harvest will have been reached by that time.

With an uptick in the run-size forecast for summer chinook salmon, Columbia River fisheries managers this week extended angling in the river through the end of the month. Fishing in the lower river downstream of Bonneville Dam to the Astoria Megler Bridge in Astoria was set to end July 14, but the extension allows angling in that area to continue through July 31. Fall chinook fishing begins Aug. 1.

The Brewster Pool is providing good fishing for 3- to 5-pound sockeye and a few chinook. Many anglers are trolling a No. 10 dodger about 10 inches in front of two 2/0 hooks, neither with bait. Others are using a pink hoochie on the top hook or baiting it with a headless coon shrimp. These setups seems to work anywhere sockeye are targeted.

Sockeye are also being caught in the fast water below Rocky Reach Dam. Some anglers are getting limits on the flat water above the dam casting bobbers and shrimp.

Spiny ray

The Spokane Arm of Lake Roosevelt has been producing a few keeper walleye and smaller trout above Buoy 5. Friends recently took limits of nice walleyes in the vicinity of the Kettle River. They fished in 20 feet of water with bottom walkers and spinners tipped with a piece of nightcrawler. There has been a lot of floating debris in Roosevelt, so take it slowly.

Potholes Reservoir anglers fishing from the mouth of Lind Coulee have been catching walleye and some big bluegill, and the rocks along Potholes Road seem to be loaded with smallmouth bass. Some nice-sized crappie have been taken recently from the MarDon Resort dock. Bass and walleye were hitting this week.

Guide Toby Wyatt at Reel Time Fishing reports multiple large walleye caught Tuesday from the Snake River at Lyons Ferry. He said the largest was 15 pounds but there were many over 5 pounds.

If you’re up for the precarious launch and long float into Bonnie Lake, some big bluegill, perch and crappie are the reward. The largemouth fishing can also be good at times.

Curlew Lake has been excellent for big catches of perch – some as large as 12 inches. Look for weed beds in about 15-20 feet of water.

Other species

Sturgeon anglers on Lake Roosevelt have been hooking enough of the big fish to keep things interesting, including some keepers in the 53- to 60-inch range. Some good reports come from the water downstream of China Bend. One successful angler said of his trip: “Nothing failed us. Often times with sturgeon fishing, it’s just a matter of getting your bait in the right spot.”

Coeur d’Alene pike are getting active in Rockford, Mica and Windy bays. Spinner baits have worked well. Hayden Lake pike are hitting along the weeds and the chain lakes are producing small pike.

Hunting

Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the Idaho Wild Sheep Foundation are offering another chance to hunt bighorn sheep in Idaho – the 2022 Idaho Bighorn Sheep Lottery Tag.

Monies generated by this tag are used to support wildlife disease research. Ticket orders must be received by Monday . Buy one ticket for $20, six tickets for $100, 14 tickets for $166.75 or 25 tickets for $250. These can be purchased online from The Wild Sheep Foundation.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com