Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for Dec. 4, 2025

Thu., Dec. 4, 2025

By Alan Liere The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

Tip of the week: If you have made several drifts with your steelhead fly without a hit, try varying your fly weight and depth. If a low drift does not do the job, fish higher in the water column. A slight change will often make a big difference.

Overheard: A million fingerling kokanee are headed to Idaho waters in 2026 thanks to Idaho Fish and Game’s new captive broodstock program aimed at supplementing eggs taken from “wild” fish. It’s the first batch produced by Idaho Fish and Game’s newest hatchery project aimed at providing stability to the annual number of kokanee fingerlings that can be stocked each spring.

Staff from Idaho Fish and Game’s Panhandle Regional Office operated a check station on Nov. 16 along Interstate 90 near Fourth of July Pass to monitor hunter compliance with Idaho’s wildlife laws and to evaluate whether big game harvested out of state or from an Idaho chronic wasting disease management zone was being transported in accordance with CWD regulations. Like many other states, Idaho prohibits transporting or importing the spine or brain tissue of deer, elk and moose harvested in states where CWD has been detected. Nearly all of Idaho’s neighboring states are CWD-positive. While the recent check station represents only a brief snapshot in time, Fish and Game staff observed that compliance with CWD-related transport rules was very low. CWD is a fatal disease that poses a significant risk to big game herds, and following transport rules is one of the most effective ways hunters can help slow its spread.

Heads up: The Farragut Shooting Range Center in Idaho provides public access to 50-, 100- and 200-yard ranges, as well as shotgun and archery shooting opportunities. The range is operated by Idaho Fish and Game staff with support from a team of NRA-certified volunteer Range Safety Officers. Beginning in December, the Farragut Shooting Range Center will adopt updated days and hours of operation. Winter hours are Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., but the range will be closed Dec. 8 through Jan. 9 for a scheduled holiday break. The facility will reopen Jan. 10 under its regular winter schedule.

If you participated in the angler science program on Lake Pend Oreille this year, be sure to turn in your completed logbook by Dec. 12 to receive your free raffle entry and a chance to win some great prizes. Logbooks can be mailed or dropped off at the Fish and Game Panhandle Regional Office at 2885 West Kathleen Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815.

Braggin’ rights: The Lake Pend Oreille fall fishing derby is over. In the adult rainbow division, Tim Smith edged out Craig O’Neal and Jim Moore with a fish weighing 23.95 pounds, tying O’Neal for weight, but coming in at ¼ inch longer. In the adult mackinaw division, John Powers took first place with a fish weighing 12.55 pounds. The Junior Division first-place winner was Kole Kramer with a 22.30 pound rainbow.

Fly fishing

Silver Bow Fly Shops says some trout were up on the Spokane River feeding on blue winged olives on Black Friday afternoon. They suggest a 6x tippet, long leaders and stealth, as the fish are easily spooked. Nymphing and streamers will find takers. Rubber leg stones, hot bead nymph patterns or patterns with hot spots (or hot tails) will be best. Softer currents are best. The fish are still spread around and not just along the shoreline stretches.

Trout and Kokanee

Rainbow and brown trout have been biting at Rock Lake. Anglers are throwing Power Bait from the launch area, but small lures and spinners are also working. Trolling or casting Shad Raps along the cliffs has also been effective.

The trout bite for 15- to 16-inch fish has been good at Lake Roosevelt. The reservoir is dropping slowly. It is at 1,285 feet with China Bend and Hawk Creek sitting just below that level on Tuesday at 1,280 feet above sea level.

Low water on Fourth Of July Lake made it necessary to fish away from the established shoreline in most spots on the Black Friday opener. As it was impossible to launch a boat, most fish caught were on bait. Fishing wasn’t as fast as predicted, but several rainbow over 20 inches were taken. Hog Canyon was accessible by boat, but most of the fishing was from shore. A lot of the fish caught were 14 inches or better. No reports from Hatch or Williams, but both were expected to be good for smaller trout. Hatch received 600 1-pound trout in October, and Williams received 1,500 quarter-pound trout in mid-April. Both lakes also have larger carryovers.

Steelhead and salmon

The Clearwater, Snake and Grande Ronde rivers are still kicking out steelhead, though the Grande Ronde could be icing up by the weekend. The area around the mouth has been best.

Spiny ray

Perch fishing is good now and will get even better on Moses Lake, particularly near the I-90 Bridge. The rip rap bank near the channel under the bridge can be very productive, but use caution as it is slippery. Move around to find the larger fish. Some have been reported to stretch 15 inches.

Other species

The season’s next round of razor clam digging opportunities at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, and Mocrocks began running Tuesday and runs through Monday. Not all beaches are open for every dig, so diggers are encouraged to make sure their intended destination is open before heading out. Additional tentative dates are Dec. 18 through the 23rd and Dec. 31 through Jan. 6. For more information on these digs, go to WDFW’s razor clam webpage.

Recreational crab fishing is open daily through Dec. 31 in many ocean areas including in Puget Sound and Hood Canal. Be sure to check for certain gear restrictions before you go. Also, consider trying for squid, as December is the peak month with the prime period occurring at night during or right at flood tide change.

Whitefish opened Monday on the Little Spokane River and tributaries. Anglers often target them from Highway 291 upstream to Chain Lake, but access is often difficult. A single, maximum size 14 hook is required, and bait is allowed.

I recently got the only report I have ever received regarding channel catfish in Lake Spokane (Long Lake). The anglers sent a photo of the fish (about 20 inches long) he caught from the Tum Tum area. He was still-fishing in the evening with nightcrawlers, targeting bullheads, which reportedly were biting well with many over 12 inches long. Years ago, while launching a boat in the dark at the old Willow Bay Resort to go duck hunting, I saw swarms of big bullheads in the water, evidently attracted to the light on the dock.

Hunting

Pheasant hunting south of Spokane has been very good for friends who work the tall grass with a good dog. They are seeing lots of birds, but say they either flush at their feet or 150 yards away.

Some positive duck hunting reports have trickled in from Moses Lake and the Columbia River near Patterson. Some of the harvested fields in the Columbia Basin have attracted large flocks of snow geese, and Canada geese are abundant.

If you are a nonresident hunter looking to hunt deer or elk in Idaho next year, the process is going to look a little different–and much improved, but the modified nonresident tag framework does have one important caveat: Out-of-state hunters will be required to buy a nonresident hunting license in order to draw any 2026 tags.

The sticker price on a nonresident license to hunt is $185 and is nonrefundable. In other words, if you do not draw, you do not get your money back. However, once you have your nonresident hunting license in your possession, you will be eligible to put in for a whole slew of tag opportunities, including deer, elk and pronghorn controlled hunts, or moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat tags. Additionally, you could purchase returned or unsold tags.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com