Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for Feb. 6, 2025

Thu., Feb. 6, 2025

By Alan Liere The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

Chemical pocket warmers work fairly well unless they get wet. If they are too old, they will not work at all. Electric pocket warmers are more reliable. They are available on Amazon from $10 to $40.

Heads up: Ice fishing the Snow Moon can be one of the most productive ice fishing times for burbot during February’s full moon period. Fishing evenings and nights during this time can be outstanding. Most deep lakes in Washington and Idaho that also have kokanee have burbot. At night, these tasty fresh water ling cod often leave the depths and move up onto shallow flats to feed. Be sure to use a baited lure that is heavy enough to pound the bottom, and pound it often. Stirring the mud attracts burbot that are feeding on crawfish.

Overheard: This time of year, shed hunters get excited about hitting the hills looking for antlers dropped by Idaho’s big game animals. It is important to remember that anyone who is not a legal Idaho resident is now required to purchase a nonresident big game Idaho license in order to legally pick up antlers in Idaho.

Fly fishing

Frigid morning temperatures have kept fish activity at a minimum on area rivers, but the bite picks up somewhat in the afternoon. Deep dredging with double nymph rigs and streamers will entice some bites. Silver Bow Fly Shop said hot bead stones and attractors have been the most productive on the Spokane River, along with any olive or black streamer.

The trout won’t chase a fast presentation at these temperatures, so slow your streamers down and keep the nymph rigs in the softer parts of the run.

Ice fishing, Idaho

Fernan and Avondale lakes have good ice. Anglers there are mostly searching for perch. Success has been minimal at Avondale and fair at Fernan, but it can change quickly and for no apparent reason.

Hauser Lake has 6 inches of ice, and fishing for 8- to 9-inch perch has been good over deep water and fairly good over shallower water. Some big crappie often show in the perch catches.

Cocolalla Lake perch fishing has been good in 35 feet of water straight out from the Sportsman’s access launch. Mornings are best.

Shepherd and Gamlin lakes have been stingy with their fish. Mirror Lake has 8 inches of good ice. Anglers there are catching kokanee and trout and the bite has been fast. The kokanee have been suspending between 30 and 40 feet in 50 feet of water.

Blue Lake has given up some large perch to ice fishermen, but the bite is slow. Blue Lake crappie have been active after dark, usually suspended at about 8 feet in 13 feet of water.

Crystal Lake has bass and perch, but fishing there has also been slow.

Ice fishing, Washington

In Washington, Hog Canyon and Fourth of July have good ice and plenty of trout. At Hog Canyon, anglers should expect fish ranging from 11 to 18 inches with an average size of around 15 inches. Fourth of July trout range from 10 to 21 inches with an average size of around 18 .

Hatch and Williams lakes are producing limits of trout. Williams Lake anglers say fish are running 15 to 18 inches.

Deer Lake in Stevens County became a year-round lake in 2024. It features large and small mouth bass, crappie, perch, rainbow trout, brook trout and mackinaw. Ice anglers are just getting to know the lake, but there have been a few reports of perch being taken out and to the left of the public access.

Silver Lake ice fishermen could probably catch 100 fish in four hours if they were so inclined, but 100 4-inch perch don’t produce much of a fish fry even if you are masochistic enough to clean that many.

Waitts Lake trout fishing is not as torrid this week as last, but there are some nice browns and rainbow available. Power Bait or worms have worked well at times straight out from the public access.

Diamond Lake ice fishing was much slower for my friend and me on Monday after enjoying fast trout fishing the week before. We caught four rainbow and a brown in about five hours of fishing, all at least 12 inches long. There have been reports of a good perch bite at times on Diamond, but it has been a first-light proposition. Another friend who fished there this week only caught one perch, but it was a solid 12 inches long.

Bead Lake fishermen are catching some big mackinaw through the ice in deep water. Good luck has come on big tube jigs sweetened with a hunk of fish. Seven- and 8-pound burbot are being taken under the power lines.

Ice fishing is finally a go on Curlew Lake. There have been reports of anglers carrying home buckets of 8- to 10-inch perch. The Curlew perch are definitely getting smaller, as predicted by a game warden I talked to on the lake three years ago. There is only so much food in any given body of water, and at Curlew, the perch population is outgrowing the amount of food available. There are still some 10- to 13-inch perch available, but the number dwindles each year.

Near Wenatchee, Fish Lake ice is good and so is the perch bite.

Trout and kokanee

At Lake Spokane, two of the three state boat launches close for winter and the launch near the mouth of the Little Spokane River is out of the water. You can fish for trout and spiny ray off the bank from the turnouts off Highway 291 downstream of Tum Tum or between Nine Mile Dam and the mouth of the Little Spokane River.

Rainbow trout will suspend in the water column, looking for optimum oxygen levels. They may be on the bottom, but they could be a foot under the ice. This was evident at Diamond Lake last week where hard water anglers were sometimes taking fish 5 feet below the ice cover.

Trout fishing on Lake Roosevelt improves when the water is being drawn down. Unfortunately, it is still high and trout fishing is slow. The theory is that lowering the water draws the daphnia downstream, making the stretch from Keller to Grand Coulee Dam the best place to fish in the winter. Lake Roosevelt kokanee are said to be biting around the Goat Farm.

Spiny ray

Lake Roosevelt walleye fishermen are beginning to look for prespawn walleye. Colville Flats near Kettle Falls has been fair for eating-size fish.

A friend who was fishing Porcupine Bay said the fish were too deep to release, as the change in water depth causes their swim bladders to come out of their mouths, assuring they will not survive. He said he had to keep a big female walleye because of this and has decided not to fish Roosevelt again until the walleye are in shallower water.

Rufus Woods walleye anglers are using Glo Tubes and doing quite well on Buckley Bar and Washington Flats.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com