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

Thu., March 6, 2025

By Alan Liere The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

Tip of the week: Spring steelhead anglers can increase their success rate by looking at a river flow gauge provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, which has gauging stations throughout Idaho. By watching the weather and the stream flows, anglers can track in real time what’s happening with the rivers. Steelhead typically like water with a little color (think emerald green), but neither too low and clear, nor too muddy. The weather can change quickly in late winter and early spring, so fishing can change dramatically from day to day. The best fishing also tends to improve when a river recedes after a big pulse of runoff. Using those guidelines will help you improve your chances of catching fish and knowing when to time your trips.

Heads up: The return of Kid’s Fishing Day on Clear Lake is May 10, 2025. Registration forms are available at the WDFW Office at Mirabeau Park or online at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests/youth.html. Each child will receive a fishing rod, T-shirt, and other goodies. Each child bringing two cans of food for the food bank will be entered in a special drawing. Volunteers are needed for rod building at the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council building on May 1 at 5 p.m., at Clear Lake on May 9 at 8 a.m. to stock the net pens, and on the Fishing Day itself to help the kids and later to bring in the net pens. For inquiries and to volunteer, contact Craig Adams of the Spokane Fly Fishers at 509-999-5660.

Lake Roosevelt water level is hovering around 1,278 feet above sea level. While the water level was dropping a short time ago, it has come up again and the water is full of debris. Major launches are still useable, but China Bend, Evans, Hawk Creek, Marcus Island, Napoleon Bridge, North Gorge, Snag Cove and Two Rivers are iffy.

The Spokane River closes to fishing March 15. It will re-open May 24th.

Overheard: With cash prizes and a raffle, the 2025 Moses Lake Carp Classic is scheduled for Saturday, May 17 at Connelly Park in Moses Lake. This is a bow-fishing tournament that has grown substantially over the past few years. There will be a $30 entry fee per participant, and “teams” will consist of as many bow hunters as can be safely accommodated per boat. The 10 heaviest fish by each team will vie for cash prizes with some additional pots in a variety of categories. Last year, 19 boats with 50 participants removed 211 carp from the lake, weighing a total of 2,600 pounds. The largest carp weighed 29.2 pounds. For more information, contact Ty Swartout at 206-459-2342.

Fly fishing

The Coeur d’Alene River has leveled off and is back on the drop. If this trend continues, it will be a good option for the weekend. Good spots will be marginal, Silver Bow Fly Shop said, but look for side channels and soft eddies to hold some fish. A stonefly/worm combo under a bobber is hard to beat this time of year. Dredging a streamer through any deep pools can also be effective.

Flow gauges are still showing ice on the St. Joe, but there have been a couple of decent reports about the fishing. Stick to the lower river below Avery. Bobber lobbing and streamers will be most effective. Boat launches are still snowed in.

Trout and kokanee

The lakes north of Spokane are still OK for ice fishing, but there have been reports of open water around the edges of several – not enough to necessitate the use of a board to get to firm ice, but enough to require waterproof boots. Sacheen and Diamond lakes have seen some catches of nice perch, which appear to be moving into shallower water. Thomas, Coffin and Bonaparte will still have good ice.

Several year-round lakes in the desert unit around Potholes are producing decent catches of trout. Medicare Beach on Potholes is a good place to fish for outsized rainbow, either from shore, or by trolling nearby. In the Quincy Wildlife Area, which opened Saturday, the boat launch at Quincy Lake is frozen, but there is enough open water to allow for bank fishing on the south shore. Burke Lake has a lot more water showing, and anglers can launch boats. Some good-sized rainbow are being caught. Martha Lake, near the town of George, as well as Caliche Lake, are also fishable in open water.

The boat ramp at Blue Heron Park on Moses Lake is usable now, and perch are again being caught in open water near the I-90 Bridge.

Mackinaw are deep in Lake Chelan, but the fishing is good early around Mack Bar and the trench later in the day.

Ice fishing, Idaho

Idaho lakes are also beginning to show water around the edges. Cocolalla Lake had 9 inches of ice last weekend, but there were about 3 feet of open water at the ramp. Perch fishing was slow for most anglers, but a few found schools stacked on the bottom and did well.

Ice fishing, Washington

I met up with friends at Curlew Lake’s Tiffany’s Resort on Saturday to fish for perch. Together, there were seven adults and four children fishing on a warm, sky-blue day through a foot of good ice that wasn’t terribly slippery. The solunar tables were favorable. We had two fish locators, an underwater camera and lots of snacks. We drilled dozens (perhaps hundreds) of holes. Five hours later, we were on our way back to Spokane with two perch, both caught by Mike Sweeney, his only bites. No one else had so much as a nibble.

Banks Lake ice is no longer safe. Whitefish anglers have all but given up, and while there is still ice in the Coulee City Marina, the perch have evidently gone elsewhere.

Steelhead and salmon

Idaho is seeing its best steelhead return since 2015, so anglers looking to get an early start on their fishing season should take advantage of spring steelhead fishing. These fish move into headwaters during late winter and early spring, which concentrates them in the upper tributaries of the Clearwater and Salmon rivers.

Anglers planning to fish the South Fork Clearwater River for steelhead should be aware of an Idaho law that prohibits camping on certain state-owned property. This law applies to Idaho Transportation Department property, including many of the pull offs along the South Fork Clearwater River. This regulation also includes the “storing” of camping equipment and RVs/camp trailers. This is not exclusive to the South Fork Clearwater (Highways 13 and 14) and includes other state-owned properties. Contact the regional office for more information (208) 799-5010.

Spiny ray

Ice is disappearing from Potholes Reservoir and water temperatures are hovering at 37 degrees. Although the dunes have ice in places, it is expected to be gone there and in most seep lakes, possibly by the weekend. Walleye fishing has picked up with anglers catching fish on blade baits and jigs in 28-40 feet of water. Largemouth bass have moved onto the face of the dunes and are being caught on black & blue jigs, paddle tail swimbaits and blade baits.

Friends have been blade baiting on Lake Roosevelt for walleye and doing quite well on prespawn fish.

Other species

Channel catfish are moving slowly onto the Palouse River near Lyons Ferry. They are beginning to show on the mud lines near the mouth. This is the best time of year to find the best eating fish as they tend to get soft during the summer and are more widely distributed.

Hunting

Effective Jan. 1, anyone hunting black bears in Idaho must show proof that they have passed a bear identification test to help them differentiate between grizzly bears and black bears. Before you take the bear identification test, go to Idaho’s Bear Identification and Test Requirement webpage. Idaho will recognize completed bear identification certificates from the Montana and Washington bear identification education programs. If you have received certification from either of those states, simply input that certification number.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com