Matt Liere’s hunting and fishing report for March 13, 2025

Thu., March 13, 2025

By Matt Liere The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

Tip of the week: To keep your hooked fish from throwing the lure as it approaches the boat, keep your rod tip low or even submerged to prevent them from breaking the surface. A rubber snubber on the line will also help absorb some of the shock.

Heads up: District 2 Biologist Randy Osborne said a canned food drive will not be a part of the Clear Lake Kids’ Fishing Day in May as reported last week. They will, however, be cleaning and gathering donations of fish to be given to the food bank, and will also give away periodic door prizes throughout the day.

The Inland Northwest Wildlife Council’s Big Horn Show is coming soon, running from March 20 to March 23. As one of the oldest and longest, continually operated sports and recreation shows in the United States, there is a little something for everyone. Admission grants access and info to fishing, hunting, shooting sports, backpacking, the latest cutting-edge gear, and much more. Tickets are $18 at the door for adults; $12 for youth, seniors and heroes. Check online for all ticket options and details at www.inwc.org/big-horn-show/.

Overheard: In March, a lot of local lakes are said to “turn over.” During this process, the cold, deeper waters heat up as the sun penetrates the depths and the heat is held by rocks or muddy bottoms while the surface remains cold. As the bottoms warm, the water moves upward and colder, surface water sinks. This mixes oxygen and water and fish will become more active and soon begin aggressively feeding. This doesn’t occur immediately, however, so anglers can blame their poor success by saying “the lake was turning over.”

Braggin’ rights: Mike Singson, now of Meridian, Idaho, returned to his old haunts in Washington this past week to fish for Columbia River walleye near the Tri-Cities. Singson received a warm welcome back, deftly landing a mess of walleyes, including two over 31 inches long, the largest of which tipped the scale at 16½ pounds. Singson said the water was dreadfully cloudy due to spring runoff, but the fish didn’t seem to have any difficulty locating the Fuzz-E Citrus Chub he presented in 27 feet of water. Even better, he said he released both egg-laden females to live and lay another day.

Fly fishing

WDFW biologist Mike Schmuck in Grant County said the March 1 opening of Quincy and Homestead lakes has been off to a good start. Big rainbows, averaging 19 inches, have been taken out of both, with reports of browns taken by those hiking in to fish Homestead. Lake Lenore offers ice-free fishing for those looking to tap into the popular cutthroat population.

The pros at Silver Bow Fly Shop said fishing has been hit and miss on the Spokane River. Despite an above-average discharge, clarity below the Hangman Creek confluence has improved slightly, but is limited at best. Some BWO hatches are evident, but there haven’t been many fish rising to feed. They suggest fishing rubber leg stones, hot bead nymphs and squirmies would be best, with up-sized patterns to manage the flow. Should you decide to venture out, however, be quick. The river closes Saturday for spawning and won’t reopen until just before Memorial Day in May.

Idaho’s St. Joe River has given up a few fish to anglers nymphing hot beads and stones. Look for slower eddies and pools and sink your bugs deep to encourage a strike.

Trout and kokanee

Rock Lake anglers are taking rainbow trout ranging from 11 to 16 inches. The north end where fish are cruising the surface is said to be best. Troll slowly with hoochies.

Family friends bank fishing for trout at Roosevelt’s Fort Spokane last weekend came away with only one 16-inch trout, but the hours in the prespring sun more than made up for the slow fishing.

Bank fishers have been having moderate luck catching trout on Roosevelt near Kettle Falls and Seven Bays. The bite has been rising as the water level falls, with most success coming from hooks baited with worm, marshmallows and/or Power Bait. Debates on correct leader length continue, but whichever catches fish between the contested 12-inch minimum and 4-foot maximum should be considered a winner.

The winter-only lakes in Washington, including Williams in Stevens County, Hatch, Fourth of July and Hog Canyon all close at the end of this month, but lakes Amber, Coffeepot and Medical all opened March 1 and are mostly ice free, save for certain areas.

Grant County lakes Quincy, Lenore and Homestead also opened March 1, offering worm-dunkers opportunities for browns, rainbows, cutthroat and tiger trout. Conditions change on a daily basis this time of year, so check with regional wildlife offices or online for up-to-date information.

Little Pend Oreille chain lakes Gillette and Thomas still had fishable ice as of last weekend, but anglers should remain cautious this time of year. Curlew Lake reportedly still has nearly 7 inches of ice, with sporadic catch reports of trout and perch, depending on day and location.

Idaho anglers are beginning to catch decent numbers of kokanee from Spirit Lake, accessing the fishing area at Nautical Loop.

Washington fishing and hunting licenses expire on March 31. Idaho licenses for 2025 are already necessary.

Steelhead and salmon

The 2025 forecast for upriver spring chinook is 122,500 fish, which is more than the 116,332 that returned to the Columbia River in 2024 but lower than the 10-year average of 139,676. Salmon and steelhead fishing is open daily until the end of March from the mouth of the Columbia River to the Interstate 5 Bridge, but spring chinook typically don’t arrive in large numbers until late March or April.

Steelhead fishing on the Clearwater River has been slow, despite good count numbers coming in. The folks at Reel Time Fishing suggest a trip to the Cowlitz River for better action through mid-April. If you wish to use their services, book now to ensure your spot.

Spiny ray

Downs Lake in southwest Spokane County is only 12 feet deep and the water warms up quickly. In addition to rainbow trout, Downs has one of the best largemouth fisheries in March and might be worth a look.

Some of the year’s biggest walleye are caught in the Columbia River in March, nearing their heaviest weight of the year while preparing to spawn. Big walleye are caught this time of year in Lake Wallula, Lake Umatilla and Scooteney Reservoir. In the Tri-Cities area, try the Snake River downstream to Badger Island and from McNary Dam downstream to Boardman.

Lake Roosevelt walleye anglers are taking some large fish along with their “eaters” between Fort Spokane and Buoy 5. The bigger walleyes have been found on shallow flats near current.

Jigging and swim baits have produced good results and appear to be just as effective in the murky depths.

Other species

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife just announced plans for the 2025 halibut fishing season, beginning April 3 in some Puget Sound marine areas and May 1 in coastal marine areas.

The 2025 recreational season is based on a statewide quota of 284,042 pounds. The annual catch quota of 1.65 million pounds in 2025 was approved by the International Pacific Halibut Commission for fisheries in Washington, Oregon and California.

Halibut fisheries will close as quotas are met. There is a one-fish daily catch limit; no minimum size restriction. Anglers may possess up to two fish in any form while in the field, and must record their catch on a catch record card.

The annual limit is six halibut per angler. Possession limit is two daily limits in any form, except only one daily limit while aboard the fishing vessel.

Check the WDFW website to ensure a specific area is open prior to fishing. Refer to the WDFW bottomfish and halibut webpage for information on recreational halibut regulations and seasons.

Contact Matthew Liere at mwliere@gmail.com