Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for May 22, 2025

Thu., May 22, 2025

By Alan Liere The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

Tip of the week: Colors are the key to catching chinook salmon. Be sure to carry a wide variety, but usually chartreuse, silver, orange and red work well. The scent of bare hands can be a deterrent to the bite, so use some environmentally safe liquid soap, a clean hand towel and elastic nitrile gloves. Keep a small bucket to wash down your lures and be sure to keep your rod handles and cranks on the reel clean.

Overheard: Although the weather wasn’t the best for bow fishing, last Saturday’s Moses Lake Carp Classic had a good turnout of 27 boats and 73 participants. There were 351 carp shot equaling 3,400 pounds. The biggest fish of the tournament weighed 25.8 pounds. The biggest 10 carp category winner shot 178.4 pounds of carp. The most carp shot category winner brought in 38 carp.

In 1952, the Lemhi River in Idaho was straightened to avoid building bridges for a highway. At the time this seemed like a good idea, but a straight river acts like a high-speed water slide, washing away the gravel, woody debris and calm backwaters that salmon and steelhead need to spawn and raise their young, A healthy river, though, is messy. It meanders, splits into multiple channels, and includes a mix of calm pools, turbulent riffles and deep pockets. Efforts are being made by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to restore these natural features and increase the Lemhi’s capacity to support young salmon and steelhead.

Braggin’ rights: In spite of Despite the inclement weather, the Quincy Chamber of Commerce Pike Minnow Derby last weekend was a success. Once again, there were prizes and big cash payouts for the winners. The adult winner for the longest fish was Pat McCurdy, and the shortest fish trophy was handed to Terry Leibert. Jace Kayner won both the youth division’s prizes for longest and shortest fish. The goal of the derby is to remove as many pikeminnow as possible from the Columbia River. Kevin Holbart did the best, turning in more than 140 pounds of fish. The grand prize of the Chet’s Honda Polaris 570 Side by Side was won by Brian Main – for the second year in a row.

Fly fishing

The Spokane River will reopen to fishing on Saturday, the general stream opener.

Fishing has stayed consistent on the North Fork Coeur d’Alene River. Flows are well below average for this time of year and aren’t forecast to change much over the next week. The smaller tributaries are starting to fish better. Hatches of golden stones, salmonflies, gray drakes, blue-winged olives, yellow sallies and caddis have still been great. Pale morning duns should start soon. Silver Bow Fly Shop recommends a dry-dropper rig in the morning and keeping an eye out for risers in the afternoon. Henry’s Fork stone, water walkers, chubby Chernobyls and stimulators will be good big dry fly options.

Trout and kokanee

Deep and Cedar lakes in Stevens County are good bets for a trout limit. Cedar Lake and Ellen Lake are other northern lakes that should fish well.

Fishtrap and Williams lakes are still providing good trout fishing. A trolled flatfish or fly are effective, and still fishermen are doing well on an assortment of salmon eggs, Power Bait and worms.

Anglers fishing Twin Lake by Inchelium are catching huge triploids and some nice largemouth bass.

Coeur d’Alene Lake anglers say they are picking up some 10-inch kokanee by trolling the south end of the lake. Try Powderhorn Bay and East Point, trolling in the top 15 feet.

Steelhead and salmon

My friend Rick Itami, his wife and other members of his family booked a trip with Reel Time Fishing last week on Drano Lake. When they met up with their guide at the lake, they learned that the tribe had netted 1,000 chinook the day before, but they decided to give it a try anyway. After no success initially, they ended up fishing the notorious “toilet bowl” where they eventually hooked seven fish, landing four.

Fishing for chinook salmon is open seven days per week in the mainstem Clearwater, Middle Fork Clearwater and South Fork Clearwater rivers. The North Fork Clearwater River will remain open four days per week – Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Brewster King Salmon Derby is again scheduled for the first weekend in August and is already receiving registrations. Due to the uncertainty of the chinook salmon season this year, the derby will most likely be a sockeye derby. Sockeye were the biggest attraction to the Brewster Pool last year and are expected to be again this season. Anglers can go to brewsterkingsalmonderby.com and register online. Anglers need to plan early and make arrangements for hotels or camping in the area.

After a short closure, Marine Area 13 (South Puget Sound) is again open to salmon fishing under permanent rules as listed in the 2024-2025 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet.

Spiny ray

Anglers fishing on Potholes Reservoir are reporting larger than average bluegill being caught in the dunes. One of these large bluegill may be the state record. Caught recently by Chad Halvorson, it weighed 2 pounds, 6 ounces.

Potholes anglers are also reporting good numbers of walleye being caught on bottom bouncers with a Macks Slow Death rig or Wallypop worm harness in 10-12 feet of water along weed lines. Potholes water is high and the fish are spread out. Bass fishing remains good.

Walleye are biting north of Kettle Falls on Lake Roosevelt. Moses Lake walleyes have moved off the shelves into deeper water, but the bite has been good. Banks Lake walleye are also biting.

Long Lake anglers are catching walleye – mostly the preferred eating size of 16 to 20 inches. There has also been a good perch bite, but you have to move around to find the big ones. Usually, if you are catching small fish in a spot, you will continue to catch small fish until you move.

After another successful Eloika Lake outing late last week, I have decided I don’t want to clean another crappie. Bass fishing, though, has been good, and the perch bite is improving. I fillet the perch and release the bass.

There are some big perch in Coffeepot Lake, but they are somewhat ignored by anglers because bait is not allowed there. But Coffeepot perch will readily hit a curlytailed jig with a small lead head.

Other species

Lake Coeur d’Alene northern pike are beginning to move out of the bays. Anglers throwing spoons are finding them along shorelines.

Coming up on Father’s Day weekend is the 33rd annual Pikeminnow Derby, conducted by the East Wenatchee Rotary Club on the Columbia River. There are some significant changes that anglers should be aware of about this derby. Primarily, there will be cash payouts for the pike minnows turned into pay stations on the Columbia River. Those interested can go to to www.ewrotary.org and fill out a form to register.

The Palouse River is good for large numbers of 4- to 6-pound channel catfish, but some are also being caught in the Snake near Rice Bar and the grain elevators.

Hunting

Idaho spring turkey seasons that have not ended will close after Sunday. Washington turkeys remain open through the end of the month.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com