Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for Nov. 20, 2025
Tip of the week
The time of day significantly affects walleye activity as the days get colder. Dawn and dusk, are prime times for walleye fishing because they trigger feeding activity. Night can even be better as the fish move into shallower water. Lighted lures at night are not just for steelhead fishing; they are also effective for walleye.
Overheard
Snoqualmie River fishing seasons were delayed this year to protect spawning chinook salmon. Chinook spawning activity should be completed now, and expected coho returns are sufficient to open coho retention opportunity in the river through November.
Heads up
Brandts Landing is a Federal Park not far from the town of Bridgeport about six miles past the boat launch above Chief Joseph Dam. In fall and winter it can be a great place to catch a big triploid from shore, but so far, fishing has been slow. Brandts Landing is is set up for a comfortable day of fishing, as there are picnic tables, vault toilets and fire pits. Bring your own wood.
Braggin’ rights
Reader Wes Jewell reported a great day of fishing for rainbows at Roosevelt last week. His boat took two limits of 16- to 20-inch fish in an hour at Hawk Creek. He said at one point they had three fish on at the same time.
Fly fishing
Streamer and nymphing will be the go-to for most of the day on the Spokane River, with some bwo activity in the early afternoons. Nymphs are always good this time of year. Finding softer currents is important as temperatures cool.
Amber and Sprague Lake fly fishermen are taking some big trout on red Bionic Worms. They say the fish are high and low.
Sean Visintainer of Silver Bow Fly Shop says he fished the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River this week for a couple hours, noting there was some blue-winged olive, midge and fall caddis activity in the afternoons. He said mornings and most of the day a nymph or streamer rig is the go-to. The fish are podded up, so not all pools will have fish. The lower stretches will be best.
The Grande Ronde and Snake rivers are still giving up steelhead. The Snake will be one of the best options over the next couple of months since the water stays warmer and fish will remain relatively active. Sink-tips will be the most effective. Visintainer says he managed to find a couple fish on the Clearwater earlier this week. Finding a big B-run fish is the allure of the Clearwater, not necessarily big numbers of fish.
The mile-long stretch of running water at Rocky Ford near Ephrata is always ice free in the winter, and there are some very big rainbow there. Right now, weeds on top are still a problem, but they will soon disappear. Then, an indicator and a scud or an olive mini leech with a scud about 15 inches below it are good combinations to start. Cast and strip the latter setup.
Trout and Kokanee
Anything black is again the word from Rufus Woods Reservoir – whether fly or jig. The lower end has been particularly good for triploids.
The Lake Pend Oreille Thanksgiving Derby runs Nov. 22-26 and Nov. 28-30 with a short break for Thanksgiving. (Get entry details and more at LPOIC.org.) A friend trolling a fly on a planer board took a 22-pound rainbow on Lake Pend Oreille last week, but wishes he would have waited until the derby to catch the beautiful fish.
Priest Lake mackinaw fishermen are jigging or drop-shotting the deep humps and points in Cavanaugh Bay and Pinto Point for their fish. Make sure your hook is sharp for these deep-water fish, and braided, no-stretch line is also important.
Anglers trolling #7 Berkley Flicker Shads, Needlefish spoons, Wee Gee spoons, and Macks Lure Wedding Ring Rigs tipped with night crawlers are catching limits of large rainbow trout quickly on Potholes Reservoir. Most are targeting 15 to 30 feet of water with speeds up to 3 mph. Bank fishermen have also been doing very well from Medicare Beach using nightcrawlers and Power Bait.
The various pullouts along Long Lake have been attracting bank anglers who are catching rainbow trout running about 16 inches. As always, PowerBait is popular.
Diamond Lake is usually overlooked this time of year until the ice forms, but it has a good population of rainbow and brown trout, and either will take a trolled fly or Apex. A piece of worm will make these even more effective.
Lakes Lenore and Dry Falls are open through November, Both are selective gear waters with single barbless hooks required and no bait allowed, but that does not mean they are fly fishing only. Anglers can still use lures as long as they meet the selective gear rules. There is good shore access at Lenore and anglers have been casting lures at the top end of the lake. Dry Falls has no place to fish from shore.
Steelhead and salmon
Nov. 10 was the catch and keep opener for steelhead on the Clearwater River. Trollers are using lighted lures at night for some very good catches of B-run fish, some approaching 20 pounds.
Steelhead fishing has been pretty good from Bridgeport to Wells Dam. Anglers are putting in at the launch above Wells Dam and making the two-mile run down to the rip-rap. Drifting a bobber and shrimp has been effective.
Ringold steelhead are biting for bank fishermen, and those with a boat are doing even better. The Columbia River above Rocky Reach Dam has been good for steelhead. Anglers throwing bobber and jig set-ups from the docks at Lincoln Park, as well as boats running up to the hatchery entrance on Turtle Rock are having some good days.
At Fins and Feathers in Coeur d’Alene, Jeff Smith says the chinook fishing has been outstanding. He said anglers are catching anywhere from six to two dozen chinook every time out, mostly between Carlin Bay south to Powderhorn Bay. The downside, Smith said, is that keeper salmon (24 inches) are somewhat scarce. Still, it is a lot of fun with good action on somewhat smaller fish. Troll at 90-110 feet with flashers and mini-squid.
Spiny ray
Long Lake produced some big perch this year, and there is no reason to give up on them yet. You will do best with a boat over dying weed lines in 20 to 25 feet of water. The fish are in big schools now, and the bite will be fast once you locate these.
Friends fishing near Northport on Lake Roosevelt said water levels are good during the day but can move up or down four feet, mostly at night. They caught a trout and a couple walleye but no sturgeon, though they were tantalized by a legal-sized sturgeon that came way out the water for no apparent reason about 20 yards out.
At Potholes Reservoir, Nathan LaFrance says anglers are finding walleye again by throwing jerkbaits and minnow-style crankbaits along the dam. Blade baits are also starting to do well around Goose Island, the mouth of Crab Creek, Perch Point and the outlets of Moses Lake. Bass reports have been sporadic.
Other species
Razor clam digging opportunities on Pacific beaches continue Thursday through Sunday at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, and Mocrocks. A lot of December and January digs have also been tentatively set.
Hunting
The wet, muddy days of late have not been good for pheasant and quail hunters on the Palouse, but those who concentrate their efforts near heavy brush and trees are finding birds, and on the rare sunny days, birds gather in harvested wheat to feed. CRP is the last place I’d look for a pheasant on a rainy day.
A few northern mallards have trickled into the Columbia Basin, but goose hunting has been much better than duck hunting.
Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com.