Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for March 19, 2026

Thu., March 19, 2026

By Alan Liere The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

Tip of the week: Anglers in Grant County near Moses Lake are reporting good numbers of trout up to 21 inches being caught in Frenchman’s Wasteway and at Medicare Beach on Potholes Reservoir. Anglers are having success using a slip bobber rig baited with corn flavored Power Bait in 8 to 12 feet of water. Corral Lake has been producing good numbers but smaller rainbows.

Heads up: Hundreds of sandhill cranes are gathering in the Columbia Basin for their annual feeding and resting stopover. Their numbers will peak at close to 15,000 birds. The annual Othello Sandhill Crane Festival runs Friday through March 26 in Othello, Washington. For more info visit www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org.

The annual Quincy Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby runs March 27 and 28 when anglers gather at Burke and Quincy lakes in the Quincy Wildlife Area to fish for rainbow trout. Derby fishing begins at 6 a.m. on MarchFriday the 27th with a mandatory weigh in at 4 p.m. On MarchSaturday the 28th, fishing ends at 12:45 p.m. and winners will be announced. The Quincy Chamber adds more trout to the lakes just prior to the derby, including some whoppers. Register at the event or online by visiting the Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce website.

The Spokane River from the Washington/Idaho state line down to Nine Mile Falls Dam is now closed until the Saturday before Memorial Day. This closure is to help protect spawning redband rainbows.

Lake Roosevelt is at about 1,252 feet above sea level and leveling off. Major ramps are open.

Overheard: The Colville Tribe has come up with an idea to make fishing at Rufus Woods even more fun: a fishing derby with $5,000 in prizes. It will start April 1 and run through July 31. Catches will be recorded through the MyCatch app, and the prizes are listed on Anglers Atlas. In addition to the popular (and delicious) Rufus Woods triploid rainbow, other species will also garner gift card prizes in a variety of categories.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s Panhandle Region has recently received several reports of moose that have mange-like conditions or are exhibiting sickly behavior. In most cases, the cause is moose ticks. These become noticeable during winter as moose rub against objects to relieve irritation, causing patches of hair to come off. While many adult moose can tolerate heavy tick loads, calves are more vulnerable to the resultant blood loss.

Braggin’ rights: Westslope cutthroat trout rarely surpass 20 inches, but on Feb. 1, Coeur d’Alene angler Kyle Hatrock, fishing Lake Pend Oreille, landed a 27-inch cutthroat and a place in the Idaho state record book.

Fly fishing

Silver Bow Fly Shop says fishing has been very good on the North Fork Coeur d’Alene River this past weekend. It is still a nymph and/or streamer game, but winter stones like capnia and nemoura stones have started to hatch. Rain and warmer temps could cause some of the recent snow accumulation to melt, so monitor flows before you go. The lower and middle stretches with slower/deeper pools are still going to be the best places to find fish.

Amber and Coffeepot lakes have been the most consistent lately with some really nice fish coming out of both lakes. Water temperatures are still cold, so there is not much for hatches other than a few random chironomids and water boatmen on the warmer days. Balanced leeches under an indicator or with a slow retrieve on a sinking line have been the most productive tactics. Liberty, Waitts, Fourth of July and Jumpoff Joe can also be good this time of year.

Trout and kokanee

Several lakes in the Quincy Wildlife Area can only be reached by hiking. Dusty Lake is popular with fly fishers, and many carry a float tube or pontoon boat down the steep trail to fish it. It’s stocked with rainbow, brown and tiger trout. Fish of 16 to 20 inches are possible on Dusty. Two other lakes that are reached by trail are Cup and Crystal. Both are planted with rainbow trout. They don’t get a lot of pressure and have a good number of carryovers in them.

Stevens County’s Williams and Hatch lakes have open water. Anglers can catch rainbow trout there through March 31.

Steelhead and salmon

From now until June 30, the spring chinook limit at Drano Lake will be two per day. Up to two hatchery steelhead or two salmon, or one of each may be retained. All salmon other than hatchery chinook must be released. A night closure will be in effect.

A few steelhead are being caught now in the Main Salmon River from White Bird to Riggins, but it may still be muddy for a few days.

Spiny ray

Water temperatures on Potholes Reservoir are approaching 50 degrees, and the immediate forecast shows highs up to 70 degrees. At those temperatures, the water will rapidly warm, making fish even more active. Anglers are finding largemouth spread out throughout the dunes by focusing on shallow water. Use lures that mimic baitfish, such as lipless crankbaits like Berkley Warpigs and Rat-L-Traps. Glide baits and jerkbaits have produced good-sized bass, but if the bite is off, consider using slow presentations such as the Yamamoto Senko.

The walleye bite on Lake Roosevelt has begun and will get better as water temperatures warm. The fish are pre-spawn right now, making them aggressive. The Spokane Arm has been productive for anglers trolling the main river channel. Good reports come from the Kettle Falls area.

Spring walleye fishing was off to a great start on the Snake and Columbia rivers, says Reel Time Fishing, but heavy rains this past week have made the rivers high and muddy. As soon as they settle down, the fishing should be excellent. For more information, call (208) 790-2128.

Soda Lake in Grant County has been producing limits of walleye in the 14- to 18-inch range. Troll a Mack’s Slow Death Smile Blade worm harness in 15 to 25 feet of water at about 1 mph. Curlytailed grubs will also find fish.

The perch fishing is holding up around the I-90 Bridge on Moses Lake, and some good-sized crappie are also showing. There is a 9-inch minimum for crappie on Moses Lake and the limit is 10.

Dworshak Reservoir in Idaho will soon be giving up some monster smallmouth bass. The Snake River also will yield some large smallmouth but you’re more likely to catch big numbers than a record-breaker. As the water warms, the Grande Ronde River will become an excellent smallmouth fishery.

Idaho’s Chain Lakes are producing decent pike fishing in the shallow bays. Dead smelt or herring are best. Nearby, Fernan and Houser lakes are beginning to produce some nice-sized crappie.

Other species

Halibut fishing starts April 2 in Puget Sound marine areas and April 30 in coastal marine areas.

Hunting

Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials say deer and elk survival was looking good through the end of February. Winter survival is typically the biggest single factor affecting mule deer herds. The long-term average is about 60% of fawns surviving their first winter, but by the end of this February, 89% of collared fawns and 99% of collared calves were still alive.

While that’s good news, March and April are often when fawn and calf mortality reaches its peak because the young animals’ fat reserves are largely depleted and their digestive systems need time to convert to digesting fresh, green forage. Survival of young mule deer has a direct relation to the fall deer harvest because yearling bucks typically make up a significant portion of the overall mule deer harvest.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com