Alan Liere’s fish and game report for June 15

Fly Fishing

Silver Bow Fly Shop reports very good fishing on the Spokane River, both upper and lower. The water is high, but the trout are more active and are sitting in some heavy currents. The Stone/caddis pupa is the top double-nymph combo, but streamer fishing is good too. There are lots of smallmouth as well as trout upriver.

From noon on seems to be the best time to fish the North Fork Coeur d’Alene. There are lots of bugs hatching and the water level is good.

The St. Joe is not getting a lot of attention, but the fishing has been excellent. Silver Bow reports big fish and lots of them. Best fishing there, also, is in the afternoon. Forget about the Clark Fork for a while.

Southeast of Colville, large McDowell Lake trout are hitting chironomids. The water is low, however, and there is muck along the edges.

Trout and kokanee

Friends who have fished for trout on Williams and Badger this spring with lots of success say they tried Fishtrap this week and didn’t get a bite.

The Tucannon River impoundments on the W.T. Wooten Wildlife Area continue to be stocked with rainbow trout and are still providing good action.

Grant County’s Deep Lake, north of the town of Soap Lake, is providing good kokanee fishing. This lake sometimes offers decent fishing from shore.

Hayden Lake has been good for some and frustrating for others. The 12- to 14-inch kokanee are shallower (about 20 feet down) than at this time in other years. Pink hootchies are the most popular lure.

Loon Lake kokanee are hitting at night for still fishermen anchored near Granite Point and for trollers almost anytime, anywhere. A friend who fished Loon last week said he caught his limit of 10- to 12-inch kokes before he even got around the first point east of the public launch.

Waitts Lake is a good place to catch rainbow and brown trout. Trolling a fly down the middle of the lake is very effective.

The lower end of Chelan Lake is still producing big numbers of Kokanee.

Salmon and steelhead

It is expected the summer-run steelhead return to the Columbia River this year will be the lowest since 1980.To conserve weak steelhead runs, the WDFW plans to reduce daily catch limits, prohibit night fishing, and close sport fishing for steelhead in some waters during months when those fish are passing through. Emergency fishing rules that take effect prior to July 1 are on WDFW’s website at fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is considering similar rules for sport fisheries on the Columbia.

Chinook will be open on Friday for the mid-Columbia River, and in July for the upper Columbia River reservoirs. Check the WDFW regulations for details on specific areas. Anglers should watch the emergency regulations page closely in June as fishing for sockeye may close in areas of the Columbia River before new regulations go into effect July 1. Steelhead fishing opens Friday in the Columbia River downstream of the Highway 395 Bridge.

McNary Dam Pool and Hanford Reach recreational salmon fisheries open on Friday for chinook salmon and steelhead. Each of the three areas has different regulations and limits, so check the WDFW website for specifics.

On Friday, hatchery spring chinook open on the middle section of the Yakima River from the Interstate 82 Bridge at Union Gap to the BNSF Railroad Bridge downstream of Roza Dam.

Spiny ray

Walleye fishing has not really taken off yet at Banks Lake, though anglers trolling spinners and nightcrawlers on Barker Flats have taken a few nice fish recently. Slow Death rigs trolled in 18-20 feet of water are getting the lion’s share of the action. Most of the fish have been 14-17 inches. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair in the Devils Punch Bowl.

Moses Lake walleye have not come easily for anglers, but they are catching a fair number of smallmouth. A couple of fair reports came from south of the I-90 Bridge.

The bugs have been bad at Potholes recently, and the fishing hasn’t been great. Some anglers have reported decent walleye fishing and fewer bugs near Medicare Beach.

Warden Lake in Grant County has been a good spot for smallmouth bass recently. Plastics are the ticket for the fish, many of which are in the 2-pound range.

The Umatilla/Irrigon area of the John Day Pool has been red hot for walleye on bottom walkers and worm harnesses. Fish anywhere in 25-40 feet of water along current breaks.

The Pend Oreille River north of River Bend has been very good for both smallmouth and largemouth bass. Dark plastics have done best.

Chelan County’s Roses Lake is yielding huge catches of hand-sized bluegills as well as pumpkinseed and red ear sunfish. Look for spawning beds in shallow water and toss a small jig or a simple worm and bobber rig.

The Chain Lakes in Idaho are a good bet now for pike, largemouth and panfish. Fernan Lake is also a good bet, particularly for crappie and perch. On Lake Coeur d’Alene, northern pike have become more aggressive along the emerging weed beds.

Other species

The annual Pikeminnow Derby sponsored by the East Wenatchee Rotary Club kicks off Friday at 6 p.m., with the weigh stations opening on Saturday. Fishing concludes Sunday at 11:30 a.m. There will be lots of prizes, including a boat and trailer, outboard motors, fishing gear and cash. Derby headquarters and awards ceremony is at the Orondo River Park in Orondo. Tickets, prize listings and more information are available at Hooked on Toys, Bi-Mart and Bob Feil Boats & Motors in Wenatchee, or call the Wenatchee Valley Rotary at (800) 572-7753.

The annual quotas for sturgeon harvest have been met for the Columbia River downstream of McNary Dam, but McNary Reservoir will remain open to the retention of sturgeon through July 31. To be retained, sturgeon must be 43-54 inches as measured from the tip of the snout to the fork in the tail.

Millions of shad have been moving up the Columbia River and are reaching McNary and Ice Harbor dams in numbers that make for great fishing. Tips on where, when, and how to catch shad – and prepare them – are available on WDFW’s website.

Summer crab-fishing seasons for areas of Puget Sound start on Friday with an opening in Marine Areas 4, 5 and 11. Hood Canal opens June 24. Most other areas of the Sound will open for recreational crab fishing on July 1, although two areas around the San Juan Islands open later in the summer to protect molting crab. More information is available on WDFW’s crab fishing website at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/.