Warmer Water, Better Bass Fishing As Water Temperatures Inch Up, So Does The Prospect For Catching Smallmouth Bass On The Snake River

Smallmouth bass fishing on the Snake River is cranking up for another season. With water temperatures inching toward 50 degrees, Inland Northwest anglers should prepare for smallmouth bass fishing at its best.

From now until mid-June and then again from mid-September through late November, the Snake River is offers some of the region’s finest smallmouth fishing.

Good smallmouth fishing also is found at Washington lakes such as Roosevelt, Banks, Sprague and Potholes Reservoir.

Tackle needs are almost universal. In most cases, a good 6- to 6 1/2-foot, medium-action rod is the stick of choice. Most people use spinning reels loaded with 6- to 8-pound test monofilament. The only reason to use the heavier mono is to have a chance to save snagged lures.

Surface-water temperature guides lure selection. In cold, early season waters and again after spawning, try 3-inch curly tail worms on lead-head jigs, and fish them slow and deep.

Black, white, smoke and motor oil colors are hot from upriver down to Boyer Park at Lower Granite Dam. Perch colors such as cinnamons, green sparkles, orange and violet with metal-flake all work well on the lower river.

As the water warms toward the magic range of 45 to 50 degrees, use fast reels to retrieve lipped crankbaits and weighted lipless rattle traps. The idea is to make a rattling crankbait look like a migrating salmon or steelhead smolt.

A reel that cranks 6:1 is ideal. Jerk the lure under the instant it hits the water and crank as fast as possible to initiate vicious “no-brainer” strikes.

Smolt-colored silver, blue, black and even chartreuse lures that run from 5 to 10 feet deep are ideal. On rivers and reservoirs, smallmouth like structures and back-eddies.

Look for submerged flats with easy access to deep water. In morning and evening, smallmouth move onto the flat to feed and slide into deep water the rest of the time.

Also look for rocky points above and below sandy beaches, marinas or creek mouths. The nearer this structure is to deep water escapement, the better.

As spawning nears, the sand and gravel become the beds, fiercely defended by aggressive males. Nearer Walla Walla and the TriCities, don’t overlook structures provided by irrigation pumps.

Back-eddies form downstream from structures. Here the water slows, warms and concentrates food. The eddy provides a current break where bass can congregate with minimal energy expenditure and wait to attack passing fish.

The river road from Wawawai County Park in Whitman County southeast to Clarkston offers good fishing access for shore fishing.