Fishing Report

Winter lakes

With time running short for fishing Fourth of July and Hog Canyon lakes, ice once again sealed them this week.

Many anglers showed up at the lakes last weekend, but few stayed to fish. Some broke holes in the ice so they could fish from shore, while a few foolishly trusted the thin ice.

Those who fish Hog Canyon often like to leave their vehicles along the road a quarter of a mile from the public access, then hike along a road that is closed to vehicles to a hill that leads to the upper end of the lake.

Both Hog Canyon and Fourth of July should provide excellent fishing at times when they’re ice-free. But fishermen won’t have much time to fish the lakes. The winter season ends March 31.

March 1 lakes

It’s possible several of the lakes that were covered with ice cakes when they opened a week ago will be ice-free this weekend.

The Hampton lakes on the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge were mostly ice-free, but nearly all 10 of the lakes in the Pillar-Widgeon chain were ice-covered.

Greg Hughes, refuge spokesman, said Lower Hampton was ice-free, but only about half of Upper Hampton was open.

Hughes said 100 to 150 anglers fished the Hampton lakes Friday and Saturday.

Anglers caught only a few trout at Lower Hampton, but the fish were large, running 12 to 15 inches long, the Fish and Wildlife Department reported. Only a few fished Upper Hampton, which was partially frozen.

Warden was mostly ice-covered, but anglers broke ice with their boats in the north end. Fishing was slow. Anglers averaged less than a fish each. Year-old trout averaged 12.4 inches; carryover fish averaged 17.7.

Corral Lake below the Mar-Don Resort offered some of the best trout fishing in the Basin. Anglers hooked numerous 13-inch rainbows.

Most of the lakes in the Quincy Wildlife Management Area and the George area were ice-covered, the department said. Anglers found a little open water, but fishing was slow.

Average size of year-old rainbows were: Burke, 10.5 inches; Dusty, 12; Cliff, 13.8; Upper Caliche, 13.4; Lower Caliche, 12.2. Dot produced a few carryover rainbows near 17 inches.

Anglers are fishing for Lahontan cutthroat in open water just below the boat launch in the upper end of Lenore, Jim Randall of Coulee City said. A 75-yard-wide section below the launch site is ice-free for a few hundred yards. Otherwise, the lake was ice-covered at mid-week.

Spiny-rayed species

Some North Idaho lakes still have ice covers thick enough for safe ice fishing, Ross Fister of the Fins & Feathers shop said.

He recommends Upper Twin, Cocolalla, Round and Shepherd for perch. Shepherd holds 11- to 12-inch perch, but the fish are hard to find. Perch in the other lakes are 7 to 8 inches long.

Lake Roosevelt

Walleye fishing has been good at Lake Roosevelt. Fishing guide John Carruth of Davenport said he and clients had sensational fishing in the Hunters area last week.

He found the walleyes in bays and off points in water 30 to 35 feet deep. He and his clients used 3/8-ounce jigs with tube skirts and curly tail grubs. Orange was a good color.

He said his fishermen caught numerous “slotters,” walleyes 16 to 20 inches long. Slotters must be released. However, they caught quite a few longer than 20 inches. One weighed at least 7 pounds.

Carruth said the Spokane River is pouring muddy water into the lake. As a result, trolling for rainbows and kokanee has been slow below the mouth of the Spokane.

Fly fishing waters

Quail Lake in the southeast corner of the Columbia refuge may still be covered with ice this weekend. The fly fishing-only, catch-and-release lake opened March 1, but fly fishers couldn’t find open water.

Most fly fishers are spending their time fishing Rocky Ford Creek, a fly fishing-only spring creek north of Moses Lake. They’ve had fair to good luck in the upper mile of the stream.

Steelhead

Most steelhead are leaving holes where they wintered and apparently are moving toward their spawning grounds.

Fishing was outstanding in upper Clearwater River during the weekend Sunday, evidence the steelhead are moving when water temperatures are right. The Idaho Fish and Game Department reported 26 anglers averaged 5 hours per steelhead during the period.

Fishing was fairly good along the South Fork of the Clearwater, where anglers averaged 14 hours per fish. It was slow along the main stem below Orofino, with fishermen averaging 40 hours per steelhead. The department also reported fishing along the lower Salmon River ranged from 12 to 24 hours per steelhead.

Fishing was outstanding along the Little Salmon River with fishermen averaging 7 hours per fish.

The Washington Fish and Game Department didn’t check steelhead anglers along the lower Snake and such tributaries as the Grande Ronde, Tucannon and Touchet.

Chinook salmon

Trollers are catching 6- to 8-pound chinooks near the surface at Lake Coeur d’Alene, Fister said. Most are trolling helmeted herring on monofilament lines between Bennett and Wolf Lodge bays in the north part of the lake.

Kokanee

Idaho’s Spirit Lake is continuing to churn out 25-fish limits of 7- to 8-inch kokanee, Smith said. Anglers are hooking the fish through the ice 25 feet deep.

Ling

If you want to catch ling, try Palmer Lake in the Okanogan country. Carruth said some friends jigged through ice and caught 4- to 6-pound ling every 8 minutes.

Priest Lake

Anglers have been jigging through more than 8 inches of ice in Cavanaugh Bay to catch mackinaw trout, Fister said. Fishing has been good.

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