Alan Liere’s weekly fish and game report for Feb. 18

Wed., Feb. 17, 2016

Alan Liere Correspondent

Tip of the week

The skwala stonefly is the first insect hatch of significance on most streams and rivers in the area. Their migration for reproduction could begin at any time now. If you cannot see actively feeding fish, however, you’ll have to “prospect” by floating a large pattern that sits high in the water. If you can see feeding fish, go with a smaller pattern.

Overheard

According to a source at Potholes Reservoir, WDFW has decided not to plant any more trout in the lake due to what they say is an unavailability of fish. Local fishermen are wondering why the shallow desert lakes are still so heavily stocked if there is a shortage of fish. The ice is coming off Amber Lake pretty fast now, and it should be ready for the catch and release season that begins March 1. Unfortunately, the launch at Coffeepot Lake still will not have enough water this year for launching a boat.

Heads up

Through Feb. 25, WDFW will accept written comments from the public to help finalize hunting rules and regulations proposed for the upcoming hunting seasons. The proposals and comment forms are posted on the department’s website at wdfw.wa.gov/about/regulations/hunting_regulations/

The official Boone and Crocket horn and antler measuring at Cabela’s is over, but trophies can still be measured at the Bonner County Horn Show in Sandpoint the first weekend of March and the Big Horn Outdoor Recreation Show March 17-20 at Spokane County Fair and Expo Center.

Fly fishing

All rivers are running big. The Spokane River around Spokane has remained marginally fishable until this week, but the flow Tuesday morning was 8010 cfs and expected to increase significantly. This might be the time stay home and tie flies for the March 1 openers.

Rocky Ford fly fishermen say you may have to sort through your scud patterns before you find the right one to trigger a strike. A friend who fished there this week caught a 7-pound ‘bow when he finally tied on the right color.

Steelhead and salmon

Fishing for spring and summer chinook will probably happen in the same places as last year if pre-season forecasts are correct, but the run size is expected to be smaller than last year and anglers could see shorter seasons and/or lower bag limits. Idaho Fish and Game anticipates 59,000 chinook bound for Idaho hatcheries will cross Lower Granite Dam headed to Idaho. Last year, 81,700 hatchery fish returned to Idaho.

Guide Kyle Jones fished the Snake River upstream of Heller Bar this week with good success on steelhead. He said the Grande Ronde, which enters there, is running high and muddy, making the water downstream unfishable. Jones is partial to shrimp cured bright red in combination with a chartreuse Corkie. Info: (208) 861-0654.

Trout and kokanee

A friend who fished Rock Lake recently said he caught one brown of 16 inches, four rainbow of 17 inches plus, and “a gazillion” 12- to 13-inch steelhead. He did best on natural-colored Shad Raps and said the lake was as high as he had ever seen it.

Lake Chelan kokanee are running mostly 13-14 inches, but sometimes trollers will get into a school of slightly smaller or slightly larger fish. The bite has been best until noon, then drops off. Most recently, anglers are finding fish above the narrows.

Fourth of July and Hog Canyon are still open to winter trout fishermen, and anglers are having moderate success at both lakes. At Fourth of July, particularly, many of the fish are 14 inches and more.

Sprague Lake bank fishermen say they are catching some nice-sized rainbow from shore at the public access. Marshmallows and worms or Power Bait on a slip sinker are most popular.

After hearing glowing reports from kokanee fishermen at Keller Ferry the past two weeks, friends and I fished seven hours there on Tuesday for one 17-inch kokanee and two 16-inch rainbow.

The reservoir had dropped nearly a foot a day for a week, and though we fished six rods at various depths, didn’t miss a single bite and covered water from the Keller launch to Swawilla Basin, it was a “should have been here yesterday” outing – one of those days when you have to be thankful for good conversation, a big lunch and beautiful weather. Our lack of success was echoed by other usually-successful anglers who tried as far up as Hansen Harbor.

Trout reports from Lake Roosevelt have been less than glowing all week. Bank fishermen seem to be doing better than trollers, but the consensus is that with dropping water the fish are following plankton toward the dam. The water level is about 1,270 feet and is predicted to be at about 1,260 in about a week. All major launches will still be usable.

The Colville Tribe released 10,000 triploids averaging 1.2 pounds into Rufus Woods Reservoir last week. It is hoped anglers will share their catch information on the fin-clipped fish with Colville fish checkers.

Omak Lake cutthroat are getting some attention again and trollers are taking some beautiful fish ranging from 14 inches to over 20.

Spiny ray

Walleye anglers on Lake Roosevelt have been finding a few large fish in the flats across from Seven Bays but poor fishing has been the norm elsewhere. Friends fished up and down from Porcupine Bay on Tuesday and caught only four small ‘eyes. They noted strong winds may have contributed to their lack of success, and other boats were not doing well either.

Launches on Moses Lake and Potholes Reservoir are finally ice-free. On Potholes, walleye fishermen are finding the fish in 50 or more feet of water off Medicare Beach, Perch Point and in Lind Coulee. Some big perch are also beginning to come in. Perch are beginning to show in the seep lakes below O’Sullivan Dam, too. Soda Lake has been mentioned recently.

At Banks Lake, it is possible to catch perch if you go deep enough in Osborne Bay and near the Punchbowl. Try the 25-30 foot depths.

Walleye fishing on the Columbia between Grand Coulee Dam to below Wells Dam gets a little better each day. Jigs are taking most of the fish. Anglers are also beginning to find some ‘eyes at Rufus Woods.

Anglers fishing from shore in some of the Coeur d’Alene bays are just beginning to find a northern pike bite. Water in the lake is starting to come up and some fair reports come from Wolf Lodge and Blue Creek bays.

Also in Idaho, the ice went off Fernan Lake this week and anglers are already finding some decent perch and crappie fishing. Other North Idaho lakes have not been as anxious to shed their ice covers.

Other species

Burbot fishing on Lake Roosevelt has continued to be off and on. A friend and I fished together two weeks ago and got skunked. He went back to the same spot last week and got a limit drop-shotting with a Berkley Gulp Minnow. He was targeting walleye but said the burbot wouldn’t leave him alone. Most of the fish are in the mid-to-high 3-pound range. I’ll be out there again Thursday, hoping it’s one of the “on” times. Standard fare is a chartreuse jig with a piece of crawler.

Anglers on Potholes Reservoir in Gant County have discovered there are burbot in that lake too, and some are beginning to target these tasty fresh water ling cod. Deep water off Perch Point and in the Lind Coulee is beginning to give up 3- to 4-pound fish.

Razor clam diggers will have a two-day opening Friday and Saturday at Copalis and a three-day opening Friday-Sunday at Mocrocks. Long Beach remains open to clam digging on afternoon or evening tides through March 10.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com