Alan Liere’s fishing-hunting report for April 14
Fly fishing
The St. Joe and the North Fork Coeur d’Alene rivers have been fishing well, Silver Bow Fly Shop said. On both waters, start the day with nymphs and streamers. As the water warms in the afternoon, throw some dries or dry/droppers. Skwalas, nemoura stones, March browns and BWOs are all on the menu.
Amber, Medical and Coffeepot lakes are all fishing well. Balanced leeches and chironomids are the name of the game.
Trout and kokanee
The Washington lowland lakes fishing opener is April 23. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife hatchery staff have been busy planting around 2.1 million catchable-size rainbow trout averaging 2 to 3 fish per pound. The more than 12.4 million fingerling and fry planted two years ago should be of catchable size. For more information on specific lakes, visit the WDFW stocking plan webpage. Opening day also marks the beginning of the annual statewide trout derby, with thousands of prizes up for grabs for catching a tagged trout in lakes across Washington.
In District 1 (Ferry, Pend Oreille and Stevens counties), Cedar, Starvation and Rocky are expected to be three of the best opening day lakes. Waitts Lake fished well for brown and rainbow trout through the ice this winter and will be good again in the warmer water of late April. Jumpoff Joe received March plants of 4,704 rainbow of catchable size as well as 250 jumbos. Loon and Deer lakes also received jumbo rainbow and are both expected to give up some big macks early on. Loon should be good again for kokanee this year, though the bite usually gets better after a week of warmer weather. In March, Gillette Lake received 2,701 rainbow running 2.50 fish to the pound. Sherry, Mudgett and Rigby lakes also received sizable plants of rainbow running about the same size.
In District 2 (Lincoln, Spokane and Whitman counties), West Medical recently received 5,001 catchable and 250 jumbo rainbow, Clear received 8,404 catchables and 200 jumbos, Fishtrap received 550 jumbos and 9,009 catchables, and Bear got 250 jumbos. Williams is scheduled for rehabilitation this fall and the trout fishing may not be as good as anglers have come to expect. Nevertheless, it has some nice carryovers and received 300 jumbos and 4,020 catchables in March. Badger, which is expected to be the best of the lowland lakes, received 150 jumbos, but Badger had a good carryover from last year and rainbow and cutthroat planted as fingerlings and fry have grown considerably. Kokanee in Badger were running up to 14 inches at the end of the 2021 season, and more of the same are expected this year. Closer to Spokane, Liberty received another 400 jumbos in March. Fish Lake is infested with small perch, but it is one of the few lakes in Eastern Washington where an angler can catch brook trout. It also has some big tiger trout and decent shore and dock access.
The Seep Lakes Wildlife Area in Grant County has nearly 50 lakes scattered across the high-desert landscape. Many are managed for rainbow trout only and offer good fishing for annually planted rainbow. There is good shore access to most of these lakes. If fishing these lakes for the first time, stop by Mar Don Resort on Potholes Reservoir and pick up a map of the area.
The list of lakes opening April 23 in Grant County includes Cattail, Coot, Deep, Gadwall, Upper and Lower Hampton, Hourglass, Perch, Pillar, Poacher, Sago, Shoveler, Snipe, North and South Teal, Vic Meyers, Warden and Widgeon. North Teal is expected to be good for decent-sized rainbow trout. Boat and shore fishing are available at North Teal, with a gravel launch suitable for small boats. Upper and Lower Hampton should also offer good opportunity for 12-inch and over rainbows.
Park and Blue lakes in Grant County are right next to each other along Highway 17. Blue Lake consistently produces excellent catches of rainbow every spring. It has good shore fishing. Park Lake has good bank access and good trout fishing in the spring.
In Chelan County, the top prospects for the April 23 opening are Beehive, Frank’s Pond, Lily and Wapato.
Wapato Lake has one of the highest success rates for the opening weekend of all the lakes in Chelan County. It receives generous plants of fast-growing rainbow trout each year. It also has good fishing for largemouth bass and has some of the biggest bluegill in the state.
In Douglas County, head to Jameson. Jameson, known for excellent catches of rainbow that average 12 to 14 inches, it produces a good number of carryover trout that are much larger. Anglers that access the lake off Highway 2 will find long stretches of shore along the access road where they can fish from the bank.
Top opening day lakes in Okanogan County are Alta, Conconully Lake and Reservoir, Fish, Leader, Long, Pearrygin and Wannacut. In addition to trout, Alta Lake has good numbers of kokanee and largemouth bass. Pearrygin Lake is an annual favorite of trout anglers for the opening week of fishing. It has rainbow and brown trout and good shore access. Conconully Lake and Conconully Reservoir have good shore access, good trout fishing and large kokanee. Fish Lake also has good shore access and good trout fishing in the spring. It holds many carryover trout.
Idaho Fish and game has also been busy stocking Panhandle lakes with good numbers of catchable (10- to 12-inch) rainbow trout. Fernan Lake received an early April stocking of 6,500 fish and is in the process of receiving another 5,500 by Friday. Lower Twin and Round also received almost 2,700 total in early April, and Freeman, Cocolalla, Lower Twin, Round, Robinson and Kelso will also get more fish by Friday. Five other Panhandle lakes will get fish between Monday and April 22, and seven more will be stocked between April 25 and 29.
Other species
The next round of razor clam digging will be from Saturday to April 21 with an increased limit of 20 clams.
Not all beaches are open for every dig, so diggers should make sure their intended destination is open before heading out. The size of razor clams seen in surveys has been unusually large. Shellfish and seafood enthusiasts may want to attend the Long Beach Razor Clam Festival on Saturday and Sunday. For details on the festival, go to www.longbeachrazorclamfestival.com/.
Hunting
Friday is the beginning of the 1½-month general spring turkey season in Washington and Idaho.
Some backcountry units of Idaho opened to spring bear hunting April 1. The general spring season opens Friday in many units.
Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com