Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for Dec. 7

Thu., Dec. 7, 2023

By Alan Liere The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

Normally, I thread a piece of worm on my fly when trolling for trout. Recently, I tried just impaling an inch or two of worm in the middle so both ends dangled and found it easier to do and just as effective.

Overheard

WDFW says it is seeing an uptick in reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu. HPAI occurs naturally among wild aquatic birds and can infect poultry and other bird and animal species. The virus spreads through saliva, nasal secretions, feces and contaminated surfaces. If you encounter a sick or dead bird, do not touch or move it, to avoid spreading the virus to areas where it wasn’t already present. Report it right away.

Heads up

Dworshak Dam started increasing water releases on Dec. 4 Monday to accommodate testing required for turbine maintenance. The public can expect the Clearwater River below the dam to change several feet through Saturday.

If you participated in the Angler Science Program on Lake Pend Oreille, you must turn in your Lake Pend Oreille fishing logbook by Sunday for a chance to win prizes and swag.

Fly fishing

On the Yakima and other year-round trout rivers, fishing typically heats up in winter with small nymph and sculpin imitations seeing the most action. Some of the waters that were freezing up last week have opened up again.

Salmon and steelhead

The lower section of the Hanford Reach from the I-182 Bridge upstream to old Hanford townsite powerline is open for chinook and coho salmon, as well as steelhead (with adipose and right ventral fin clip) through Dec. 31.

Trout and kokanee

Jumpoff Joe Lake was planted Nov. 20 with 350 catchable brown trout and Waitts Lake was planted Nov. 17 with 700 catchable brown trout. Sacheen Lake received 200 catchable brook trout on Nov. 14.

Hog Canyon and Fourth of July lakes are providing decent trout fishing. Rainbow at Fourth of July are mostly in the 16- to 17-inch range, but there is a fair number of fish to 22 inches. Hog Canyon trout average around 13 inches but range from 7 to 17 inches. Boats may still be launched at Hog Canyon, but Fourth of July water levels are too low. Hatch Lake rainbows are in the 11- to 13-inch range and plentiful. Ice was forming last week but is probably gone now.

Williams Lake was rehabilitated and will not have fish until this spring when the winter season is over.

Lake Spokane is a popular winter fishery for multiple species, particularly rainbow trout, but two of the three state boat launches close for winter and the third can be steep and slick. Bank fishing might be your best bet. Turnouts off Highway 291 downstream of Tum Tum or between Nine Mile Dam and the mouth of the Little Spokane River have fishing spots from shore.

There are numerous area lakes offering year-round trout fishing opportunities, including Roses and Fish in Chelan County. Fish Lake is also a good producer of perch and kokanee during the winter. Diamond and Sacheen are other year-round options. Lake Chelan continues to produce kokanee, trout and a few landlocked chinook salmon. Patterson, Bonaparte, Sidley and Molson lakes in Okanogan County are producing some action for rainbow trout. Just south of Potholes Reservoir, Corral and Blythe lakes offer great trout fishing opportunity. Corral is also good for bass and crappie. To the southeast, Janet and the Sage lakes offer trout fishing opportunities year-round. Banks Lake, in northern Grant County, provides fishing for lake whitefish, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and walleye. Moses Lake and Potholes Reservoir in the Columbia Basin should be decent for perch, crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, walleye and smallmouth bass.

My son and I fished for trout with friend Al Rettmann out of Fort Spokane on Lake Roosevelt last Sunday. The fish were scattered, and we didn’t get our first strike for two hours, but it was a fat 20-incher, and so was the next one which came an hour later. After that, we picked up a couple of 18-inchers. Not until we were heading back to the launch did we get a flurry of action near the bridge, catching three 15-inchers in about 5 minutes. As we passed the swimming area, there were several bank fishermen throwing Power Bait, and I noted one fish landed. We had the most luck on a fly tipped with nightcrawler behind a flasher, but red Apexes also caught trout.

Anglers can reel in hefty broodstock rainbow trout from a half-dozen small lakes and ponds in and around Yakima and Ellensburg. Stocking dates are not preset, but WDFW started planting these 3- to 10-pound fish in mid-November. Anglers can check the trout plant reports for the South Central Region (Region 3) to see when these fish are available.

Spiny ray

Many sections of the Columbia and Snake rivers in south-central Washington hold large walleye and smallmouth bass. Winter is usually a slow period for walleye, but the ones caught are often large. Ideal spots for winter walleye in the Tri-Cities area include the Snake River downstream to Badger Island and from McNary Dam downstream to Boardman. Smallmouth bass are often found in the mix.

Other species

Tentative razor clam digs are scheduled for Wednesday through Dec. 17 and Dec. 26 to 29. Not all beaches are open for every dig, so diggers are encouraged to make sure their intended destination is open before heading out. Final approval of marine toxin testing usually occurs about a week or less – sometimes only two to three days – before the start of each digging series at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks.

Puget Sound squid returns usually peak in December. Timing is key to catching them, with the prime period occurring at night during or right at flood tide change. When abundant, you can even catch them on a daylight flood tide. All you need is a trout-style rod and spinning reel with a weighted pink, chartreuse, red, green, orange or glow-in-the-dark jig. Squid fishing is open year-round.

Friday was the opening of the whitefish season on part of the Little Spokane River (from the Highway 291 Bridge upstream to Chain Lake). The daily catch limit is 15 fish of any size, but whitefish gear rules apply (one single-point hook, maximum size 3/16-inch point to shank – hook size 14). The whitefish season is also open on the Kettle River in Ferry/Stevens counties.

The winter whitefish season also opened Friday on the Yakima River between Sunnyside Dam and 3,500 feet below Roza Dam; Roza Dam to Easton Dam; the lower Cle Elum River and the lower Naches River downstream of the confluence with the Tieton River. The catch limit is 15 fish per day. The winter season closes Feb. 29 in all open areas.

Fishing is limited to catch-and-release only and can be good at times for sturgeon in sections of the Columbia and Snake rivers. Water temperatures have cooled down, which greatly improves the bite and the fight. The river flows are typically much lower, which allows most anglers the opportunity to fish waters that they might deem too hazardous during the spring and summer. Lake Wallula (McNary Reservoir) is open year-round for sturgeon except for a winter closure from the Hanford townsite to Vernita Bridge but limited to catch-and-release only. Use one single point barbless hook when fishing for sturgeon. Fishing at night is not allowed. Review the Washington Sport Fishing Rules for additional restrictions on sturgeon fishing including the upstream section of the Hanford Reach.

Hunting

We need the rain, but the last few days have provided some soggy slogging for upland bird hunters. You probably won’t find your pheasants and quail in tall grass and CRP. Instead, concentrate your efforts on thick brush like hemlock and in cattails, sagebrush and tree lines. Sources in Moses Lake say there hasn’t been any big push of ducks into the area, but goose hunters are doing well in the fields.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo,com