Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for Sept. 12, 2024

Thu., Sept. 12, 2024

By Alan Liere The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

Years ago, a friend suggested I always keep a Band-Aid in my wallet. Every year during a hunting, fishing or wood cutting trip, I find a need for it. Any time I am using a sharp tool, I am thankful for his advice.

Overheard: A Loon Lake angler reports that the schools of large kokanee are still there but have been much harder to catch. He notes a specific lack of aggression in these fish and an inability to provoke strikes. The few fish he has caught were 24 to 25 inches long.

Heads up: Officials at Lower Monumental Lock and Dam will be closing public dam crossings September 16 through 19 Monday through Sept. 19 to perform inspections and maintenance. Normal crossing hours are once an hour, on the half-hour, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

There are still hundreds of prizes swimming about and ready to be caught in the Washington statewide trout derby, which ends Oct. 31.

Braggin’ rights: As of late August, a total of10,433 registered anglers have caught 138,802 qualifying northern pikeminnow, with an average daily catch per angler of 13.3. In 2023, the top 20 anglers caught an average of 4,005 fish per angler and averaged reward payments of $40,135 each for the five-month season. The highest-paid angler earned $107,800.

Fly fishing

A little more volume this week on the Spokane River has improved the low flows. It provides just a little more cushion to slide over rocks if you are floating and a little better depth for the trout. The Silver Bow guide crew reported decent Spokane River fishing overall this past weekend and week. Droppers under chubbies and hoppers will pick up the most trout.

Trout and kokanee

September is the last month of trout fishing for many Columbia Basin waters and a few others – Spectacle Lake and Washburn Island Pond in Okanogan County and Blackbird Island Pond in Chelan County. There are year-round fisheries in Grant County, and many are in the Seep Lakes area, just south of Potholes Reservoir. Janet, East and West Sage lakes should all fish well this fall. Corral Lake, located immediately south of Potholes Reservoir, is a year-round fishery that provides excellent opportunities for rainbow trout, largemouth bass and crappie. Blythe Lake is open year-round, located just south of Corral Lake, and can provide excellent fishing for large rainbow trout. Warden Lake, in Grant County, has excellent fishing for smallmouth bass, yellow perch, rainbow and tiger trout.

Badger, Williams and Fishtrap are among the Eastern Washington lakes closing after Sept. 30. Trout fishing at all three is fair to good and kokanee are still biting at Badger. Check your 2024 Washington Sports Fishing pamphlet for closing dates on other waters. Idaho lakes are open year-round.

Though turning slightly, Coeur d’Alene kokanee are in excellent shape. The bite has been on and off recently – mostly on. A lot of fish are on the south end of the lake in 45 feet of water, many in the vicinity of Powder Horn Bay.

Salmon and steelhead

Three friends fishing the Clearwater-Snake confluence Tuesday morning had three hatchery chinook in the cooler when they were contacted at 8 . The fishing there has been erratic, with a good bite some days for both bobber fisherman and trollers and nothing other days. They noted that some B-run steelhead are showing along with the more numerous A-runs.

Spiny ray

Walleye and bass are available throughout the Columbia and Snake rivers. Several of the state’s best walleye fisheries are there, including Wallula Junction, the Snake River below Ice Harbor Dam, and the Columbia River from Boardman upstream to McNary Dam.

Fishing for smallmouth bass tends to improve in September and carries on through October until cold water sends them back to greater depths to spend the winter. There is no minimum size and no limit on the number of walleye, bass or channel catfish anglers can keep while fishing the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Largemouth bass fishing on Potholes Reservoir has been excellent on the face of the dunes. Smallmouth and walleye fishing has been good. Walleye are becoming more active in Moses Lake, and many are moving back toward the Alder Street Bridge. On Lake Spokane, bass fishing for both species has also been good, and some big perch have been caught. Trout fishing is also picking up.

Snake River fishing has been decent near Little Goose Dam and Texas Rapids. Channel cat fishing has been good. Some of Washington’s best September walleye fishing is at Wallula Junction, the Snake River below Ice Harbor Dam and the Columbia River upstream from Boardman to McNary Dam.

A friend fishing the wide water of the St. Joe River south of St. Maries over the weekend said he caught several small pike and smallmouth bass. All were taken on a dark-colored spinnerbait. The Pend Oreille River has also been good for decent-sized smallmouth.

Other species

Anglers say they are catching a lot of sturgeon in the Northport area while trolling for walleye with worms and a Corkie or a small Spin and Glow on a slip sinker. A friend said he caught two big rainbow trout last year while fishing for sturgeon with herring.

Hunting

Idaho Fish and Game’s online hunter education course is open to students who are at least 9 years old. The online course can be taken on any device with internet service, and it is self-paced. You can sign up for an online course on the Idaho Hunter Education webpage. The online Washington Hunter Education course, also self-paced, is not limited by age and requires no registration fee. Google Washington Hunter Education for details. Be sure to get the study guide offered.

The current cougar hunting season in Washington runs to March 31. Cougar hunters may not hunt in Game Management Units where the harvest cap has been reached.

It is each cougar hunter’s responsibility to verify if the cougar hunting season is open or closed in hunt areas with a harvest cap. Cougar hunters can verify if the season is open or closed by referencing the cougar hunting area openings and closures webpage or calling the toll-free Cougar Hotline at 1-866-364-4868 (press 2 after greeting).

Grant County is usually Washington’s top mourning dove-producing county, but a nephew in Sunnyside said he and his family have enjoyed many good shoots and the birds are still hanging around. Unfortunately, my dove spot north of Spokane is devoid of birds.

Mourning dove hunting has been good in Idaho, which ranks third in the western United States in dove hunters and doves taken. You’ll find good numbers of the birds in harvested grain and in patches of dried thistles along the Snake River.

The special four-day early pheasant hunt for seniors 65 years and older will be held Monday through Thursday next week. Youth hunters may hunt this Saturday and Sunday for any quail, gray partridge, chukars and pheasants. There will be a lot of young birds.

Spring conditions in the Idaho Panhandle were relatively cool across the region, but adequate spring and summer moisture have allowed for good upland brood conditions. In the Clearwater region, an early and mild spring brought fair nesting and brood-rearing conditions for upland game birds. Despite drier than normal conditions this year, upland game birds fared well. Upland hunters in Idaho should expect another year of good-to-excellent upland bird hunting.

In Washington, upland game bird hunters can also expect plenty of opportunity for good bird hunting. The 2024 nesting and brood-rearing season has been above average and coupled with a mild winter.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com