Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for April 3, 2025

Thu., April 3, 2025

By Alan Liere The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

Tip of the week: Turkey hunters can maximize their decoy’s visibility to an incoming tom by setting up at the bend of a logging road. No matter from which direction the bird approaches, he will come into view.

Heads up: The Banks Lake Triple Fish Challenge runs April 11 to 13 with a variety of activities on Friday that include a trout pond, gold panning, golf, a climbing wall and the Ninja Climb. Saturday and Sunday, anglers will try to catch a bass, a walleye and a “kicker” species, which could be a whitefish or a rainbow trout. Each day, the heaviest rainbow trout, walleye, bass, and whitefish in adult and youth divisions at Banks Lake will be awarded prizes. Youth anglers will receive prizes for each day’s heaviest three-fish stringers. In the adult class, the angler with the heaviest six fish total for two days (two bass, two walleye and two “kicker” fish) will win the $2,000 grand prize. Register and get all rules by logging onto reelrecreation.com.

Anyone hunting black bears in Idaho must show proof they have passed a bear identification test to help them differentiate between grizzly bears and black bears. Before you take the bear identification test, go to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game bear identification and test requirement webpage. After successfully completing a bear identification test, a certificate number will be assigned that hunters must provide when in the field. Idaho will also recognize completed bear identification certificates from the Montana and Washington bear identification education programs.

Overheard: The Washington Legislature is now considering closing four state trout hatcheries in a cost-cutting maneuver – at Natchez, Chelan, Omak and Arlington. Anglers who have come to expect the superb Washington trout fishing should be alarmed, as this will impact the entire state, not just the areas around the proposed closures. The trout once raised at these sites would have to be redistributed statewide. A quick phone call to your Washington state legislator could make a difference in future trout fishing success.

While it has been open to fishing in the past through an agreement with the owner, a change of circumstances means the owner can no longer manage and maintain Downs Lake for public use. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is looking into options to reopen the lake to public fishing. While the lake has been stocked in the past, it will not be stocked again until a path forward is determined.

Braggin’ rights: The annual Quincy Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby last weekend saw many anglers take home prizes. The adult angler who turned in the longest fish was Sergio Pena, who won a 36-inch Blackstone Grill and Fryer combo. The prize for the adult winning the cumulative weight category was Colton Granger, who took home a Blackstone Grill with shelves. The youth winner for longest fish was John Carlos Moralez and the youth cumulative weight winner was George Rici.

Fly fishing

The North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River has come down, and while it is not ideal, Silver Bow Fly Shop said adventurous anglers can find a few places to fish. The St. Joe came back in shape for fishing last weekend. While still on the high side, there are places to fish on the lower stretches. The Spokane River closed March 15 and will reopen to fishing May 24, the Saturday before Memorial Day.

Lakes are going to be the best option for fly fishing in the near future. Medical Lake has picked up with more consistent fishing for quality rainbows. Amber has been fishing steadily as well. Omak Lake has also been good. Waitts Lake and Jumpoff Joe are good options for brown trout, and both lakes have rainbow trout as well. Afternoons have been best.

Trout and kokanee

Many of Idaho’s lakes and ponds are soon going to be bolstered with Idaho Fish and Game stocking some 270,000 rainbow trout. Highlights in the Idaho Panhandle are Brush Lake, receiving 720 trout; Cocolalla Lake, with 9,330; Fernan Lake, with 11,800; Gene Day Pond (also known as Osburn Pond), with 800; Jewel Lake, with 1,620 (this lake also has channel cats and lots of bluegills); Kelso Lake, with 2,500; Post Falls Park Pond, with 800 (a great fishing spot for kids and anglers with special needs); and Spicer Pond, with 800 rainbow trout.

Before the April 26 lowland general opener, there are still places to fish in Washington. Newman, Eloika, Coffeepot and Sacheen anglers are finding crappie, and Lake Roosevelt trout fishing is picking up despite the high water. Boat fishermen on Roosevelt say they are finding a better bite than by trolling by nosing up to a shoreline in one of the bays and casting Power Bait out of the back of the boat.

Trout anglers are having great fishing for 2-to 2½-pound triploids above the middle net pens on Rufus Woods Reservoir.

Billy Clapp Lake is typically planted with several thousand catchable rainbow every year, and it also receives thousands of kokanee fry. By July, the kokanee are 15 inches long. Crankbaits are effective on this year-round water, but the fishing this spring has been slow.

Steelhead and salmon

The Idaho Fish and Game South Fork Clearwater Localized Broodstock program has wrapped up. Staff sampled almost 1,100 steelhead put into tubes by participating anglers. Of that number, they took over 680 steelhead back to Dworshak/Clearwater Fish Hatchery for spawning, setting a record since the conception of this program.

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission have set the spring chinook seasons to open April 26 in the Clearwater, Snake and Salmon River drainages. Chinook fishing in the Clearwater drainage will be open four days per week – Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the mainstem Clearwater, the North Fork Clearwater, the Middle Fork Clearwater and the South Fork Clearwater rivers. In the Lower Salmon and Little Salmon rivers, chinook fishing will also be open four days per week – Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In the Snake River, chinook fishing will be open seven days a week.

Spiny ray

An area of Moses Lake that walleye anglers should be focusing on will be at the top end of the lake below where Rocky Ford Creek enters the lake. Walleye gather in the shallow water, and trolling side planers with spinners and nightcrawlers is an effective method for getting the fish. Anglers will be trolling in water that is only 3 to 5 feet deep.

Northwest Bass kicked off the tournament season on Potholes Reservoir with 86 boats fishing. Dan Jensen and Taylor Smith took first place with a total of 21.10 pounds of bass and the big fish award with a largemouth weighing 6.90 pounds. Bass fishing is expected to continue improving. Fish around structure in areas of warming water.

Walleye anglers at Soda Lake are finding limits of 14- to 16-inch fish by trolling a Mack’s Slow Death Smile Blade worm harness in 15 to 25 feet of water at 1 to 1.2 mph.

Other species

Sturgeon are beginning to bite in the Snake River. A popular, easy-to-secure bait is a cut-up smallmouth bass.

Hunting

The application period for Idaho moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat controlled hunts runs through April 30. Hunters can apply online, at any Fish and Game office, license vendor, or by calling 1 (800) 554-8685.

From Monday through April 11, Idaho Fish and Game will be hosting hunter education classes at their regional office at 3316 16th St. in Lewiston. This may be the last opportunity in Lewiston for new hunters to participate in spring turkey hunting. The class schedule is Monday through Friday with all classes running 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Students can register for this class on line at www.register-ed.com/events/view/226030 or in person at any Fish and Game office. Contact the Clearwater Region office for more information (208) 799-5010.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com