fly fishing

Silver Bow Fly Store says this needs to be a very good week for winter fishing on the Spokane River. Deep-caught trout or streamers with sink ideas have been productive. In slower currents, nymphing a stone, San Juan, and/or a scorching bead or hotspot sort nymph is one thing to do all winter lengthy.

ice fishing

The Northwest Ice Fishing Competition is on January 14 at Sidley Lake in Okanogan County. The occasion is sponsored by the Oroville Chamber of Commerce. Click on for particulars Okanogan Country web site or telephone 557-5165.

Bonaparte Lake Resort Ice Fishing Competitors 28 January. There are six species of fish within the lake, together with some massive tiger trout. Lake Bonaparte is positioned north of Tonasket in Okanogan County. Derby entrance payment is $10 for adults and $5 for youngsters. Name or click on 486-2828 for particulars. Bonaparte Lake Resort website.

“The Fourth of July and Hog Canyon are two of the preferred ice fishing locations across the Spokane space for trout,” says Randy Osborne, WDFW headquarters space fish biologist. “There are rainbow trout as much as 22 inches on the 4th of July. The fish at Hog Canyon are barely smaller, starting from 13 to 16 inches, however nonetheless present loads of motion.

Ice clings to each lakes.

Hatch Lake, about 8km southeast of Colville, was rehabilitated in 2020 to take away illegally launched yellow bass after which restocked with rainbow trout. Low water within the final two years has affected the survival of the stocked trout, however the remaining fish are of affordable measurement.

One other lake used solely in winter is Williams in Stevens County. As a substitute of planting small juveniles, WDFW planted catchable-sized trout this yr. Fishing has been nice up to now this winter, however perch and bass are anticipated to negatively affect trout fishing sooner or later.

For perch anglers, most likely one of the best fishing round is Curlew Lake in Ferry County. Leap-Off Joe, Sacheen, Diamond and Waitts lakes are different good choices with good studies of nice bass and a few massive trout at Sacheen and Diamond. Newman Lake in East Spokane County needs to be a very good perch location, however success up to now this winter has been restricted. Silver Lake ice shouldn’t be secure.

A buddy and I attempted Lake Eloika on Tuesday with restricted success, however a bunch fishing within the lake the day prior to this did very nicely. We caught a cold mixture of small sunfish, sea bass and sea bass throughout 4 hours of fishing.

Ice fishermen in Scooteney Reservoir do not catch many walleyes, however they are saying the bass chew is ridiculously good, they usually’re sufficiently big for a fairly sized fillet. One angler stated he could not dig a gap wherever with out discovering a perch straight away.

Thomas and Lake Gillette lakes within the Little Pend Oreille chain of lakes in northeastern Washington provide massive numbers of perch, rainbow trout, and craps. Ice is okay. Situated in Adams County, Sprague Lake is understood for its massive trout fishing on ice in winter.

Fish Lake in Chelan County, about 16 miles north of Leavenworth, gives good fishing for perch, kokanee, and rainbow trout by means of the ice.

In Idaho, Lake Avondale has good ice, however there’s sleet on the hill that’s beginning to harden. Fishermen catch a couple of trout and plenty of small perch.

Gamlin (Gamble) Lake has 3 inches of excellent ice on it with 5 soiled ice adopted by some mud. Perch bites have been sporadic.

Lake Hauser has been good for bass this winter, and Lake Hayden is giving up correct pike.

open water fishing

Whereas Roosevelt is mostly a dependable trout spot, a buddy trawling the place on January 1 stated he could not discover any fish. Nevertheless, he famous that the financial institution fishermen seemed to be in good condition and had met some anglers who stated they caught lots of cod at launch. Burbots congregate close to the mouths of the Colville and Spokane rivers through the winter months. Cod can be present in Bead and Sullivan lakes in Pend Oreille County. They are often caught by baiting from the ice or shore.

Lake whitefish can be present in Lake Roosevelt. In January, they spawn in teams close to the underside, normally in about 45 toes of water. Banks Lake is even higher for whitefish.

Financial institution fisheries in Lake Spokane produce rainbows within the 14 to 17 inch vary. Entry is proscribed, however fishermen from the trusses under the city of Tum Tum are nice.

The one walleye report from Lake Roosevelt this week confirmed that the bumps throughout the mouth of the Spokane Arm and throughout 7 Bays are superb for 18- to 20-inch fish. Very sluggish searching jigs and jigging raps had been the ticket.

Salmon and steelhead

Loads of massive metal cap areas on WDFW plots and entry areas alongside the Grand Ronde River. Fish upstream from the Freeway 129 bridge to the Oregon border on 4-O Ranch Wildlife Space lands and public fishing servitudes. Or attempt your luck on the entry factors in Chief Joseph Wildlife District’s Shumaker unit. There are additionally many fishing spots within the decrease Grande Ronde, accessed from the Heller Bar space after which up the river.

Within the Snake River and its tributaries, each hatchery and wild steelhead can nonetheless be caught, particularly on hotter days when these fish grow to be extra lively.

different species

Lake Umatilla from John Day Dam to McNary Dam opened on January 1 for sturgeon with a every day restrict. Solely sturgeon with a fork size of 43 inches to 54 inches (from the tip of the nostril to the fork on the tail) could be harvested. The season will stay open till 2023 when 105 sturgeon quotas are stuffed.

Searching

In Yakima and Kittitas counties, one of the best waterfowl searching is within the Decrease Yakima Valley, within the territory of the Yakama Nation with ample alternative, particularly alongside the Yakima River. The Satus Wildlife Area of ​​the Yakama Nation hottest, open for searching on Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

There are a number of places for duck and goose searching in Benton and Franklin counties, together with places at WDFW’s Windmill Ranch Unit, Mesa Lake Unit, Scooteney Reservoir, Sunnyside Wildlife Space Items, and Bailie Memorial Youth Ranch. Many elements of the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima Rivers are additionally open to waterfowl searching.

The favored waterfowl searching grounds on the Pend Oreille and Colville rivers nonetheless have open water.

Contact Alan Liere at speaker@yahoo.com