Steelhead and salmon
State fishery managers expect an improved return of adult spring chinook to the Columbia River this year. The fishery is open below the Interstate 5 Bridge, but it usually doesn’t pick up until March and early April when the fishery expands upriver to Bonneville Dam and beyond. Specific dates for the spring chinook fishery will be decided on Feb. 23.
While fishing in Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton area) is temporarily paused, southern Puget Sound (Marine Area 13) is open year-round. Some nice winter chinook have been caught recently at spots including the Tacoma Narrows and the east side of Fox Island. Fishing for resident coho also typically picks up this month in the South Sound, and these fish are excellent sport for fly fishing or light spinning rods.
Open water fishing
Trout fishermen are finding action on Long Lake between Little Falls and the Dam. Most of these fish are 15 inches and more.
Trolling success for Lake Roosevelt trout can be sporadic, but anglers are often finding a good bite with lots of 15- to 22-inch fish. The Spring Canyon area is usually good, but the Sterling area and Whitestone have accounted for a lot of positive reports this week, although no kokanee have been reported. As the water drops, the kokanee fishing should improve.
Lake Roosevelt in the Graveyard/McCoy areas has seen some decent walleye fishing. Blade baits and jigs have worked well if they are retrieved slowly in 30-60 feet of water. Most of these fish have been eater size rather than the “dinks” which need to be put back.
The whitefish season is open through Feb. 28 in the Yakima River between Sunnyside Dam and 3,500 feet below Roza Dam; Roza Dam to Easton Dam; also the Lower Cle Elam River and Lower Naches River below the confluence with the Tieton River. The limit is 15 per day and most fish run 10-15 inches. Target deep pools below riffles with small flies tipped with a maggot and release all fish except whitefish.
A catch-and-release trout fishery is open year-round on the Yakima River from Roza Dam to Easton Dam under selective gear rules, and open for whitefish through Feb. 28 with whitefish gear rules. Fishing is closed above Easton Dam until the Saturday before Memorial Day.
Ice fishing, Washington
Most area lakes are iced over enough for ice fishing. Some popular ice fishing lakes in the region include Hog Canyon and Fourth of July lakes for rainbow trout, In Northeast Washington, try Williams, Waitts or the Little Pend Oreille Chain lakes, especially Gillette and Thomas . Anglers are catching a lot of perch just off the bottom of Thomas Lake in about 25 feet of water.
Some nice-sized perch were reported from deeper water in Sacheen Lake this week. Two friends and I who gave it a try caught about 60 in four hours, but most of ours were under 9 inches, and anglers who fished shallow were hard-pressed to catch a perch over 6 inches.
Silver Lake is a good place for those looking for quantity rather than quality as the perch are small. The bite, however, has been nonstop. It would be a great place to take a bunch of kids. A friend who fished Bear Lake on Sunday caught three 8-inch perch and three 11-inch rainbow trout in about four hours.
Apparently, I’m the only person who can’t catch Eloika Lake perch this winter. A couple of good reports have come from the ice just out from the public access, but in two trips to the north end, I haven’t had a bite. Eloika perch have been running between 7 and 8½ inches.
Curlew Lake is still the best bet for larger perch in the 9- to 11-inch range. Fishing has been slow on the south end. The north end is going strong, but access is limited on that end of the lake.
Moses Lake and Potholes Reservoir still have ice, but fishing has not been good. Even Lind Coulee has been relatively unproductive.
Ice fishing, Idaho
Ice fishermen at Fernan Lake are catching mostly perch, though an occasional trout or pike is reported. Granite Lake (near Spirit Lake) anglers are catching suspended rainbow of about a foot in length.
Perch fishing at Gamlin (Gamble) Lake has been good at times, but like most winter fisheries, success can vary from day to day. These are some of the largest perch in Idaho, outside of Lake Cascade.
Blue Lake (near Sandpoint) has a variety of spiny ray that include some good-sized largemouth. Anglers are catching crappie just before dark. Round Lake anglers are catching small perch as well as rainbow trout and a few brookies.
The Chain Lakes have provided good fishing and are getting a lot of attention. Spiny ray and northern pike are biting.
Lower Twin has good ice but slow fishing. Trout have been more evident than perch. Cocolalla Lake has been much better for larger perch. Many anglers say the best bite occurs when the train comes by.
Avondale Lake is still frozen, but you may need to take a large step to get across the water along the shoreline.
Those who venture out are finding decent ice in the middle. Perch and trout are most commonly caught.
The northern end of Priest Lake has some ice in some of the bays, but minus temperatures are needed to make fishing safe. If it happens, mackinaw fishing through the ice is a lot of fun and the 3- to 4-pound macks are relatively easy to catch.
There is a chance there will be safe ice on Cavanaugh Bay by the weekend.
Hunting
Youth, veterans and active military can take part in a statewide waterfowl hunt on Saturday. This can be a quality experience for those who qualify as there are few hunters and wetlands are often opening back up as the weather warms in Eastern Washington bringing more birds back up from the south.
A snow goose late season hunt will occur in Goose Management Area 1 from Feb. 12-22 (white goose only) and Goose Management Areas 2 and 4 from Feb. 12 through March 2 and/or March 9 on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays only.
Before you go to GMAs 1 or 2, check the WDFW pamphlet and/or website for specific areas where hunting is allowed, and for dates, rules and bag and possession limits. Better opportunities will mostly occur in the Tri-Cities and around Moses Lake and Potholes Reservoir.
Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com
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