Alan Liere's hunting and fishing report for June 18
Fly fishing
Silver Bow Fly Shop says it is prime time on the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River system. The water is low, so you can go anywhere you want. You can still float if you desire, but that window will end soon. Plan on pale morning dun mayflies, yellow sallies, caddis, drakes, and a few golden stones still. Ants and beetles also fish well.
The St. Joe River is in prime shape. River levels are below average for this time of the year, though. Hatches can vary with temps and weather patterns but bugs on the menu include pmds, caddis, yellow sallies, drakes, and golden stones. In the lower stretches, you can mix in ants and beetles.
Last week, Hangman Creek was still dumping in a considerable amount of sediment, but now the color and visibility on the lower river have improved. The usual Chernobyl/dropper rigs or double nymph indicator rigs are taking fish. Caddis hatches continue with some late evening dry fly or caddis emerger (soft hackle) fishing late in the day.
The North Fork Ranger Station reports there is still 4 feet of snow on top of Hoodoo Pass. You can access the lower North Fork Clearwater and Kelly Creek via Pierce, Idaho. The road to the upper North Fork Clearwater has not been cleared of any down trees or debris.
The Clark Fork near St. Regis continues to improve. While on the higher side of fishable, it is staring to be fishable again.
Trout and kokanee
Diamond Lake trollers are catching some nice brown trout by pulling small Flicker Shads parallel to the highway side just out from the ends of the numerous docks.
In Gant County, Park Lake has been good for trollers pulling small Shad Raps or Flat Fish. The lake has rainbow trout and some big browns.
Bonaparte Lake kokanee fishing has been best in front of the Boy Scout camp for anglers trolling wedding Rings tipped with maggots. Some large tiger trout are also being caught.
For rainbow trout in the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, try the Pillar-Widgeon Chain (Pillar, Snipe, Cattail, Shoveler, Hourglass, Sago, and Widgeon). Fishing has been good at all of these walk-in lakes.
Trout fishing in many Stevens and Pend Oreille county lakes slowed down during the last sequence of cool, rainy days, but now that temperatures have risen, waters like Davis, Cedar and Big Meadow should be getting good again.
Lake Pend Oreille is kicking out some big rainbow for trollers using planer boards on the surface or with their downriggers set to go down less than 20 feet. Flies and Apexes have both been working. Mackinaw are deeper and drop shot rigs have been effective. There has also been good mackinaw success at Priest Lake by anglers trolling deep between the Twin Islands and Mack Alley.
The area in front of the Boy Scout camp on Bonaparte Lake has been good for kokanee, and some big tiger trout have been taken too.
Steelhead and salmon
Ocean salmon fishing at Ilwaco, Westport-Ocean Shores, La Push, and Neah Bay (Marine Areas 1, 2, 3 and 4) opens Saturday. At Ilwaco, the daily limit will be two salmon, and only one may be a chinook. The daily limit at Westport-Ocean Shores will be one salmon.
A portion of the Skagit River opened to fishing for sockeye on Tuesday. It will remain open until the end of July. All coho salmon, bull trout and Dolly Varden must be released.
Spiny ray
Loon, Newman, Liberty, Clear, Long, Eloika and Silver lakes in Washington and Houser, Fernan and Hayden in Idaho are providing some good largemouth bass fishing. Lake Pend Oreille is not usually thought of as a largemouth destination, but some big ones have been taken there recently.
Anglers are enjoying excellent catch rates on the Snake River, with consistent action and quality walleye being caught out of Central Ferry by boats trolling worm harnesses.
A friend fishing below Lower Granite dam from shore this week said the smallmouth bite was very good.
Walleye anglers are finally able to access the stretch of Lake Roosevelt known as the Dalles by launching at China Bend. A Curly-tailed grubs tipped with nightcrawler is usually a favorite lure for the walleye there, but it is suspected the high water has seen a lot of them racing on up to Canada. The big fish are the first to go, and the smaller fish come later. Currently, small fish are the most common.
The water level on Lake Roosevelt is above 1,280 feet, which means all but a few launches are usable. Even Hawk Creek should be good to go this weekend.
Banks Lake walleye fishermen are having some decent days lately, but nothing particularly spectacular. Much of the effort is concentrated in the Steamboat Rock to Poplar Bay area and in Barker Flats.
Other species
Fins and Feathers in Coeur d'Alene reports that the northern pike fishing on the big lake is taking off. A trip by Jeff Smith last Friday resulted in several 10-to-12-pound fish as well as many smaller ones. Smith was fishing jerk baits along the edges of emerging weeds, and reported that spinner baits are beginning to see some action also.
Following reports of potentially lethal levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) from the Washington Department of Health, the WDFW has announced an immediate closure to all clam, mussel, oyster, and scallop (and other mollusk) harvest on all public beaches within Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) south of a line from Foulweather Bluff to Olele Point, and on all public beaches within Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) until further notice.
Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com
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