Northwest Fishing Reports

Since those posts a couple of years ago, I've since moved out of the area. I'm curious, is Sprague still a fisheries management train wreck of a lake with only enormous (and nasty-tasting) trout in it? Or has the spiny ray (i.e. crappie, bluegill, but not LMB) finally rebounded?

I found whitefish fishing to be incredibly frustrating. I'm not a steelhead/river fisherman, so I never had the experience in differentiating tiny, ultralight bites when your whole rig is bouncing off the bottom. One time at Vernita, I fished for probably two hours and caught nothing, while guys aro...

Given the amazing success at Moses Lake (it was dead water 15 years ago, but is an amazing fishery now), it might have been better for the WDFW to put impose spiny ray bag limits (hate to sound racist or judgmental, but I saw lots of Russian immigrants coming out of Sprague with 5-gallon buckets of ...

As previously noted, if the perch are of any size, keep a bunch for the dinner table. They are truly superlative table fare, and it doesn't hurt them to take a bunch home (they have an alarming reproductive capability). My suggestion would be to size up your rig. Unlike SMB or LMB, perch have relati...

Sorta soliciting opinions on Scooteney Reservoir. A pretty much hardcore newbie, but thinking this place has serious fishing possibilities. To this point, I've pretty much discounted it as a gnarly carp shooting spot, but a third rate fishing spot. However, after one boat trip, I've found it to be a...

I've been trying for the better part of three years to figure out the channel cat run on the Yakima, in particular the region immediately below Horn Rapids Dam. The last two years, I've hit it hard, trying to figure out what the trick is. I've got several friends who go up there and basically state ...

I know I'm jumping the gun a bit, as the water temps are really cold yet, but I'm guessing the channel cats may be starting to move into position for a spawning run starting the latter half of this month. Any suggestions on where in the Tri-Cities area one might be able to run into a few this early?...

They ought to jam a few into Pond #6. There's far too many stunted perch and bluegill in there, IMHO partly due to the bass fisherman keeping their fish and disrupting the predator-prey balance. Or how about a few tiger muskie...

Looks fabulous - but probably one of the main reasons it gets no pressure is that it is about 200 miles away from anywhere. I'd be worried about dragging a boat 3+ hours, and getting my butt skunked. But perhaps I'll look into a weekend camping trip or something...

This is a fantastic, fascinating discussion. I've not fished Sprague as much as some of you guys, but I sure remember a killer ice fishery for perch, bluegill, and black crappie in the 2000 time frame. That lake used to be awesome for spiny rays, and the current troubles are quite puzzling to me. An...

Yeah, I've tried for them, but have had zero luck. Their proclivity to suspend and concentrate makes them difficult for someone with obsolescent electronics. I've tried extensively and recently on the I82 ponds near Yakima, with zero luck. Probably 20+ years ago I'd get them on the Snake, most likel...

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/apr/11/bluegills-arrive-at-sprague-lake/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Is it just me, or is now the 6th straight year we've heard a feel good story about the (IMHO) previously incredible spiny ray fishery at Sprague Lake now being simply awesome...

There are probably better folks to ask than me (Jigmeister and fishinChristian, for example), but most of the I-82 ponds have crappie in them. Pond #6 has channel catfish (state record came out of here), and I think some of the other I82 ponds do as well, although I don't know how big the population...

Did anybody ever figure out what these lakes are about? I was also noticing them on Google maps. Are these on private land, or is there public access?

I usually find the incessant spring winds irritating in Eastern Washington, but this year it is driving me completely insane. This is now the fifth (I think) weekend in a row I've been unable to fish because of high winds (20 mph or more) on both weekend days. Almost every one of these weeks has mul...

I'm re-new back to the area (back after a ten year absence), and I now have a boat and better access to lakes. Being in Tri-Cities, Scooteney Reservoir is possible the closest spiny ray lake to the area. However, being a large lake, learning to fish it takes a substantial amount of time. I've shot m...

Soda? Scootney?

Try actually ditching the yak during winter, and trying out ice fishing. It'll be something that will addict you, like it did me!! =P~ If not, and focusing on Eastern Washington, try the larger lakes, or those in the southern part of the state (Tri-Cities/Yakima area). They tend to not freeze up rel...

Loaded title, I know. I've ice fished Eloika for near 12 years, with a huge 8 year absence due to work relocation. This year, plus nearly all feedback last year, indicates that Eloika may be on a decline. That is, with respect to perch populations/size. Last year, through the ice, I caught some very...

I was skiing in Leavenworth this weekend, and it looked like a lot of the rivers and lakes were starting to ice up pretty good. Anyone found safe ice yet, or is it still too early?