Northwest Fishing Reports

I was looking at the regulations for the wallace river and as far as im concerned, it opens the first saturday in june for trout. So steehead count as trout but is there summer runs in the wallace? Can you fish it? And has anyone fished it in the summer for dollies? Any info would help cause ive been wondering about this for a while, thanks

Last I heard, dollies are closed, verboten, statewide.... year round...

Its open for dollies up to Reece rd. Have seen a few come out of there, but have never targeted them. Caught nice cutties at the mouth though on dick nites

I have caught nice cuts in there as well. I floated eggs looking for steelhead and caught 16" cuts under the railroad bridge.

But is there summer run steelies in there?

No. They don't plant sum runs in there.

Ok, thanks for all the info

Last time I was at the Wallace (last year), there were guys down there targeting dollies...good size fish too. Probably in the 2-3 lb range. There was a guy up on the railroad bridge looking down into the water and said he saw a bunch just holding under the bridge area...said they were all approximately 20 inches or better. Guys were throwing pinched chunks of night crawler with just a slight bit of split shot.

I caught my personal best dolly in there, 6.2lbs and I have heard of summer runs being caught there

rcthepirate wrote:No. They don't plant sum runs in there.

I beg to differ. Go check out the adult holding pond at the Wallace hatchery good sir.

Though the Wallace holding ponds may have fish in them, check the fins.... Never gotten a fish in the summer out of there without an extra fin..... Not into Catch and Release of such a rare species.... Should be a ton of Kings in there though I am sure, just not open to fish for them either....

Matt wrote:

rcthepirate wrote:No. They don't plant sum runs in there.

I beg to differ. Go check out the adult holding pond at the Wallace hatchery good sir.

They dont release summer runs in the wallace. They release coho, chinook and winter runs, atleast they used to. Does anybody know if they are still releasing from the Wallace? Or is it strictly from Reiter now?

Matt wrote:

rcthepirate wrote:No. They don't plant sum runs in there.

I beg to differ. Go check out the adult holding pond at the Wallace hatchery good sir.

I beg to differ further. Go check the WDFW smolt planting report. There were exactly 0 summer runs planted in the Wallace in 2011 and 2012. I was up at the hatchery last week. I saw steelhead in the trap. They were all pretty dark, could have easily been late winter fish or summer fish that were intended to go back to Reiter and wandered.

so speaking of the wallace river went down to the parking area at the end of reece road to head down to the mouth of the wallace. some local guy comes out and says that the Federal marshall has been visiting the area and writing tickets and arresting people for trespassing on BNSF land, and crossing the rail road tracks. Anyone know anything about this.

Steelheader_1977 wrote:so speaking of the wallace river went down to the parking area at the end of reece road to head down to the mouth of the wallace. some local guy comes out and says that the Federal marshall has been visiting the area and writing tickets and arresting people for trespassing on BNSF land, and crossing the rail road tracks. Anyone know anything about this.

There are no trespassing signs posted. But ive never heard of anyone getting hastled, let alone by a US marshal, its not federal land, its private property. I think it was some dude trying to scare you off

The BNSF have had railroad cops all over the river since it opened. I guess they handed out a bunch of tickets at the backside of the Wallace along Reese road and where the guys cross the tracks to go into the highway side of reiter. If they want to be ornery they can ticket you for crossing the tracks both ways. I heard they went down to the river and started witing tickets. I have been trying to find out where they are patroling

If they don't see you cross the tracks they cant ticket you.

Redlodge, have been witnessing this first hand? Not calling you out or anything, but I've been down there a handful of times last week (highway side of Reiter) and have not seen anything like this....

I have always been there at first light until around 10 or 11 at the latest....is there a time they are typically showing up to start their ticket parade? I would hate to spend the rest of the season not being able to fish the highway side of Reiter from fear of having Marshals showing up to cite me at the river or on my way back up to my rig......

redlodge wrote:The BNSF have had railroad cops all over the river since it opened. I guess they handed out a bunch of tickets at the backside of the Wallace along Reese road and where the guys cross the tracks to go into the highway side of reiter. If they want to be ornery they can ticket you for crossing the tracks both ways. I heard they went down to the river and started witing tickets. I have been trying to find out where they are patroling

You could always walk down the street and cross where the road goes across and pick up the trail at the cul-de-sac. Not sure how the folks that live down there would feel but......

Had to go to Monroe and pickup some parts for home. Spent a couple of hours going to all the spots I know where there could be a conflict with BNSF. Walked down to highway side of Reiter and talked to people who have been there quite a bit and no one has had a problem. Went down to Reese road to the parking area at the sharp corner and there is a new sign by the tracks. I think what happened with so many people walking the tracks down to the mouth of the Wallace, they
got pissed. I fished the Sky since 1983 and haven't seen this from them ever. I wish other people would chime in on this so
we can figure out where they have a problem and fish accordingly. You have to remember that if you cross the tracks except for a crossing you are trespassing and they can give you a ticket. I know some of the fly guys have run into them
but they do not say where.