Northwest Fishing Reports

My wife and I are planning to retire to the Spokane area in the next couple of years. We are going to spend a couple of weeks fishing the area this summer. We have a 19 ft Fishrite and 4 scotty elec downriggers...we fish for trout, koke, and salmon a lot...on a good year 50 times. We are regulars at Flaming Gorge where we get up to 4 lb kokes. So we are fairly experienced fisher people. (I know...that's enuff bragging!)

My questions are:
1.If we are going to stay with in 100-150 miles from Sopane which lakes or rivers would you guys suggest we hit...we plan on camping some and motels some.

2. Would we do better the middle of June or the middle of July for a couple of weeks of trailer boat fishing?

We really appreciate any and all info.

By the way we are from the Albuquerque NM area even though we currently reside in CA!!

See you out there
Mooseboy

You will have an abundance of top lakes to choose from in eastern Wa and western Oregon as well as the Columbia and Snake rivers.

If you look at the home page, most of the top rated lakes are in eastern Wa.

Just a few of my favorites are - in no particular order - Banks, Moses, Potholes, Roosevelt, Rufus Woods, Chelan, Roses. My preferred fishing is for bass, walleye, burbot, sturgeon, trout and salmon in that order. Big salmon are fun but Im not a fan of the taste. Not fond of kokes at all

I have always had better fishing in June over July.
Size and qty.
Talking about Trout only.
Plus in July it is hot.

OK, I am the wife. trying to book a suite motel for this trip But not sure if we should plan the trip for mid June or mid July. Sounds like the June dates may be better. We've gone to Flaming Gorge in June and July. Kokanee fishing differs there in those months as to the location of the fish. We R trying to get help here on which would be better.

Loon is the closest fishery with Kokes in it and the limit is generous ( 10 fish)
Roosevelt will have a Wally fishery going on.
The Columbia should have the June run of Chinooks and Sockeye.
The Snake will have Small mouth and some good Channel cats during that time.

June
I would stay in coulee city and fish Rufus woods for triploid trout.
Fish Roosevelt lake for rainbow and kokonee.
July
I would stay in brewster and fish for Sockeye
If its really hot I would go to curlew lake and stay at the state park and fish Curlew for trout.

We;re gonna try to hit 3 or 4 lakes in 2 weeks. We just love to fish...we'll chase just about anything. right now we're chasing stripers in the Delta and will be hunting kokes next week. What about sturgeon...other board ...huh?

Actually I think I said the plans wrong...We hope to get a home base in Spokane for a week and do any day trips to CDA, etc and tent it for a couple of nights each at 2 or 3 other lakes for another week or so if we can. We'll probably hit Chelan either on the way there or going home?
See you out there
Mooseboy

There are sturgeon in various places on the snake (I have never tried for them there though) and the lower portions of the Columbia.

We've decided to start the trip by spending a few days at a motel in Manson or Chelan and fish Chelan for kokanee, trout, and ?. Looking to put the boat in a slip, so we don't have to launch every day.

Official:
We'll be in Manson June 8-11 fishing Chelan...Any tips appreciated.
We're in Spokane Valley June 12-19 so we can fish Roosevelt, maybe Loon, CDR, etc.
On the way home ..like June 20-21 or so we are hoping to find a stretch of the Columbia worth hitting...WHEW!

We are moving to the Spokane area in a couple of years so we would love to meet some other fisher folk. We are usually on 69 on our vhf unless local tradition calls for something else. If you are around any of these days please feel free to call us on the radio or internet. I usually go by Tortuga but that was taken on this site...I might miss a call for Mooseboy...but Judy always answers to Froggie.
See you out there
Mooseboy and Froggie