Northern Roosevelt Kokanee?

[Sideburns]

I have a friend with a cabin near fruitland/ hunters boat launch, and an open offer to stay there. I cant seem to find any Kokanee reports from this area. Are they there? Anyone have experience with this area?

Seems to be lots of other fishes to fish, but im dying to try fishing roosevelt for kokes. Thanks

[Hunter757]

I will tell you this after doing all the research I could here and else where I could not find any hot spots or areas to fish for kokanee. I was there last weekend and wasted my whole day on the water with nothing to show for it. Hauled my boat from the west side over to Idaho for a family visit and headed to the lake all day Saturday. I fished all over the from the Spokane arm and up and down the main lake past Seven Bays till I ran out of fuel and had to head for the launch. By the time I found no ethanol fuel it was to late to head to Keller and try down there. Not sure I will ever make that trip again not worth the gas money.

I knew nothing about this lake and could not find anything but guys launching at Keller and Seven Bays. Talk with the Indian fish checker at the launch and he told us Keller Ferry and down by the dam only spots producing fish right now, wish he would of been there when we launched. Total waste of time for myself not really why people don't use the hot spots I guess they want all the fish for themselves. People are very up tight about spots go figure, there is not one on Roosevelt for kokanee. I am all about helping on another out as much as we can. We all know what works to catch them today will not work tomorrow or in the next hour.

Oh and here is a great tip, get your self some Kekedatackle fly's in orange and pink is what the fish checker told me and others report they are biting on. Dave is a great person to deal with and willing to go the extra mile!! A+ Service all the way.

Tight lines and good luck hope you do better!

[Sideburns]

Thanks for the super informative reply! Ive been watching the reports from the south end for over a year, drooling.....
Im on the west side too, so the cabin would have been ideal. Ill get over there eventually, just have to find a place to stay with the wife and kids a little further down river, where the action is.

Or... another family freind has a place on chelan, in manson. Just dont see the size of kokes as ive seen reported from roosevelt.

[hewesfisher]

Thing is location and bite can change daily. I have, many times, caught fish in one spot, one day, and same spot same conditions next day find it doesn't produce. Happened to me just over a week ago, same area that produced my personal best kokanee a couple weeks ago brought up goose eggs after two hours of trolling. Bite is best early, near day break, I fished it early afternoon, fully expected poor result and is what I had. Pulled gear and went upstream, a long way, and boated a nice 18" kokanee late afternoon.

Just my humble opinion, but running up the arm for kokes was doomed to be a failure. Lots of reports lately in the Hansen Harbor area which is a couple miles above Kelly Ferry. The large number of successful reports were many miles in the opposite direction. From Seven Bays it's a half hour boat ride down stream at a leisurely 30 - 32mph. Launching at Keller Ferry is the shortest boat ride, maybe 10mins from time you leave the dock. Even so, the target area is still huge with lots of water to cover. Wish you would have PM'd me Hunter, I could have provided some info that may have helped.

As for NORTH Roosevelt, I have not read of, nor know of anyone catching kokes in the Hunters area. I believe you'll need to move downstream to find them.

Just my $.02.

[Sideburns]

That is what i was expecting. To say the least, i wont be boating from fruitland to keller. would take 2 hours + in my boat.
My buddy with the cabin in Fruitland has neighbors (full time residents) that have been catching lots of big rainbows from shore lately. -third person hearsay.

[hewesfisher]

Quite common for the trout trolling action to fall off in the spring and bank fishing take off. I'd be willing to bet the intel you received is quite accurate.

[Grizz]

How late in the season can you have good Koke fishing at Roosevelt? I can't make it up for a few weeks and was wondering if fishing might still be good later this month. I'm hoping they do the normal Koke thing and just go deeper as the water warms but still be willing to bite.

[hewesfisher]

Can catch them year round. I was on them last year late July/Aug. With additional drawdown anticipated by the end of the month, hard to say what that will do to the koke bite. Rumor is reservoir will be dropped to around 1240' in anticipation of spring thaw. Be sure to confirm your planned launch will be usable.