Lunker trout at Spanaway Lake offer alternative for fishers

BOB BROWN, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Friday, March 15, 2002

With most Western Washington rivers out of shape due to heavy rainfall and windy conditions, fishers might want to consider year-round lakes such as Spanaway in Pierce County.

Last week, 200 lunker trout weighing 4 to 6 pounds each were released into the lake and today another 800 fish ranging from 1 to 3 pounds are to be put in the lake.

Anglers have been doing well off the fishing dock. There have been no reports of limits caught, but few anglers are leaving empty handed, said Bud Herlitzka of Spanaway Boathouse.

The fish have been hitting green PowerBait, nightcrawlers and flies.

On other lakes:

- THURSTON COUNTY: Fishing has been a hit-and-miss proposition at Offut Lake near Tenino, but Tacoma angler Bill Koski always manages to catch his limit, even on a slow day, said Becky Pogue of Offut Lake Resort.

Last week, PowerBait eggs soaked in garlic were the best choice to catch rainbow trout averaging 9-to-10 inches.

- MASON COUNTY: Fishing has been slow and few anglers have been out in the bad weather.

Saltwater

- TACOMA: Wind and rain have kept anglers home, said Art Tachell of Point Defiance Boathouse & Marina.

- HOOD CANAL, SOUTH SOUND: Bad weather has kept anglers away.

Rivers

- OLYMPIC COAST: Even with the recent rains, rivers are not in bad shape, said Bob Gooding of Olympic Sporting Goods in Forks. The Sol Duc had been pretty muddy, but is starting to clear. The Calawah also is luring anglers.

- LEWIS: Not much fisher effort last week. One bank angler checked had released one hatchery steelhead.

- KALAMA: A creel check last week tallied 71 bank anglers with one steelhead kept and two wild steelhead released. Of 95 boaters, 19 had steelhead, while three hatchery fish and 18 wild steelhead had been released. The Kalama daily limit for steelhead remains at three through May 31.

- SKOOKUMCHUCK: Last week fishing was not too bad, but recent rains have raised the water level and slowed fishing to a crawl.

- COWLITZ: Anglers are still catching a few winter-run steelhead, said Karen Glazer of Barrier Dam Campground. Most of the bank action has been at the barrier. There has been little success at Blue Creek. Boat anglers are doing pretty well from Mission to Blue Creek, Glazer said.

Steelhead have been running 10 to 14 pounds. From the mouth upstream to the I-5 Bridge, six bank fishers had kept one steelhead.

- CHEHALIS: Conditions on the river have been tough, said Ray Dean of Monte Square Food Mart in Montesano.

- COLUMBIA: Salmon angler pressure is increasing, but catch rates have been low. Last weekend, the 135 bank fishers checked between Portland and Vancouver had one adipose fin-clipped chinook and one fin-clipped steelhead. The 27 boaters checked had no catch.

Upriver at Bonneville Pool, boaters were releasing some wild steelhead last week. The pool will be open to fishing for trout, including hatchery steelhead through March 31, but the mainstem Columbia between Bonneville and The Dalles dams will be closed to salmon fishing this spring.

Dalles and John Day pools will open Saturday for trout, including hatchery steelhead, and will remain open with the spring chinook fishery.

Sturgeon

On the Columbia River, most boat fishers in the Portland-to-Longview area have been at Sauvie Island, said Anne Pressentin Young, of Oregon's Department of Fish and Wildlife. Boaters near Sauvie Island averaged .18 legal-sized sturgeon per boat.

In the Gorge, boaters averaged .45 legals per boat.

A weekend check of 12 boats between Portland and Longview showed one legal fish kept, while one legal and 50 sublegals had been released.

In The Dalles Pool, counting fish released, boaters averaged one legal per every 4 rods. Bank fishing was slow.

Smelt

High water has reduced fishing effort this week, although sports dippers were doing OK from Rocky Point upstream to Lexington prior to the heavy rains, said Brad James, a biologist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife's Vancouver office.

Fly fishing

Eld Inlet has been hot for cutthroat trout, said Tom Bolender of the Streamside Anglers store in Tumwater.

Some large fish are being caught on Clouser Minnows and olive Woolly Buggers.

- RIVERS: Anglers are catching steelhead in the Wynoochee and the Skookumchuck is producing, too. Egg-sucking leeches and Glo Bugs have been good.

The Deschutes is warming up for fishers. Stonefly nymphs and sculpin patterns have been working. March browns and little, brown stoneflies are still hatching, but try a Parachute Adams, Bolender said.

- LAKES: Fishing has improved. Cady Lake is heating up. Woolly Buggers fished close to the banks are good.

St. Clair and Offut have hatches of chironimids. There are a few surface feeders on warmer evenings. Try thin mint buggers.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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