Springlike conditions are persisting across our region, with lots of wind, rain and thunderstorms in the mix. The hit-or-miss storms can make it hard to plan trips, but the fishing has been good whenever the weather cooperates. As you plan your next outing, here are a few ideas to get you started:
Anderson Ranch Reservoir (Kokanee, Bass)
Kokanee fishing got off to a late start, but the fish are starting to bite, and they are BIG. A recent trip produced multiple fish in the 19-inch, three-pound class—easily the best quality of our “local” Kokanee fisheries (Anderson Ranch, Lucky Peak, Arrowrock and Payette). My group caught fish on a variety of colors, including orange, pink and white. We used both downriggers and leaded line, with most of our action coming in the top 10 feet of water. The fish will move deeper as temperatures warm. As always, sharpen your hooks and bring a quality, long-handled net. Kokanee have a penchant for shaking the hook! Bass fishing is fair at the moment, and should improve as summer sets in. Water temps are in the 60s, which means smallmouth are wrapping up their spawn. Jigs, Ned Rigs, soft plastics and deep-diving crankbaits are solid options for bass.
Lake Lowell (Bass)
The bite is improving at Lowell, which filled up this spring but took a while to reach optimal temperatures. Fish have been holding tight to flooded trees and heavy cover, and flipping weedless creature baits has been the only reliable way to reach them. Flipping is still productive, but anglers are starting to pick up fish on spinnerbaits, topwater lures and other moving presentations along the weed line. It’s hard to catch big bass at Lowell, as most of the fish seem to be stuck between 14 and 17 inches. But it’s a convenient option for boating, which is especially valuable in this unpredictable weather (on a recent trip, I arrived to a surprise rainstorm, but was able to wait it out and fish once it passed). Lowell is a solid option for channel catfish and carp, too.
Horsethief Reservoir (Trout)
This small lake near Cascade is a reliable place to catch stocked trout, and it’s a beautiful spot to fish this time of year. Catch rates have been consistent for 12-to-16-inch rainbows, and anglers occasionally bump into Kokanee, brook trout or brown trout. Bank fishing with spinners, worms and Power Bait is effective, but the shorelines can fill up fast. Using a boat, kayak or float tube gives you more room to operate, and from a watercraft, I like to troll with Rapalas, spinners, and crawler harnesses. Fly-fishing with streamer patterns like leeches and woolly buggars is also a solid choice. If you want to harvest some trout for the smoker, this is a good place to do it!
Crane Falls/Cove Arm (Mixed Bag)
These twin lakes near Bruneau make for a fun summer trip. Crane Falls has solid catch rates for midsized largemouth, which can be caught on soft plastics, spinnerbaits and topwater lures. Panfish are also plentiful—bluegill are the most common catch, along with pumpkinseed, black crappie and yellow perch. Use small jigs to target panfish. Crane Falls is also a sneaky-good trout fishery. Fly-fishing from a float tube is usually the best approach. Crane Falls is open to electric motors only and has trophy bass rules. Just a couple miles down the road, Cove Arm Lake offers a similar variety of bass and panfish, with the added bonus of smallmouth. The lake is similar in size to Crane Falls, but gas motors are allowed and it has some nice rocky cover in addition to trees and weedy stuff (which covers almost all of Crane Falls during the summer months). If you have a full day, splitting it between these two lakes is a good way to acquire a chewed-up bass thumb, with some bonus species likely mixed in. Tight lines!