central washington walleye

[lacounte]

Frustrated western montana walleye fisherman desires info on central washington. how are banks and moses doing this spring for walleye? any advice on where to go and what to use on banks? i've got about a 6 hour pull to get there so doesn't leave a lot of time for hunting. weather looks too iffy this weekend to make that kind of a pull too but as soon as it clears i'll be seeing you. any info is appreciated. thanks

[Walleye Jason]

Loc,

Well, this time a year can be slow in Central Washington. The water temp is not warm enough yet to make these fish super active, but there are some fish that can be caught. At Banks Lake, try the north end of the lake where the water comes in, fish that bank. It creates a small current, and fish tend to hang out there.

If your coming for Montana, Try Lake Roosevelt. Its a little closer to you, right now its a little low, and hard to find a place to launch. But when the water comes up, the fishing should be pretty good. Try fishing at 7 bays, near Hawk Creek, and the Spokane Arm. There are a lot of good spots to fish in that area.


Good luck, hope to see you on the water!

WJ

[WAeyes]

Shhhhhhhhhh....Moses is producing a few, but don't tell anybody else OK? Shhhhhhh.......

[aar7]

Banks is indeed a little slow right now. The water temp is right around 40 degrees and the weather has been cool and unstable. Look for the smallmouth fishing to get red hot pretty quick.

There is some great walleye fishing going on below Grand Coulee Dam (Rufus Woods). Good anglers are frequently catching 20-30 fish per day right now as the fish are moving upriver for the spawn. Most of the fish will be 16-20 inches but 5-8 pounders are not uncommon at all.

Forget about Roosevelt for awhile. The water is very low and will remain that way for sometime due to low runoff. The Spokane Arm will hold a lot of walleye due to the spawn but is closed right now for the same reason.

I too have heard that Moses Lake is kicking out some nice fish right now.

[lacounte]

I really appreciate all your comments. I keep hearing such great things about rufus. it is on my list of "someday". You have moved it up nearer the top. Where should one put in coming from the east? Now if I just had more time. Wonder what that lottery is up to?! :)

[Walleye Jason]

Loc,

If your going to fish Rufus Woods, you will want to launch at Seatons Grove. Coming from the east, you will want to make your way to US 2. Follow US 2 West until you get to the town of Wilbur you will see the signs for Grand Coulee Dam. I belive it HWY 174 and HWY 21. Follow the signs to Grand Coulee Dam. You will want to get on to HWY 155. You will follow 155 go by the dam, cross over the Bridge.

After you cross the bridge, you will probably drive for about 7-10 miles. Go thru Elmer City and then you will come to Seatons Grove. Keep your "Eye" out for the boat ramp sign. Its easy to find.

After you launch, try fishing the eddy behind the boat ramp. You may see people fishing there, Another spot to fish is down river about a mile, try fishing below the Island.

Good luck,
WJ

[lacounte]

thanks WJ. does rufus back up right to grand coulee or is there a stretch of river below coulee? hope to see you there if the weather ever straightens out. you guys keep sending us this white stuff. woke up to a couple inches in missoula this morning. better than the smoke last summer tho so i feel guilty when i complain. i got a shipment of worms from Oregon Bait Company and anxious to drown some.

[Walleye Jason]

Yes Rufus Backs right up to the Dam, But you will be fishing about 5-7 miles below the dam.

Its a very good place to fish. The water may be a bit low, I have not been there this year. Call Big Walleys for a river report. Fish the eddys, and you should cacth some fish.

Good luck, Im Fishing Potholes next weekend, looking to find some fish before the Tournament.

See ya on the Water

WJ

[Starfish]

If you're coming from Montana you might consider hitting Sprague Lake-- it's right along I-90 just west of Spokane. It can be kind of windy but it's loaded with fish. We got about 15 there Saturday-- mostly 15-18" but a couple were 19 and 23". You might check out www.spraguelake.com; a guy named Jack Werdahl does a great job of sharing lake conditions and fish reports. His page includes some good articles on fishing Sprague.
Good luck.

[lacounte]

thanks to all who have responded with info. i really appreciate it. let me assure you i am not interested in hauling loads of your fish over the mountain. i might keep one or two for the "fry daddy" outside the motel but the rest will be released.
let's hope we get, or can keep, enuf water this year to protect the great fisheries you have in this area. i am afraid of the threat of low water. anyway thanks again. best of luck fishing. hope to meet you on the water. i'll be the one in the red tyee that the fish are trying to jump into.