Last week would have been a tough one to get out on the water. We got well over a foot of snow here in Leavenworth, and then it turned to rain. The roads are clearing off and I hope to get out and about again soon. In the meantime, I have to talk about what I would like to be doing.

I would really like to get out on the water on Lake Roosevelt. I have seen more photos of big kokanee than I have the past three years. Kokanee are four-year cycle fish, and it appears that we could have the kind of fishing that sparked huge angler interest in the Lake Roosevelt fishery back in 2016. That’s when people were getting consistent catches of kokanee of 18 to 25 inches on the big reservoir.

It seems early in the season to be seeing that kind of catches of kokanee on Roosevelt. I checked the current water levels and see that the reservoir has been dropping the past month. When the water level drops it pulls the primary food source of the kokanee, which is daphnia, down to the lower reaches. In my area most anglers like to launch out of Keller or Spring Canyon. In the early season the kokanee are still higher up in the lake and people will run up the lake to areas above the mouth of the San Poil River. Popular areas right below Keller turn on a little later. The fishing spots at Camel Nose and along the cliffs can get crowded as anglers troll with their side planers out 50 to 100 feet from their boats.

Out of Spring Canyon anglers think nothing of running up to Swawilla Basin to look for kokanee, and I have already seen photos of a good catch being made there. Still later in the season anglers just head down lake toward the dam to find fish. The photo in this week’s column is of me and Austin Moser with some of the kokanee we caught during the 2016 season.

While anglers wait for the kokanee fishing on Lake Roosevelt to heat up, they are enjoying excellent fishing for rainbow trout. Limits of these triploided rainbow of 15 to 20 inches are common this time of year. I want to remind anglers that they must release any trout with an adipose fin. These are protected native red band rainbow and can’t be kept. They are sure fun to catch and release, though.

Low returns of steelhead to our region have prompted either reduced limits or complete closures of many rivers and streams. This will be the fourth year that we have not been able to fish for steelhead above Priest Rapids Dam. The WDFW has announced that steelhead fishing will remain closed on the Columbia upstream of McNary Dam. The reason for this closure is that the 2019 steelhead return is the fifth lowest to McNary Dam since 1954.

Rivers that have had reductions in limits include the Walla Walla, Touchet, Tucannon and Grande Ronde. These remain open for hatchery steelhead with a one fish limit and barbless hooks are required. Again, very low returns have made this necessary. On the Snake River in Washington, Reach 1, which is from the mouth to the Couse Creek Boat Ramp is closed to the retention of steelhead. Reach 2, from the Couse Creek Boat Ramp to the Idaho and Oregon border is open to steelhead fishing, with a one fish daily limit. Anglers are required to use barbless hooks in this fishery as well.

I have posted the news releases on my FishingMagician.com Facebook Page, and you can find all the details by visiting the WDFW web site.

Here’s some good news for fans of steelhead fishing on the Clearwater and lower Snake River in Idaho. Starting on January 1st these streams have been opened, after being closed earlier for concerns about escapement to hatcheries. The Clearwater and the Snake River below the Course Creek boat ramp were closed in September. Additional trapping activities were implemented at Dworshak Hatchery and at Lower Granite Dam. After an additional month of trapping for the Clearwater River hatchery programs, fishery managers are confident that there are enough steelhead for hatcheries and to provide fishing opportunity.

Fishery managers also plan on enlisting anglers to help provide steelhead broodstock in the South Fork of the Clearwater this spring. The daily limit for steelhead on the Clearwater River and the lower Snake River downstream of the Course Creek boat ramp will be one adipose fin-clipped fish per day, with none over 28 inches.

I was glad to hear that these legendary steelhead streams are getting enough steelhead to allow for fishing. My brother Rick Graybill spent a couple of seasons guiding on the Clearwater. What attracted him to this river was the size of the steelhead, which on average, were much larger than those caught in our local area.

I got a question from a follower on my Facebook Page, asking for some fishing tips. He was going to be in Spokane over the weekend and wanted to try for triploid rainbow trout out of Porcupine Bay on Lake Roosevelt. I described my slip sinker method for fishing off the bank on Lake Roosevelt, and that I liked to use jarred shrimp and a chunk of marshmallow to float my bait.

Well, I got a quick reply through my Facebook Page following the weekend. He and his brother arrived at their fishing spot at 7 and both had their five-fish limits by 9:30! He said the trout weighed between 2 and 3 pounds and I got a photo of their stringer. The jarred shrimp and marshmallow set up did the trick. I have enjoyed a similar experience casting this same bait from the shore below the swimming area at Spring Canyon, just outside of Grand Coulee.

I also see a lot of anglers fishing from shore at Keller when we launch there to fish for kokanee and trout. Lake Roosevelt trout fishing is great and these triploids are terrific eating. When you fillet a kokanee next to one of these trout it’s had to tell which is which, the meat is such a deep red color.

I am putting the finishing touches on my free E-Letter on Winter Fishing. If you would like to get a free copy, go to my web site at FishingMagician.com and click on the button and enter your e-mail address. It should be out by Christmas.

My next plan is to try fishing from shore at Spring Canyon on Lake Roosevelt. I have caught some dandies from the shore here in the winter. Wish me luck!