Sunny outlook for anglers

With sun in the weekend forecast, this might be the time to hit a local lake. The sun this week could have started warming the water, which will get the fish more active.

Rivers should be in good shape as well after being high a week ago.

LAKES

Alder: A few more anglers are starting to hit the lake, but there haven’t been any reports of success. As the water warms up, the trout will start moving closer to shore. Try worms or salmon eggs, said Len Throop of Eatonville Outdoor.

Harts: The fishing was slow last weekend. Angler Kevin Bye, a member of the Cascade Musky Association, tried a variety of jigs and plastic worms for bass, then trolled for trout but came up empty.

Offut: Dock anglers are catching a few rainbow trout, but not in large numbers, said Becky Pogue of Offut Lake Resort. Try using Power Bait or night crawlers on a short leader and scented with garlic or shrimp oil.

Riffe: Try using shrimp and worms for silvers. The fishing has been fair to good, Throop said.

Spanaway: A few trout were being caught off the dock. Use Power Bait or a worm/marshmallow combo, all on a 24-inch leader. The southeast side of the lake has been productive for boat anglers, said Bud Herlitzka of Spanaway Park Boathouse.

Washington: Anglers are doing well for cutthroat trout in 17 to 22 feet of water. Most anglers are trolling orange label herring about 100 feet behind the boat, said a staffer at Auburn Sports and Marine.

RIVERS

Columbia: Fishing below Bonneville Dam was poor. Boat anglers in the Dalles Pool averaged more than 11/2 steelhead per rod. Bank anglers also were catching some fish. The sturgeon fishing above Bonneville Dam was slow. Today is the last day of the year that sturgeon can be kept from Bonneville Dam to The Dalles Dam (including tributaries).

Cowlitz: The fishing has been off and on. Anglers reports from the middle of the week showed that no one was catching anything near Blue Creek, but there are some reports of a few steelhead being caught.

Kalama: Anglers are catching a few steelhead.

Lewis: Some steelhead are being caught, but the run is tapering off, said Elaine Burns at Angler’s Workshop. The river level is fairly high.

Olympic Coast: This might be the weekend to make a quick trip to the Forks area. The fishing has been very good now that river levels have dropped to normal after being blown out last weekend.

Smelt: A few fish were caught a week ago in the Cowlitz sports fishery. Some anglers around the Kelso Bridge – who had waders and a long-handle pole, plus a good back and a few hours – were able to get up to a few pounds of smelt, said state fish biologist Joe Hymer. Today and Feb. 27 are the last days of the sport fishery.

Wynoochee: Guides are expecting to see some fresh fish in the river now that it has dropped back into shape. The same is being said for the Satsop.

Yakima: The trout fishing has been fair to good, said a report from Red’s Fly Shop. Anglers are trying skwala nymphs as well as small nymphs such as brassies and pheasant tails.

SALT WATER

Fly-fishing: The action has been pretty slow during the past week, said Blake Merwin of Gig Harbor Fly Shop. Some anglers are catching one or two season cutthroat a trip, but there has been nothing consistent.

Tacoma: There have been few people on the water in the past few days, because of the north winds, said Art Tachell at Point Defiance Boathouse Marina. One brave angler did catch a limit.

Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640

jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com

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