COLUMN way to take walleye on these reservoirs. I personally employ this technique later in the season. You will want to turn up your speed when pulling cranks. Trolling up to 2.4 miles per hour can be effective.
ANGLERS WILL BE chasing kokanee on Lake Roosevelt with even more fervor than earlier in the season. Some of this has to do with better weather conditions for being out on the water on this big reservoir. Last year, the kokanee fishing in May was excellent. It is easier to cover more water in search of these fish, and the run from Spring Canyon to Swawilla Basin or even further uplake to Keller or the mouth of the Sanpoil River is much easier with the warm, calm weather that is more predominant in May. I fished for kokanee with success below the Spring Canyon launch and at Swawilla Basin last season. The fishing was also good at Keller and later in the month off the mouth of the Sanpoil River. As I recall, we were catching as many rainbows in May as we did earlier in the season. While the kokanee can still be caught shallow, the rainbows seem to be lower in the water column than in winter and very early spring. This is an advantage if you are targeting the kokanee. They will gradually move deeper as we approach summer, but in May we were still getting them on downriggers set only as deep as 20 feet and on side planers, with added weight. Anglers can expect to take kokanee over 20 inches on Lake Roosevelt. I have seen fish to 24 inches earlier this winter and have been on boats that have landed several over 22 inches. Those who enjoy walleye fishing on Lake Roosevelt can also expect much better action than earlier in the season, and smallmouth bass are easy to catch at this time. You can get them along most shorelines casting plugs or plastics.
KOKANEE FISHING ON Lake Chelan will be at its peak. The large schools of fish that anglers have been finding earlier this winter and spring will have moved into the lower basin. Most of the boats will be found below Wapato Point at spots like Mill Bay, Rocky Point, the “Blue Roofs,” and 82 Northwest Sportsman
MAY 2017 | nwsportsmanmag.com
Big kokanee bite well on Lake Roosevelt in May, plus the weather’s a lot better. Everyone is hoping for a new state record koke, and this month could deliver. (DAVE GRAYBILL) even off Lakeside Park. Most of the fish will still be caught deep. It is not unusual to find large schools of fish as deep as 130 feet, so downriggers are a must for this fishery. I will often put my baits, usually Kokabow blades and spinners or the newer squid style, 75 feet or more behind the ball. This allows me time to drop my ’riggers or raise them to the depth of a school that I spot on my depth sounder. That said, when the schools are off Lakeside Park, they can often be caught much more shallow. It is not unusual to catch fish at 30 to 50 feet. I should warn anglers that using light leaders is not recommended on Lake Chelan when fishing for kokanee. Large lake trout and even Chinook will take kokanee baits. I have been broken off several times while kokanee fishing. Earlier this year the kokanee were in two distinct sizes on Chelan. One group averaged 11 inches, the other mostly 12 to 14 inches. Another fishery that is popular on Lake Chelan in May is fishing for smallmouth. Their numbers have increased over the years, and there has been a tournament every year for several. It is not unusual to see bass exceeding 6 pounds at the weigh station at the tournament. The fish can be
found on the beds some time in May, and then later on over structure and under the many docks along the lower lake.
A MUCH-ANTICIPATED SEASON every year is the spring salmon fishery on the Icicle River at Leavenworth. This is primarily a drift boat show, but there is some shore access. In recent years the Wenatchee River has also opened. The seasons are announced through emergency regulations after it becomes clear enough Chinook are on the way back to the national fish hatchery, so anglers need to watch for news releases around midmonth for opening dates and details. These are just a few of the many fishing opportunities that occur in May in Central Washington. There are also many lakes that offer excellent fishing, and the walleye, kokanee and bass fisheries are certainly not limited to the ones I have mentioned. I suggest that you sign up for my free e-letter that describes many opportunities, and check out the “Fishing TV” videos on my web site, fishingmagician.com, to learn how to fish many waters in May. NS Editor’s note: Dave Graybill is a longtime North-central Washington angler and fishing writer, and he is also a member of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission.