18 - Lake Roosevelt South End to Spokane Confluence

Air Temp: 36° - 40°
Method: Trolling
Species: Rainbow Trout
Bait: Maggots
Color: Orange
Conditions: Cloudy
Tackle: Floating Minnow
Time: All Day
Water Temp: Under 40°
Rating: 4
Views: 3029

We launched at Lincoln. After a bit of a slow drive from Spokane in freezing fog, the ramp at Lincoln was in perfect shape. Started fishing about 8 AM around Sterling Point. Water temp was about 38 degrees. Had 2 hits right away that didn't stick then caught a nice 20-incher on an orange jointed rapala behind the planer board. The action was slow, so we eventually went down-river and fished in the fog at the goat farm area west of Whitestone. Bite came on hot about 1:30 PM and 3 of us ended up with 11 keepers to the boat, lost a few more and released a couple with intact fins. Orange jointed Rapalas were definitely our best presentaion tipped with white Berkley maggots. Oddly, we only had a couple hits on flies that didn't stick. Most of the fish came off the planer board or long-lined with no weight. Downriggers only caught a couple. Our last fish of the day was a beautiful 22 inch dark-colored rainbow that we thought for sure was a native red band as we were reeling it in. I was preparing to release it, when on closer inspection, it was obviously fin-clipped so we kept it. It was a different strain of rainbow than the usual hatchery fish. It was darker colored, the tail was shaped differently (less of a V) and flesh was light pink as opposed to the more orange color of the usual rainbows. Our theory is that it was a surplus hatchery steelhead planted in Roosevelt. I would be interested in hearing others' opinions on what strain of rainbow it is.


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