Little Spokane Whitefish Fishing
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Welcome aboard mate.
What little I know about white fish.
I have caught white fish on dry flies and on nymphs.
White fish are hard to hook on dries but it can be done.
High sticking nymphs works much better.
Look for side channels with little pools of quiet water, fish the seam over and over, 10 or 12 casts, no fish, move on.
Be very, very quiet when wading, also when walking along the gravel, cover your wading stick tip with duct tape so as to not have metal on rock noise, spooks the fish every time. Or use a wood stick.
When it come to nymphs I have used small, #14 or smaller bead head, pheasant tail, or hares ear. Later in winter when the days start getting longer and it warms up a bit there will be midge hatches and small white midge fly will work. You can find these white fish flies in the sporting goods stores that time of year.
If your nymph fly is not rolling across the rocks and getting hung up once in awhile you aren't doing it right, also remember a drag free drift.
I hope this helps you out. Stay safe, getting wet in winter is killer.
What little I know about white fish.
I have caught white fish on dry flies and on nymphs.
White fish are hard to hook on dries but it can be done.
High sticking nymphs works much better.
Look for side channels with little pools of quiet water, fish the seam over and over, 10 or 12 casts, no fish, move on.
Be very, very quiet when wading, also when walking along the gravel, cover your wading stick tip with duct tape so as to not have metal on rock noise, spooks the fish every time. Or use a wood stick.
When it come to nymphs I have used small, #14 or smaller bead head, pheasant tail, or hares ear. Later in winter when the days start getting longer and it warms up a bit there will be midge hatches and small white midge fly will work. You can find these white fish flies in the sporting goods stores that time of year.
If your nymph fly is not rolling across the rocks and getting hung up once in awhile you aren't doing it right, also remember a drag free drift.
I hope this helps you out. Stay safe, getting wet in winter is killer.
In the PNW streams I fish, the best whitefish time is right now, between Thanksgiving and New Years. They move into the riffles and spawn by broadcasting eggs, which hopefully stick to a few rocks.
I used a weighted prince nymph with a pale yellow, unweighted, #20 egg pattern about 8" above it. Find a pod of whitefish and you'll catch one every cast. Move downstream of the pod and you'll catch some egg gulping trout.
I used a weighted prince nymph with a pale yellow, unweighted, #20 egg pattern about 8" above it. Find a pod of whitefish and you'll catch one every cast. Move downstream of the pod and you'll catch some egg gulping trout.
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You can not wade on the Little Spokane it is illegal. If you are in a pontoon boat you cannot put your feet in the water. The only legal way to access the river is either on dry land or in an enclosed canoe from a launch near the fish hatchery. Most of the river runs through private land so access is difficult.
jesse
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Mak although I don't know much about the little spokane I would highly recommend the search method of this forum...
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Back in the good ole days the rule for whitefishing on the Wenatchee was a #14 or smaller hook, so ya won't be catching steelhead
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I used "control F" function to search WDFW game regulations and found only one listing for the Little Spokane and there isn't anything about "no wading". Using the same search function for Rocky Ford Creek, it specifically says "no wading". Not begin familiar with this stream or its location, would other regulations come into play (is any part of it in Idaho, I don't know)? All that comes to mind is "hatchery" and water quality if folks were wading.
And contrary to what @Gary Thompson says about those 3/16-inch gap size 14 flies, it is possible to catch steelhead on them when whitefish fishing. Just sayin', Gary. And Gary, I've plagiarized that little dark brown "crayfish" pattern you gave me when you were carpin' on the P. pool. Thanks! Dang good fly.
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Thanks Buzzy
Wrong Gary Thompson I didn't give you a "crayfish" pattern.
Wrong Gary Thompson I didn't give you a "crayfish" pattern.
I've never targeted whitefish (I think it's cool that you're doing that), but I'm not to proud to "nymph" for steelhead, and I can tell you that whitefish eat the heck out of dead-drifted yarn and (gulp) beads in steelheady water. Pretty easy tie right there!
Bead head nymphs catch everything, so they're always a good tactic.
Bead head nymphs catch everything, so they're always a good tactic.
Most of the L.Spokane above St. George's School is privately owned (including the stream bottom). Access in those areas is problematic.
Below St. George's much of it is public land managed by Washington State Parks...and they probibit wading.
In any event, wading would be difficult, with steep eroded banks, heavy brush, and deep water.....it's running pretty high right now.
Below St. George's much of it is public land managed by Washington State Parks...and they probibit wading.
In any event, wading would be difficult, with steep eroded banks, heavy brush, and deep water.....it's running pretty high right now.
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Krusty, I agree on the difficulty of wading but wasn't aware of any state park regs.
Do you know where a person might find that info?
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To the OP,
As far as the Little Spokane, there's some access on the very lower from the point where it crosses Hwy 291 to the confluence of the Spokane. You can access a few areas on the highway side or access a
small area at the canoe takeout on the Little Spokane. Just downstream of that there's a couple of private homes and then state park land. You will need a Discover Pass if you go there.
Also the main Spokane below Nine Mile dam to the confluence with the Little Spokane holds a good winter whitefish population with the chance of an occasional surprise rainbow in the mix.
As far as the Little Spokane, there's some access on the very lower from the point where it crosses Hwy 291 to the confluence of the Spokane. You can access a few areas on the highway side or access a
small area at the canoe takeout on the Little Spokane. Just downstream of that there's a couple of private homes and then state park land. You will need a Discover Pass if you go there.
Also the main Spokane below Nine Mile dam to the confluence with the Little Spokane holds a good winter whitefish population with the chance of an occasional surprise rainbow in the mix.
A search on 'the Little Spokane Natural area' should yield something relevant.
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Thanks, will do.
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It is posted on signs at the put-in and take-out (St George, Painted Rocks) that you must be in a closed bottom boat and fishing while wading (both in the stream and streamside I believe, but it's been a while since I've read it) is not allowed. If I think about it I'll try and run down tomorrow and see if the gates open and I'll take a picture of the sign.
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Gold ribbed hairs ear is my favorite for whiteys
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