Green pumpkin color works well through here. Good numbers of 1- to 3-pound fish are being reported. From shore use Rainbow PowerBait and a 1/8- to 1/4-ounce egg sinker with a leader long enough to keep it above the weeds. Your chances of limiting out on decent-sized walleye is quite good in the spring and fall. Guides and Tournament anglers believe that the next world record will come from this same area we fish. A few of us old timers still slip once in a while and call them Pickerel. Instead of thinking of this lake as a typical deep clear water lake, Lady Evelyn anglers should think of it in its original river setting before it was flooded. Although we love to fish crankbaits and crawler harnesses, other techniques play a part. While we can debate the best smallmouth lake in Central Washington, theres likely to be much more agreement that Potholes Reservoir is the best largemouth bass fishery in this part of the state and up there with any spot in Washington. Watch for fallen branches and trees in the water, and you may get into some of the bigger buckets in there. Lady Evelyn Lake is 36 miles long located in Ontario's Near Northeastern Region and it is surrounded completely by Crown land with 675 miles of pristine shoreline and has no vehicle access roads. Black and blue jigs with crawfish trailers pitched into the willows can bring some exciting action. First I tried washing all the dirt off the worms and putting them in a container with damp moss. If you are searching for a place to catch a trophy-sized bucketmouth or two and then score a few of the best-eating fillets in freshwater, you've found it at Potholes. Summer is a slight lull, while Fall sees an improvement as waters cool, vegetation dies back, and prey becomes more available. We got on top of them, dropped our jigs, and the bite was on! American Plan means the lodge prepares your meals. Lower Granite, Little Goose, Lower Monumental and Ice Harbor Dam altogether form these excellent areas. No Thanks Rivers, streams, foundations, paths, burial areas and even old dirt roadways are all underwater. WDFW Fishing and Stocking ReportsWDFW Fishing RegulationsNational Weather Service forecasts, Potholes Reservoir Fishing: Secrets for a Great Walleye and Bass Lake, Walleye Fishing: Simple Techniques and Tips, best largemouth bass fishery in this part of the state and up there with any spot in Washington, best smallmouth bass fishing in Washington, more bass-fishing tricks and tips in our simple guide, techniques and helpful tips for yellow perch fishing, fishing for bluegill and other sunfish species. A fishery with multiple warm-water species of fish, Potholes Reservoir is home to bass, crappie, walleye, perch, bluegill, whitefish and (stocked) rainbow trout. Panfish: Look for crappie, perch, and bluegills back in the sand dunes in the willows in 6-10 feet of water. Potholes Reservoir Walleye Fishing - YouTube Part of an episode of Angler West TV. We arrived at our cabin around 8:00 AM, unloaded out gear and loaded the boat. Drop shot, Drop Shot, Drop shot, come in and ask us how!? Youll find Potholes and other lakes and rivers on our run-down of the best smallmouth bass fishing in Washington. Available Fish Species Amenities It's rarely about whether or not the walleye are there. Alexander from the west side caught this beautiful Potholes Reservoir walleye while on a guided trip with Levi Rodello of Ross Outdoor Adventures. Although it's name says "lake" it is actually a reservoir which is what tends to differentiate the fishing on this incredible lake from all other deep clear Canadian Shield lakes. I mounted our portable sonar, which proved to be a crucial asset to our success. If you don't want cancer don't eat any fish out of the above waters. Next drift produced another big walleye, almost identical in size, but it was full of tumors all over it's body, so I released it. We trolled for about 1.5 hours, I managed 1 walleye that hit in about 50 feet of water, but lost it right next to the boat. Generally they like to spawn on a sandy bottom like a beach but the prime spot is off sandy points where eggs do not get washed up on shore like they would on a beach. The bag limits are generous, allowing for 8 walleye and 10 pike per license, as they are located in Zone 14. Though it's been nearly 2 years, I finally made it up to Le Domaine Shannon for the free trip with my older son Ari. Privacy Policy Fishing peaks before and after the spawn, with the spawning period (April) being more difficult. Mar Don Resort, 8198 Highway 262 SE, Othello . We isolate on current line breaks and fish structure though-out the flats. While most walleye here measure out in the teens, on occasion, there also have been some giants pulled out during this time. It made the way in and out of the lake treacherous, as it's only about 1 foot deep in some spots, and is filled with boulders. Start out trolling with a worm harness equipped with some Smile Blades, or if youd rather, troll some Flicker Shad instead. Read up in the fishing regulations, because there are limits (though still generous) for the three major panfish species at Potholes Reservoir. Bullheads are everywhere these days, including both brown and yellow bullhead catfish. The cabin wasn't anything fancy, it was a bare minimum fishing camp, but equipped with propane lights, stove, fridge/freezer, as well as a bathroom with shower. Under-water stumps and narrow flats next to shallow bays make up most of this section. Anglers harvested an estimated 15,050 Walleye in Potholes Reservoir during 2021, and we expect a similar harvest during 2022. is the easiest way for me to answer your Walleye fishing questions based on my experiences, which is guiding for many different lodges across Ontario for over 40 years. Our Columbia River fishing covers Tri-Cities, Umatilla, Boardman, Irrigon, Crow Butte, Hanford Reach, Lake Wallula, Lake Umatilla, McNary Dam, John Day, Rufus and Kettle Falls. See Washington State Parks website for ADA accessibility information.). There are many times well jig fish up in 30-40 foot of water and other times we catch them in 7-10 foot, pulling cranks or casting blade baits. Since the original damming was done without government permission the area was never officially cleared or prepared for the flooding. copyright 2023 Columbia Basin Herald In fact, Washington and Oregon Fish & Game removed a daily limit on walleyes. From a boat troll Dick Nite Spoons, bobber fish or still fish on the bottom. Abundant food sources and plenty of structure creates perfect conditions for growing trophy sized fish. Yellow Perch can be caught year-round. Potholes State Park has camping areas and rustic cabins for rent, plus good amenities for anglers. The spawn is on with both smallmouth and largemouth bedding up. Fish out of Mardon Resort with Shelby & Bob Schmidt of Mack's Lure. Temperatures can reach the 90s so if youre interested in swimming with a 10-foot sturgeon, combine your walleye with a sturgeon trip. Walleye start to become very active when water temperatures reaches the lower 40 and fish begin to spawn in upper 40 degrees temperatures. You can also use a 3-way swivel rig with a 1 oz. Summer Walleye on Potholes Reservoir. Fishing success peaks again in early to mid-December as fish congregate along the shoreline to spawn. Our guides are experienced in the most advanced walleye techniques and will explain the successful methods during the morning briefing. You can't scare a northern pike when they are feeding! The reason the season stays closed for so ling is because the males will hang around the spawning beds for a week and sometimes two weeks after spawning. }. Spring time of the year, we will be fishing the Umatilla Pool around the Tri Cites area. If you are planning on staying for an extended time, check out the private rentals available nearby. Largemouth fishing can bring in some good sizes, with a good number of fish in the 2- to 4-pound range as well as some bruisers. They have regulation #2 on that lake and in the last 5 years I have seen the Walleye fishing get better and better. Winter is the most difficult season in which to catch Bluegill, but persistent anglers can find them in schools of like-sized fish offshore. We do recommend releasing walleye in the 26 inch class. The past week brought temperatures in the upper 50s with strong winds and according to Pete, "you could literally watch the ice . Walleye September - November Potholes Reservoir is a super popular fishery for the locals but in my opinion, a hidden jewel for anglers wanting to catch warm water species. Terms of Use | According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the season will look similar to last year. The Snake definitely will test a guide and his knowledge base. Anything smaller or larger needs to be let go. By the way, the deepest spot anglers have found in Lady Evelyn is 98' when the lake is at full pool. For walleye, jig a 1/2-ounce blade bait, Rapala Jigging Rap or Whistle Pigs in 10-40 feet of water. Fishing for Lake Whitefish peaks during the summer as fish congregate in large schools over the deepest portions of the reservoir. As noted, Snake River fishing is super diverse. Mardon resort offers summer cabins, rental homes, tenting area, lake side RV park, tackle store, restaurant, marina, moorage, and a sports center. The current Washington State record, weighing just over 20 pounds was caught right in our back yard. With this being said, the walleye will let us know! Send us a message with your guided Potholes Reservoir hunting or fishing trip questions or to book your trip! The deepest spots are near the Ice Harbor Dam which is considered wintering walleye water. MarDon Resort on the west end of OSullivan Dam (near the state park) is another prime destination for serious anglers. Learn effective techniques for walleye with guide, Shelby Ross and Bob Loomis of Mack's Lure along with. There is no shortage of feed on Potholes with lots of excellent staging areas for spawning walleye. We could have fished out the whole school, but our second bag limit was full again, and the mission was accomplished. Remember to fish deep and slow for walleye. Our trips are accessed from the Lyons Ferry Marina boat ramp. Also known as the Lake Herbert area, this section holds big fish. There are several lakes in Grant County that open on this date, but in recent years most of these lakes were still covered with ice. Keeper sturgeon can be retained in the slot between 53 and 63 inches, measuring from the tip of the snout to the middle fork of the tail. I bought a license for my son, so the challenge was now to catch another bag limit of walleye, as we ate enough walleye, until they we coming out of our noses. Smoking or canning whitefish is usually the way to go. This is important for wintering walleye! This body of water is open year-round and offers a variety of fishing opportunties including Walleye. Trout: The trout fishing this week has been fair on the reservoir. Due to its east-side location, its pretty far from Seattle. Steep cliffs with humps and structure hold big walleye. One technique that is great for one lake may not work in another. The best trout fishing at Potholes Reservoir tends to be in the cooler months, with very good fishing possible from mid-fall through winter and into the early part of spring. If you go to the Browse Fishing Trips menu you can now Browse by Region & Species in Quebec as well. Some waters may also be stocked again in the fall further boosting catch rates. It doesnt stop there at Potholes, which also has pretty good trout fishing, at times very good panfish angling, and several other species to hook. The most popular fish species for anglers on Lady Evelyn Lake are walleye (pickerel to Canadians), smallmouth bass and northern pike. We access the Central Ferry boat ramp for meeting clients and our launch site. The basic approach to catfishing is to chuck a worm or other bait out and wait for the bite. 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