Eastern Washington Fishing Report 03.28.19

Rufus Woods (WA)

Springtime on Rufus Woods has been one of my best time to hit this impoundment water of the Columbia River. With warming and sunny days, it is a good time to be on the water there. I spend most of my fishing time on the upper part of the lake. Flows have not yet increased from the spring runoff, which makes for just the right conditions to fish from the shore or a boat. When I talk about the upper part of the lake, I’m referring to the waters above Nespelem Creek. When we are out on the water in a boat, we look for seam water and areas off a couple of the islands in that area.

Crayfish patterns are our fly of choice. The one pattern that works the best for us is the near nuff crayfish in either tan or olive. Working it on the bottom with what I can best describe as a crayfish scoot. Slow short hops on the bottom then a quick strip. Next, we will use balanced leeches of different size and color until we find what they like for the day. My favorite style of fishing from shore is swinging a streamer with my 6-weight Spey or switch rod. Look for those little points and bays and swing the seam water. This is where sculpzillas and stinging smolt come into play. Depending on what type of water you are working will dictate your tip weight. Fishing should be good until the heavy flows of runoff start in the next month or so.

Omak Lake (WA)

I know I keep saying it like a broken record but… it’s only going to get better from here on out. Bright sunny days with the warm midday of spring, what more can you ask for! Right now, when I hit the water, I can figure on about a dozen nice Lahontan cutthroats in five hours of fishing. Mind you, I'm talking about that number of fish landed. Don’t be surprised if you get a number of follows to within ten feet of where you're standing.

Both ends of the lake are showing good action. The road into Nicholson Beach is okay, might be a little muddy in a couple of places but just take your time. Now, Cowpie Beach is a different story. If you have been there before, you’ll know about the soft spot that can get a little dicey. Using a four-wheel drive is strongly recommended -but even that might not be enough. So, play it safe and double check it before driving through it. The good thing is, is if you choose to not drive through that spot, you can park, and it is just a short walk to the water.

Your only real choice to launch a hard boat right now is at Nicholson Beach. If you are wade fishing, keep working the drop-offs. You might not see any fish cruising yet, but they are there. Medium and small streamers are what is working most of the time. Franke shiners, deadly shiners, and sculpzillas are the streamer of choice right now. Balanced leeches under an indicator or just cast and stripped back are also getting results. Even though there are not many fish over 22 inches are being caught right now, I would strongly recommend a 6-weight rod just in case. We have the 2019 non-tribal member fishing license here at the store now. Plus, you can go online and purchase your license too. I may not catch a lot right now but, hey, nothing better than getting out in the springtime sun and doing a little fishing.

See past reports from the Omak region, or click here to view all northwest regional reports.