Fishing Lake Pend Oreille: Where are the Fish?
The lake is finally beginning to clear up, and the fish are responding to the clear water. Last time I was out, there was 10-12ft of visibility. I have heard a range of surface temperatures from 75-80 degrees! This is great for swimming, but a little rough for bass and walleye fishing. It is crucial this time of year to get on the water early or late in order to avoid the sun the best you can.
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I am finding most of my Bass in 5-15 feet of water. Early in the morning (5-ish), they seem to be in 5-8 feet of water cruising flats and weed lines looking for baitfish and crawdads. As the sun gets higher, the bass retreat to a little deeper water, and don't eat as much. You can still catch plenty of Bass mid-day, they just tend to be smaller. Senkos and Shim-E-Sticks are a great bait to throw in the morning. As the day warms up, I like to drop shot KVD Dream Shot, KVD half shells, and Robo Worms. Yamamoto 4 and 5 inch grubs are also working for bass along sharp rocky drop-offs, and under man made structures. Topwater has also been very effective in the evenings from 8:30-dark. I have had great success recently with Rapala poppers, and Jitterbugs. If you want to catch those 3+ lb bass, you need to be on the water at least by 5am.
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Now onto the walleye. This seems to be the big question that everyone wants answered. We have had Walleye in our lake now for a while, some years being better than others. This year seems to be one of the better years. The easy way to catch Walleye is to toss out some deep diving Rapalas and Storm crainkbaits along man made structures. As far as colors, I prefer the shiny blues and dark greens. Anything that looks like a 2-3 inch Kokanee will do. Walleye are very structure oriented, and will hold tight to bridges and sharp drop-offs. Right now I am finding them in 15-20 feet of water. In my experience, 18 feet seems to be that magic depth. White 4 and 5 inch Grubs has worked for me as well as Gulp 3 inch minnows. Crawler Harness and bottom bouncer are also a must. Just make sure to bait that last hook with a juicy nightcrawler. As far as places to go, I would start by checking out some of our bridges. The long bridge and the adjacent train bridge is a good place to start. Another great shoreline is from Trestle Creek to Hope. This is a fairly long shoreline, so trolling might be a good option until you find the schools. I generally just troll at my motor's slowest speed which is roughly 2mph. The best time to fish for the walleye is in the evening. Personally, I would get on the water at 7pm and fish until 11pm. I know there can be a night bite, but I also have a full-time job that requires occasional sleep.
Need more info? Stop by our Ponderay location for all the ins and outs on Bass and Walleye fishing on our beautiful Lake Pend Oreille.