June 2012 Fishing Report

Fishing Report Sponsored by Whatcom Counties Fishing PRO Shop.

 

Freshwater Fishing      Saltwater     BC, Canada

 

FISHING REPORT

June – 2012

By Ken Shagren, Fishing Pro Staff, Dave’s Sports Shop

“Remember to check the official WDFW regulations before going out!”

Welcome to the Dave’s Sports Shop fishing report page. Check in with us as we attempt to keep you informed on where the fish are biting and what is working to catch them. We will try to keep the information current so that we can help you decide where the best opportunity for success will be located.

NORTHWEST WASHINGTON

FRESHWATER     

June is a time of year that offers many fishing opportunities as weather and water temperatures begin to warm up. Local lakes are producing quite well with a wide range of species being caught. As for trout, Silver Lake continues to fish well using Dick Nites, Triple Teasers or Flatfish type lures trolled solo using lead core line to get down to the fish. It will be necessary to troll deeper as the water warms and fish go deeper to find comfortable temperatures. Woolly Buggers, Green Bugs, and Cary Specials have  been working for fly fishers and shore bound anglers have been doing well using Power Bait in rainbow, orange, pink, or green to name some of the more popular choices. Remember to lengthen dough bait leaders to three feet or more as the season progresses.

Toad Lake has also been doing well for hatchery planted trout and the occasional triploid trout that weigh two to three pounds or more. Slowly trolled dark colored Woolly Buggers are the popular choice here but small spoons, Rooster Tails, flatfish type lures, or small Rapalas will work as well. Cain Lake had the highest catch per angler on opening day and continues to be goodfor those trolling small spoons. Lake Padden has slowed down since opening day but is still producing trout for trollers using small spoons, Rooster Tails, or flatfish type lures. Those on the shore are using live bait to spice up their Power Bait presentations. Kokanee can also be found at Padden. (See Lake Samish below for lure choices.)

Bass are on their spawning beds and are getting much more aggressive. Lake Terrell has been good for bass and the occasional triploid trout. Dark colored plastic worms or creature baits, spinner baits, shallow running plugs, and top water baits such as poppers and jitterbugs are the go to choices for bass. Night crawlers and dough baits have been the ticket for the triploids but they have been known to occasionally strike bass lures as well and vice versa. Lake Whatcom and Lake Samish have been good for smallmouth and some largemouth bass. Tube baits along with creature baits have been the popular choices for the smallmouths. Look for smallies at the south end of Lake Whatcom and at the north end of Lake Samish. Cover areas  such as pilings, docks, rocky ledges, or sunken trees for prime habitat. Also, don’t overlook Fazon Lake for bass, tiger musky, and big channel cats.

Lake Samish has been spotty for kokanee measuring up to 18 inches with the majority being in the 12 to 16 inch range. Early mornings have provided the best bite, but if you can find the fish and the color or type of lure that will trigger them to strike, action can be had throughout the day. Finding the depth of the fish has been the most challenging issue. Lately they have been spread throughout the water column from 15 to 50 feet deep with weather conditions being a major factor. Lure choices have included pink, green, or red Wedding Ring or similar spinners, pink mini squids, small Apexes, and pink flies behind a Sling Blade or small 4/0 or 3/0 dodger.

There are a few opening dates to keep in mind. June 1 is the trout opening for streams in Western Washington. Be advised that all rivers, streams, and beaver ponds that drain into Puget Sound or the Strait of Juan de Fuca are closed unless they are listed as open in the Puget Sound and Strait Rivers section of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife rules pamphlet.

June 1 is also the opening of Spring Kings on the upper Skagit River between  highway 530 bridge at Rockport and Cascade River Road at the Marblemount Bridge. In addition, the Skagit River will open on June 16 between the Memorial Highway bridge in Mt. Vernon to the mouth of Gilligan Creek to the retention of 3 sockeye per day. Check with Dave’s Sport Shop to find out how to rig up for this new fishery created by the hatchery on the Baker River. Several thousand of these fish will be transported from the Baker River hatchery to Baker Lake. The Baker Lake sockeye fishery is scheduled to open on July 1.

 

SALTWATER

Halibut and lingcod fisheries are winding down as halibut closes June 2 and lingcod closes on June 15. Herring and squid have been the most popular baits for halibut at between 150 and 350 feet. Large curly tail jigs also have their following. Lingcod will also respond to herring, but they are readily taken on 6 to 8 inch curly tail jigs. Look for drop offs at between 50 to 120 feet for the lings.

Marine area 7 is now closed to spot shrimp harvesting, but coonstripe and pink shrimp seasons will begin on June 1 with a 200 foot depth restriction. All spot shrimp must be returned unharmed. Shrimp fishermen are limited to 2 pots per person and 4 pots per vessel and 10 pounds of shrimp, including heads and tails, per license.

BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

FRESHWATER

The Vedder River will be closing to fly fishing only steelhead on May 31. We really didn’t hear of anyone taking advantage of this opportunity. The Fraser River is in full run-off as of this writing. High water conditions along with logs and other debris moving quickly downstream  make sturgeon fishing difficult if not dangerous at this point.

Fishing on the interior lakes is in full swing. We heard of one good report from a group that traveled to Tunkwa last week and had good fishing with warm sunny weather. Dark colored chironomids did the trick with fish weighing to 5 pounds. Most BC interior lakes are ice free and have turned over. Chironomid fishing is a good choice at this point, but trolling flatfish type lures, small Hot Shots, or Wedding Ring spinners tipped with a worm will work in these lakes too.

SALTWATER

Port Alberni anglers are gearing up for the sockeye sport fishing season which generally gets going around June 15. The current forecast for the Somass River is 800,000 fish. Local guides recommend fishing in the top 40 feet of water with green or red Hot Spot flashers and bubblegum, pink and blue, pink and black, or red hootchies using 23 to 28 inches of leader. Is this information something we can use in our region? Meanwhile, the summer push of migratory kings has not yet arrived at the Ucluelet area offshore. Halibut fishing has been good trolling over sandy bottoms with the occasional surprise big king thrown in for good measure.

This Fishing Report is Sponsored by Dave’s Sports Shop in Lynden. Check them out for all of your fishing and hunting needs. www.DavesSports.com

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