Fishing Report
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Freshwater Rivers British Columbia, CA Saltwater Local Lakes
April 2010
Submitted by Eli Michael of Dave's Sports Shop
April is what I would consider to be the New Years of fishing season. The days are getting longer the weather is rapidly improving and fishing opportunities are becoming increasingly more available.
Note: Eli Michael of Dave's Sports Shop will be teaching a fishing class focusing on the basics of fishing our local waters at the Whatcom Community College. The dates will be Wednesday May 5, Wednesday May 12, and Saturday May 15.
If fly fishing is more your cup of tea then Scott Christensen will be teaching a variety of fly fishing oriented classes.
For details contact Whatcom Community College via internet http://www.whatcomcommunityed.com , phone (360) 383-3200, or via catalog.
Please check Regs. before fishing to avoid a ticket.
Nooksack River Closed until later this spring
Main Fork Nooksack River: Closed until later this spring
North Fork Nooksack River: Closed until later this spring
Middle fork Nooksack River: Closed until later this spring
South Fork Nooksack River: Closed until later this spring
Skagit River Closed until later this spring
Cascade River: Closed until later this spring
ALL BC RIVERS REQUIRE SINGLE BARBLESS HOOKS
- Fraser River - British Columbia
Cutthroat fishing is an option this time of year.
The catch and release Sturgeon fishery is always open and always worth a try for those seeking big game in local waters. It sounds like there are a lot of fish available although they can be a little lethargic during the winter months. Expect fish to be hunkered down in the deeper holes until the river begins to warm.
Cutthroat fishing is another option expect them to be near tributary mouths and in sloughs feeding on outgoing smolt.
Remember that if you are going sturgeon fishing you will need to purchase a sturgeon conservation stamp even though sturgeon are not allowed to be retained in B.C.
Stop by on your way up, and we'll give you all the latest news and set you up with the gear needed to be successful!
- Vedder/Chilliwack River - British Columbia
Fishing was productive in March and should continue to be productive in April.
I have been talking to a few customers who have been doing good lately on hatchery steelhead fishing pink worms under a float.
Float fishing is always the most popular method on this river. Fishing roe, shrimp, yarn, jigs, or pink worms under a float are all good options.
Spoons and spinners are also good options when targeting steelhead on this river.
The steelhead starts to show in numbers a little later in the season on this river so expect the fishing to be potentially good right now.
If the river is out of shape down low then you can expect to find better conditions towards the top of the river. When the river is low fish will often hang out in the lower river waiting for rain.
Chehalis River
There should be a few steelhead in the system at this time.Thompson River - British Columbia
The Thompson River is currently closed to steelhead fishing.More to come please check back or call Dave's Sports Shop.
For updates in the lower mainland, contact our friends at Hub Sports in Abbotsford, (604) 859-8316
For scheduled fishery openings and closings you can Google dfo pacific or more specifically: www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pages/default-e.htm-19k
For river flows Google environment Canada river flows or more specifically:http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca/waterweb/formnav.asp?lang=0
Saltwater Area 7
Salmon: Closes April 30th. Halibut: Opens May 1st. Rockfish: Opens May 1st. Lingcod: Opens May 1st to June 15th. Cabezon: Opens May 1st.Salmon: Closes April 30th.
Fishing was slow in March.
When fishing blackmouth the majority of fish will be caught within 5-10 ft. off the bottom. The most common depths to fish are 80-120 ft.
Trolling is the most utilized method. Flashers with hootchies, Ace Hi-Flies, Coyote Spoons, Coho Killers, or herring are the most popular offerings. Brad’s has made a new trolling lure called the Brad’s Super Bait Cut Plug. This lure has been productive so far with the black jack being the most productive.
Green Spatterback, Cop Car (black and white), Chartreuse, Army Truck (green, red, and white), and white are a few of the most popular colors. Glow and U.V. are also added features to many lures and flashers to enhance the visibility of your presentation. Scent is also a valuable resource it not only enhances your lure but masks odors which might cause salmon to shy away from your offering. Shrimp, krill, herring, or anchovy are popular scents.
Blackmouth feed aggressively so it is important to find bait it you are to find fish. Trolling at a good pace is one way to seek them out. Once you have caught one try to cover the same ground because there are likely more nearby.
Mooching or jigging is another good option particularly if you have found a concentration of bait or blackmouth.
Clamming:
Always Open, unless listed as closed in the regulations; or call 800-562-5632 to check for health advisories or emergency closures.Crabbing: Area 7
Crabbing is closed until this upcoming summer.Shrimping: Area 7
Spot prawns are closed until next spring.
Freshwater – Lakes
All lakes open last Saturday in April (April 24th. this year) unless otherwise noted in the regulations. Check regs for specific regulations.Cain Lake Opens April 24th. this year.
Last year Cain Lake was planted with 6000 fish. Cain Lake is 72 acres. This equates to 83 fish per acre.
This year Cain Lake will be planted with 5,450 fish. Cain Lake is 72 acres. This equates to 75 fish per acre.
Cain Lake is a little further off the beaten path and a rough boat launch located in a shallow bay is the only public point of access. This makes it a less popular lake and keeps more fish in the lake after the first few weeks of the opening day frenzy. Note: If you are launching a boat over 14ft. proceed with caution.
Trolling is a good tactic on this lake. Expect the trout to be near the surface this early in the season. I have had the best results still fishing in the North and East end of the lake. I would definitely not consider myself an authority on the subject though.
In addition to trout there is also a healthy perch population bullhead catfish, and some very large largemouth bass.
Fazon Open year round.
Fazon is a 32 acre lake.
Fazon was planted with 12,885 bull trout fry last year.
This year Fazon will be planted with 3,000 bull trout fry.
Fishing will be starting to heat up this month with the longer days and warmer weather we are having.
Bass fishing should be improving with bass becoming more active due to warming water temperatures. Fish the sides of the lake with plastics or spinner baits. As we progress into spring top waters may also become an option. Bass will begin to feed actively and move into shallower water as they are preparing to spawn. This stage is known as pre-spawn.
The brown trout which were planted in the lake may be on the bite. Trolling or still fishing may be productive if a sufficient number of these fish have grown to a catchable size.
As water temperatures warm the lakes other warm water species will be worth targeting. Channel and bullhead catfish are available and our best caught with bait such as nightcrawlers, chicken liver or a variety of baits which produce a lot of scent. Adding scent, such as shrimp or anise, to your bait will also help to up your rate of success.
Bluegill are the most abundant species in the lake and are a good option for people who are more interested I numbers than size. The key to catching lots of them is using small hooks (size 10-14), and small baits. If you want to target bigger specimens then use bigger hooks (size 6-8) and larger baits. This will keep the small fish from getting hooked. A bobber and worm fished around the edges of the lake is the top presentation. Small plastics 2 inches or less, or small spinners can successfully catch the bigger bluegills. If you give it a try without any luck it might still be a little cold for the fish to be active yet.
Perch are also available and will be commonly found closer to the bottom and in a little deeper water. The same methods which work for bluegill should also work for perch.
Padden Opens April 24th.
Last year Lake Padden was stocked with 17,000 rainbow trout. Lake Padden is 152 acres. This equates to 111 fish per acre. Additionally Lake Padden was stocked with 8,000 cutthroat fry and 15,000 kokanee fry last year
This year Lake Padden will be planted with 11,376 rainbow trout, 3,980 triploid rainbows, and 15,000 cutthroat fry. Lake Padden is 152 acres. This equates to 75 rainbow trout per acre and 26 triploid rainbow trout per acre. Which equals 101 fish per acre altogether. Additionally Lake Padden will be stocked with 15,000 cutthroat fry.
Triploid Rainbow trout are large, usually 3-6 lb. sterile rainbow trout.
Additionally Lake Padden was also stocked with 8,000 cutthroat fry and 15,000 kokanee fry.
Padden is probably the most popular lake for the opener. It provides lots of room is amply stocked and is near Bellingham.
If shore bound still fishing bait will be your best bet. Powerbait is by far the most popular bait on the market. That does not mean that a variety of other baits will not also work quite well. Eagle Claw and a few other companies make floating paste and rubberized scented baits as well as scented marshmallows all work well.
Your bait can be improved upon with the addition of scent. Shrimp, Anise, Garlic, or just about any scent added to your bait will potentially draw fish in from a greater distance. If you use scented marshmallows or two Power Eggs they will have enough buoyancy to float an egg or one half of a nightcrawler. This is another way of stacking the odds in your favor.
The still fishing set up is luckily very basic. Slide a ¼ to ½ oz. egg sinker onto your line. Use a ½ oz. sinker if you need to make a long distance cast. Next you will want to slide on a small bead to protect your knot from the sinker. Now tie on a small swivel (size. 7-12). To the other side of your swivel tie on your leader. The length of your leader and the size of your hook are important considerations. Gamakatsu sells pre-tied leaders that are around 2 ft. in length. I prefer to tie my own leaders because I like to use a leader that is a little bit longer (2 ½ to a little over 3 ft.). I believe this makes the bait more visible to the trout and guarantees that the bait is above the weeds. As the season precedes this becomes more important because the weeds will grow increasingly taller. I use 4 to 6 lb. test and size 6-10 single egg hooks.
On opening day the best spot will be anywhere you can find that does not already have a bunch of other people. As the season progresses the East and North ends of the lake seem to be most popular.
If you have a boat then trolling will definitely be an option. Early in the season expect the fish to be near the surface in the top 5 ft. of water. A number of lures will work early in the season as the fish are hungry and willing. The most important things to consider are to go slow (.7-1.5 M.P.H.) and not to add too much weight. A couple of split shot or less than one color of leaded line.
Lure choice is the next consideration. Many people have favorite lures and are convinced that there favorite is the best thing going. I would consider myself to be an example of one of those people. My favorite lure is a wedding ring or size 10-12 Spin-N-Glo tied on a size six double hook setup and half a nightcrawler. I really like the double hook setup because it drastically increases my hookup ratio by about sixty percent. Plugs like Flatfish, Kwikfish, and Hotshots in frog, perch, or black sparkle are popular choices in the smaller sizes. Trolling spoons like Dick Nites, Needlefish, Miracle Lures, and Wicked Willies in silver, gold, 50/50, green and pink among other colors will all work quite well. Spinners such as Rooster Tails, Mepps, and Blue Fox in small sizes will also work quite well. Flies such as wooly buggers, carey specials and pistol petes are excellent choices. Black, olive, and brown flies all work well.
In addition to trout Padden also has kokanee and perch. Use the same methods you would in Lake Samish but vary your depth as Padden is a shallower lake. If you want to fish for perch focus your efforts near the bottom with a half of a nightcrawler. Kokanee fishing should improve as the season progresses. Perch fishing might be good from the opener on but with all those hungry trout that have been planted they might deserve the most attention.
Samish Open year round.
Lake Samish is 814 acres.
Samish was planted with 315,000 kokanee fry, 50,000 cutthroat fry, and 14,000 rainbow fry last year.
This year Samish will be planted with 673,504 kokanee fry and 92,300 rainbow fry.
Samish is one of a few lakes in the county which is open year-round.
With the warm weather we have had it may be worth it to put some effort into kokanee fishing. I would try trolling small dodgers with mini hootchies in pink, or size 4-6 pink streamer type flies. Tip your lure with a kernel of corn a Berkley Gulp maggot. Wedding rings are another good choice when tipped with bait. I have been surprised at how much more productive hootchies and flies have been than Wedding Rings which have previously been my top choice for kokanee. Dick Nites, Needlefish, or other small spoons can also work well. Please note that if you are using these lures you will not want to tip them with bait. It is definitely worth a try to experiment with other colors also. Troll slowly (1-1.5 mph.) and cover a broad spectrum of depths. I am not sure how kokanee fishing will be this year as kokanee populations tend to fluctuate from year to year. I am also not sure how kokanee fishing will be this time of year. I have done well for kokanee on Lake Stevens in February and March. I definitely think Lake Samish would also be worth a try.
There are also cutthroat and a few rainbow in the lake. Trolling is a good tactic and fish may found throughout the water column at this time of year. Dick Nites, Wedding Rings with night crawlers, and flatfish, coupled with a gang troll or dodger are all good choices.
If you are interested in chasing some of the bigger trout in the lake it might be interesting to troll deep with something bigger like an orange label cut plug herring or a small Coyote Spoon. There are definitely some large cutthroat in the lake. When Lake Whatcom was open for cutthroat small herring and flashers worked well. This might be a good tactic especially if you have the license to fish a second rod as it is always interesting to experiment.
Perch fishing should be good in the south end of the lake in 30 to 70 feet of water. Fish right on bottom with ½ to 3 ounces of lead with a size 6 hook and half of a night crawler, this set up will also catch trout. You can fish this set up by drifting with the wind. If you are drifting too fast to keep good contact with the bottom then you can throw a bucket or two over the side of the boat to slow your drift down. If you are using two buckets tie one to the bow and one to the stern. With the cold weather it is best to follow the perch to deeper water.
Silver Opens April 24th.
Last year Silver Lake was planted with 17,000 trout. Silver lake is 172 acres. This equates to 98 fish per acre. Last year Silver Lake was also planted with 8,000 cutthroat fry.
This year Silver Lake will be planted with 15,824 rainbow trout. Silver Lake is 172 acres this equates to 92 fish per acre. This year Silver Lake will also be planted with 38,000 cutthroat trout.
Fish Silver Lake the same way you would Lake Padden. In addition to rainbow trout Silver Lake also has cutthroat trout. Cutthroat are often caught nearer to the bottom than rainbows. They also seem to have a soft spot for nightcrawlers.
Largemouth bass are present in the lake and can be caught as the weather warms. The South end of the lake is the shallowest and will warm the quickest. I have not fished this lake for bass. It is quite a clear lake so I believe using light line (6-8 lb. test) and small presentations would provide the best results.
In addition to providing excellent fishing Silver Lake also has a public park which offers camping, cabins, and boat rentals. For details contact Silver Lake Park at (360) 599-2776.
Squalicum Lake Open year around.
Sqaulicum Lake is 33 acres. Last year Squalicum was planted with 165 triploid rainbow trout in April.
This year Squalicum will be planted with 162 triploid rainbow and 2,750 tiger trout fry. Tiger trout are a brown trout and brook trout hybrid in May.
I have heard very good reports of people catching trout on this year around fly fishing only lake.
Terrell Open year round.
Terrell Lake covers 438 acres.
Lake Terrell was planted with 820 triploid rainbow trout last April and May.
This year Terrell will be planted with 820 triploid rainbow and 52,000 cutthroat fry in April and May.
Bass fishing has been productive for the last few weeks for persistent and patient fishermen. As April progresses fishermen will not need as much patience as the bass wake up with the warming lake temperatures. Bass will begin to move more and will be in pre-spawn feeding and preparing to locate areas to build spawning beds. This will happen when the water temperatures near 60 degrees. Bass rarely feed in water temperatures below 50 degrees which is why fishing is so slow in the winter. This also means that the fish will be more aggressive and hungry with the warming temperatures.
Slow rolling spinnerbaits is a good cool water technique. It allows you to cover a lot of water and seek out the most aggressive fish. The trick to this technique is to use a spinnerbait with a large blade and it will slow the descent of your lure. Cast out and let your spinnerbait sink. Lift it slowly and then drop it slowly on a tight line using a yo-yo motion. The main difference, besides the action you impart, between using spinnerbaits in the summer and early spring is the speed of your retrieve. Slow is the key early in the season. Chartreuse, black, and white are the most popular colors for spinnerbaits.
Plastics are another excellent choice. Patience is the key with plastics because you will be slowly and deliberately fishing them. Keeping this in mind and based on the fact that you will be covering a smaller amount of water you will want to fish them in the likeliest places to hold fish. Senkos, 7” Berkley Plastics and a variety of other soft plastics will work well. Natural colors such as black, brown, and motor oil are among the most productive.
Weedless leadhead jigs are another good choice for lethargic bass. Adding a pork rind or soft plastic trailer will add action and bulk to your jig. This gives bass a bigger bite, adds action and slows the descent of the jig. Fish these along the bottom lifting your rod to hop it off the bottom and then letting it fall back to the bottom. Black and brown are the most popular colors.
Toad Closed until April 24th.
Last year Toad Lake was planted with 5500 trout. Toad Lake is 30 acres. This equates to 183 fish per acre.
Last year Toad Lake was also planted with 10,000 kokanee fry.
This year Toad Lake will also be planted with 4004 rainbow trout and 1,320 triploid rainbow trout. Toad Lake is 30 acres this equates to 133 rainbow trout per acre and 44 triploid rainbow per acre. Altogether that is 177 fish per acre. This makes Toad Lake the most densely populated lake by far this year.
Toad Lake is an excellent producer. It had the highest catch rate per angler on opening day last year.
The biggest downfall of Toad Lake is its poor bank access and shoddy boat launch. This is an asset to the fishery because it keeps pressure low on the lake.
Limited bank access is available on the southwest end of the lake. This access includes a boat launch and a fishing dock.
Toad Lake is fairly deep for its size which is a bonus for bank fishermen because long casts are not necessary to reach the fish. If you are shore bound then fishing a bobber and worm or floating bait off the bottom on a slip rig will produce results.
If you are fishing from a boat then trolling works very well. If you are still fishing I have found that the fish tend to concentrate on the narrower East and West ends of the lake.
Kokanee are also present in the lake. I do not know much about how to catch them but I would suspect that slowly trolling a dodger and mini hootchie with corn or a small pink fly with corn or a Berkley Gulp Maggot should also work. I would suspect that the deepest parts of the lake would prove most productive. Anchoring and still fishing a natural or artificial maggot and a single egg might also work.
Whatcom Opens April 24th.
Last year Lake Whatcom was planted with 4,510,400 kokanee fry.
This year Whatcom will be planted with 4,519,800 kokanee.
Lake Whatcom is the largest lake in the County covering 5,003 acres.
Lake Whatcom has a wide variety of fish available including kokanee, cutthroat trout (which you cannot fish for), smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, perch, bluegill and more. Kokanee, smallmouth, and perch are the most sought after fish in the lake.
Kokanee: As the lake opens the North end of the lake will be the most productive for kokanee. This end is the shallowest and will warm the quickest. Strawberry Point is always a known producer. Early in the season I would start shallow and work deeper. As the season progresses the kokanee fishing will improve further south in the lake.
As far as techniques I would refer to the tips provided for fishing Lake Samish.
Lake Whatcom is an excellent smallmouth lake and has been referred to as one of the best smallmouth lakes in the state.
There are so many bass fishing techniques that it would be easy to write a couple of books about it. I will try to cover the basics.
The fishing will be best in the northern part of the lake early in the season. As the season progresses smallmouth fishing will improve throughout the lake. The North end will be the most productive throughout the season.
Smallmouth will be found near structure such as weedlines, docks, pilings, and rockpiles. This time of year the bass will be leaving deep water and preparing to spawn. The best places to find these fish before and during the spawn are near gravel beds. Gravel beds near structure will hold the most fish.
Areas near drop offs are also good as the fish will be transitioning from deep to shallower water.
Fishing four inch tubes, or three to five inch grubs on a 1/8 to ¼ oz jighead is a good option and covers a lot of water.
Four inch Senkos, straight or curly tailed worms also work well texas rigged and hopped along the bottom.
Perch are abundant in Lake Whatcom and quite easy to catch. The North end is the place to start with fishing getting better throughout the lake as the season progresses.
Perch are structurally oriented fish much like bass. Weedlines, drop-offs, docks, and pilings are all good places to find them.
A bobber and worm is a great way to catch trout. As a bonus you will often catch smallmouth bass, and cutthroat trout (you must release all cutthroat trout). Use a size 6 hook and half a nightcrawler with a split shot or two about 18 inches up the hook. Set your bait so that it is about a foot off the bottom. Productive bait is a thin strip of perch meat with the skin attached. This works well and will not fall off the hook as easily.
If you are fishing deeper water then fishing a worm off of a dropper will work best. To tie a dropper rig slide a size 6 hook about 18-24” up your line tie it to your line with an overhand knot. At the end of your line tie on a sinker heavy enough to stay on the bottom. Now you can either wind drift or anchor up. If you anchor and are not sure where the fish are then it might be good to drift until you find fish and then anchor up.
Wiser Open year round.
Wiser lake covers 23 acres.
Bass fishing should improve this month.
Bass fishing may become an option as we are slowly heading towards spring.
As the weather warms the bullhead catfish will become active and are quite easy to catch fishing a nightcrawler off the bottom.
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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