Top-5 hotspots for winter walleye

Rufus Woods

Walleye are spread out all along this entire stretch of the Columbia, all the way from right below Grand Coulee Dam to the big Chief Joseph pool, but in winter it's the upper end, starting just below the Seatons Grove boat launch, that becomes the primary angler draw.

Gordie Steinmetz at Big Wally's (800-632-5411) in Coulee City said that in late fall, Nespelem Bar, between the netpens, was a top spot, but noted there's plenty of walleye structure throughout the area.

Anglers were dragging spinners downstream, just faster than the river.

"One mistake too many guys make this time of year is fishing too shallow," said Steinmetz.

"We're running 3-ounce bouncers with 6 to 7-foot leaders ahead of our 'crawler-baited spinners and working anywhere from 30 to 50-foot water.

"I like a white blade with silver beads or that orange tequila blade, but the real keys are keeping your 'crawlers fresh, then getting down to the fish and trolling slow enough to give them a good look at it. Go slightly faster than the current so the walleyes have time to react."

If he wants to fish behind an island or in any of the back eddies, Steinmetz said he'll go to his jigs, particularly during periods of low current, using a lead head that's just heavy enough to get down, a ringworm or grub and a small chunk of 'crawler.

"If you feel anything different, set the hook," he said, "or that walleye will be gone. If I have some current, I'll use a light jig, cast and retrieve slowly just off the bottom, but if it's quiet enough to fish vertically, I'll go to a heavier lead head and thump it off the bottom, which can really trigger a strike."

Below Rock Island Dam

Launch at the Crescent Bar Resort, head up the Columbia and you can get into another trophy walleye fishery, one where you'll see very little competition and have a genuine chance of nailing that 10-pound-plus bugeye.

 

Gary Adams landed a pair of 12-plus-pound walleye on Lake Roosevelt.

"I've been working the river from 2 to 5 miles below the dam, and I haven't a clue where the smaller walleyes are," said guide Craig Martin with Mountain Dew Guide Service (509-679-0972)

"We rarely get anything under 4 or 5 pounds, and that water definitely holds its share of really big walleyes, including some up in that 11- to 14-pound range."

Because this is a relatively fast stretch of the Columbia, Craig said the real keys to success are boat control and fishing the current breaks, such as right behind the wing dams.

"Our best fishing is always when they're running a lot of water through the turbines," he said, "because it focuses the walleyes on those current breaks, at depths of 25 to 45 feet, just waiting for an easy meal to come by.

"Boat control is real important because you want to stay right on top of the fish, getting your lure right in front of them. I've been using silver or brass blade baits, adding prism tapes in chartreuse or rainbow to the silvers, as well as lead head jigs with chartreuse, light brown, motor oil, or white and red skirts. Either way you want a slow presentation in winter because these aren't fast-reacting walleyes."

Because this part of the river is now a trophy spot, Martin encourages strict catch-and-release.

"Oh, if it's your first 12-pound walleye and you want it mounted, that's understandable," he said, "but even then I encourage guys to get measurements, photos and weights, then let that fish go and have a plastic replica made. It looks as good, lasts a lot longer and is easier to care for. When I want to harvest fish, I go up to Rufus Woods, where you get a lot in the 16- to 22-inch bracket and don't have to feel bad about keeping a limit."

Spokane Arm

Winter anglers will be taking Roosevelt walleye everywhere from the mouth of the Sanpoil to Kettle Falls, but the Spokane Arm, particularly around Porcupine Bay, has a couple things to recommend it.

First, it's a lot more protected than most of the Columbia main stem. Second, it has almost endless fishable structure. And, third, as we move towards that end-of-March closure, more and more walleye will be moving up into the arm.

"The Spokane Arm is always a good walleye spot," confirms top angler John Carruth of Davenport, "and in winter 15- to 20-fish days aren't all that uncommon."

However, he notes that one major change in recent years is the resurgence of perch, at times making those predators more finicky.

"In late November we had some tough trips up there, primarily I think because there were so many perch and whitefish in the system," he notes, "but as we move into late December and January I think that the bite will again pick up. It always does."

Along with his fishing partners, John Loper and Bob Ploof, Carruth's first task is always to locate the fish.

"If you launch at Porcupine Bay, you have so much fishable water in either direction that you really need to find out where the walleye are on that particular outing," he said.

"Time of day really doesn't seem to matter. Once you're on fish, they'll bite. If it helps you find a school, go ahead and troll spinners and 'crawlers, but as soon as you get a hook-up, toss out a buoy, then go to your jigs and stay right on top of them."

"One mistake too many guys make in winter is fishing too deep. We stay in the 30- to 50-foot range and strictly jig fish, using round heads with ringworms, either Lindy's or Live Line. Plus, I've started using some of the Lindy Little Joe glow jigs with good results."

A final good reason to fish the arm in winter is that it's the best time to get into big walleye, but Carruth really cautions against killing the bigger females.

"You'll get plenty of 15- to 18-inch walleyes, which are the best eating anyway," he said, "so let those bigger ones survive to spawn. Roosevelt has a healthy walleye fishery right now, but it's up to us anglers to keep it that way."

Below McNary Dam

It's definitely not where you want to go if you're looking for a five-fish limit of 16 to 22-inchers, but if it's that real hawg in the low to mid teens you're dreaming about, consider heading to the waters below McNary. This stretch of the Columbia is perhaps the ultimate trophy walleye fishery in the Northwest, particularly in winter.

"January, February, March — they're all good months for trophy walleyes," maintains guide Kurt Sonderman (509-948-0763), who will be splitting his time between the bugeyes below the dam and the Steelhead above it.

"In winter, though, I use sort of a reverse strategy, where I fish deep holes, 40 to 70 feet, instead of searching out the humps, and I always try to fish as vertical as we can, staying right over the fish. I like to use either blade baits or three-eighths-ounce jig heads with 3-inch curltail grubs, chartreuse or white, at times with a chunk of 'crawler."

"The main thing is you have to use more patience in the colder months. Remember, your goal is to nail a real trophy or two, not catch dozens of small walleyes, so sometimes you just have to wait them out. Don't waste your time running hole-to-hole hoping to get in on the action. If you're graphing big fish in a 40- to 70-foot hole, they're almost sure to be walleyes, so stay on top of them and make a constant slow presentation. Sooner or later they'll have to start feeding, and when they do, you have to be ready."

Sonderman said there are miles of productive river, all the way from the Washington side wing dam below McNary to Glade Creek and beyond.

"That wing dam has fish year-round," he said, "but in winter it's a little better because more walleyes migrate up closer to the dam. But you can also move down around Irrigon, fishing anywhere from Marker 64 to below 62, or hit the Washington side near Paterson. The mouth of Glade Creek always holds walleyes."

Potholes Reservoir

At this point there is no indication that the Potholes will suddenly produce a red hot winter walleye bite like the one we saw several seasons ago, but after a very decent summer and early fall, this big reservoir should once again prove to be a steady walleye fishery with some real quality fish showing up.

Before mid-December's cold spell put ice on parts of the big reservoir, Dick Hemore, who lives right on Potholes, said the walleye were starting to show up on the dam face near Mar Don Resort (509-346-2651).

"The guys are still taking some on blade baits, but a 5-inch Storm Wildeyes in either rainbow or shad is usually the hotter bait. Already they've picked up a few real monsters, including one that topped 14 pounds, but as the weather gets colder and the water temperature drops, the bite will pick up."

"So far there's been almost nothing coming out of Crab Creek off those humps north of Goose Island, but that too could change," Hemore adds.

"A few guys have had good outings right along the face of the dunes and up in Lind Coulee, though those spots should get better as the water gets colder."

Unless the Potholes bite really heats up, don't expect to see a steady stream of five-fish limits coming out of it, but it's the potential for that 12-pound-plus trophy — the kind you either quickly photograph and release or turn into a wall hanger, that will have a small cadre of anglers out there.

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