Fresh McNary National Wildlife Refuge Fishing Reports

Post Spawn walleye fishing typically means fish start to spread out and some decent number days. Today was no different for Jeremy. He started at the dam and pulled some cranks and pitched some jigs catching a few fish. Down river, fishing picked up pulling crawler harnesses in 35-45 foot depths. Water is still high so getting to the break lines and inside seams is crucial. We never hit many big pods of fish but found stragglers throughout the channels. The weather came in later in the day and fish seamed to shut off, very typical event with walleye. We caught a few in the 4 to 5 pound range and sprinkled in some eaters. Overall, fishing is decent and wouldn't call it hot, but things change quickly with this fishery. We are out there tomorrow for some more action.

Jeremy had a nice day on the water with our Spokane clients. He fished the Boardman, Irrigon area covering about 8 miles of river. Water temperatures are still in the low 40's which means the spawn is still ahead. Early morning there was a good crank bait bite in 15-20 foot depths, catching fish in the 4 pound class. The afternoon was more about pulling crawler harnesses in 25-35 foot water which cranked out a few fish for our clients. The biggest fish of the day was 8 pounds or so and they managed to take home 8 solid walleye. As always, we like to release the bigger brood stock for the betterment of our future fishing.

The Columbia & Snake River water temperatures are on the rise which means walleye are headed towards their spawning grounds. Our guides have reported decent numbers at both Mcnary Dam and Lyons Ferry areas with a few big fish. The Big Gals are out and becoming more vulnerable. Fishing will continue to pick up at both sites from a numbers stand point and the bigger fish. We do practice catch and release with the bigger brood stock and will happily take plenty of pics for you. As for catching, most of our success is from pulling crawler harnesses in slightly deeper water. We are hitting the shallows early morning with deep diving bandits and flicker minnows. The fish are near their spawning grounds but still hanging in a little deeper water. It won't be long before we hammer fish in 6-15 foot water depths. Walleye fishing is tricky, making adjustments to what the fish want is vital to success. All our guides are on top of the latest and greatest techniques... With that being said, we keep things simple.