Trophy walleye in general on Lady Evelyn will bite best during the last hours of daylight. Part of the fun of fishing any lake is learning all about the lake itself. Catch improves in Fall as waters cool, vegetation begins to die back, and prey becomes more available. Targeting the rockpiles around Goose Island in the southern part of the reservoir is a great place to try for bass with crankbaits, swimbaits, and plastics, and you might pick up some walleye here in the process as well. Unfortunately, most of those lakes were only accessible in a 4x4, and we were in a car, as the rental company couldn't deliver the SUV I had reserved. Send us a message with your guided Potholes Reservoir hunting or fishing trip questions or to book your trip! During most winters, Potholes freezes providing an excellent opportunity for anglers to fish for perch, crappie, and walleyes through the ice. Guided fishing & hunting trips on Potholes Reservoir since 2003. Potholes experiences a summer/fall draw down as irrigation draws water from the lake to support local agriculture. Privacy Policy You can also head up Linde Coulee, the big finger at the southeast side of the reservoir, in the spring and fall for some great opportunities. Fish the sand dunes with spinnerbaits, crankbaits and Ned rigs for the shallower smallies. The Snake definitely will test a guide and his knowledge base. For closer access to the sand dunes area, theres a boat launch off Perch Point straight across the big reservoir from the state park. Successful fishing for Yellow Perch in the winter involves either targeting schools in deep water from boats or through the ice. I guide on Crotch Lake, which is about 80 miles north of Kingston. Watching the water explode as a bucket mouth smacks the jig is one of the best adrenaline rushes. Undoubtedly, Lyons Ferry is the most popular section on the snake river system. Try tossing them a bubblegum trick worm on a 3/0 hook. Fish out of Mardon Resort with Shelby & Bob Schmidt of Mack's Lure. It has a variety of lodging options, a lot of other fun activities, and a small store for fishing and other supplies (check out their great lake map). The Potholes Reservoir is part of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. A fast-action 7 -foot or 8-foot rod would work well. While many of the lakes in Grant County where anglers begin their trout fishing season are iced up, others are clearing off. Our guides are experienced in the most advanced walleye techniques and will explain the successful methods during the morning briefing. Launch or moor your boat. You can pick up even more bass-fishing tricks and tips in our simple guide. Temperatures can reach the 90s so if youre interested in swimming with a 10-foot sturgeon, combine your walleye with a sturgeon trip. We feel really froggy in saying, cutting edge technology takes up space in our guide service. document.write(''); Lodges: Most lodges in Ontario offer multiple levels of accommodations, which is usually a main lodge with lakeside cabins or cottages. Best fishing is where you find perch and other bait fish. Target the shelf and troll around 0.8-1.0 mph in the spring. This body of water is open year-round and offers a variety of fishing opportunties for warmwater fish and trout. Potholes Reservoir Walleye December - Feburary. The Columbia and Snake Rivers offer killer fishing as well asPotholes Reservoir. Fish on the bottom with PowerBait, marshmallows and eggs or worms. Another area to target is from the front of the sand dunes all the way to the Job Corps Dike. PREMIUM WALLEYE FISHING ON MOSES LAKE, BANKS LAKE, AND POTHOLES/O'SULLIVAN RESERVOIR!!! Walleye: The walleye fishing has been tough this week compared to last week. Dont miss the Frenchmans Canal at the end of the state park. Walleye in Lady Evelyn are definitely not boat shy. In July and August troll very slowly with a 3/8 oz. Lady Evelyn Lake has nearly every kind of natural structure imaginable with its rock islands, sand islands, grass bays, long grass shoals, rock walls, stream and river beds, water falls and streams bubbling noisely as they enter the lake with fresh cool oxygenated water. Using the right setup for walleye is critical. Blue Walleye Outpost at Lac Achepabanca. You can also do well using a bobber and worms or eggs. Even better, the entire trip was free. if (document.body.clientWidth <= 870) { An excellent way to check is to try and catch some perch. Terms of Use | Elevation: 1042 ft. Baitcasters are great here for the extra accuracy. While popular in their native waters, whitefish get less respect here in the Northwest, and they dont draw a ton of attention at Potholes Reservoir, even compared to other regional lakes like Banks Lake and Billy Clapp Lake, where populations are higher and targeting them is more popular. The usual trout-fishing techniques including trolling and bait fishing will work at Potholes. The popular Quincy Trout Derby on Burke Lake was postponed, and this year isnt scheduled to take place until March 24th. If you are catching perch in an area you can bet there will be northern pike somewhere in the vicinity. My answer is this, pre-spawn you chase trophy fish and catch 15-20 eater sized walleye with your group of 3 to 4 anglers, post spawn through the summer months we can expect more numbers and fewer big fish. Here are some more techniques and helpful tips for yellow perch fishing. With this being said, the walleye will let us know! WDFW Fishing and Stocking ReportsWDFW Fishing RegulationsNational Weather Service forecasts, Potholes Reservoir Fishing: Secrets for a Great Walleye and Bass Lake, Walleye Fishing: Simple Techniques and Tips, best largemouth bass fishery in this part of the state and up there with any spot in Washington, best smallmouth bass fishing in Washington, more bass-fishing tricks and tips in our simple guide, techniques and helpful tips for yellow perch fishing, fishing for bluegill and other sunfish species. Potholes experiences a summer/fall draw down as irrigation draws water from the lake to support local agriculture. Walleyes that come from Lake St. Clair, Detroit River, Lake Erie, Niagara River, Lake Ontario, (including Hay Bay and the Bay of Quinte) and the St. Lawrence River have dangerous levels of Dioxin, PCBs, Lead and Mercury. I mounted our portable sonar, which proved to be a crucial asset to our success. I assumed the species of moss I have on my land has a smell the fish don't like. Now all the worms we are buying in local stores are packed in dry dirt and half dead. Learn how to adjust to a beautiful, calm summer day for some great walleye fishing on Potholes Reservoir with guide, Shelby Ross. The main trick is simply finding a school of filleting-sized perch, but if you do, youre in business. Let us know which area is most convenient for your group. Potholes Reservoir Fishing Trips Potholes Reservoir is located about 7 miles south of Moses Lake and offers a variety of warm-water species fishing. Panfish: Look for crappie, perch, and bluegills back in the sand dunes in the willows in 6-10 feet of water. For example: If you fish the Niagara River you can actually see chemicals boiling up from under rocks forming oily slicks on the surface of the water yet the government lists the Niagara River as one of the top 5 fishing destinations. Special Note: Garden Island guests are picked up by our crew at Mowatt Landing at 10am on Saturday mornings where guests and their luggage are then transported around the dam to boats that deliver guests to Garden Island Lodge. We find schooling walleye on flats inside current breaks. Top baits have been jigs with a craw or swimming trailer in black and blue, hard jerkbaits, swim jigs and chatterbaits, and topwater baits such as frogs and poppers. When there is safe ice, its as if a switch gets flipped to on, and trout and perch become super active. http://freshwaterphil.com/ledomaineshannon.cfm. They have all the amenities of home. Welcome to Walleye Heaven. We get asked the question a lot, when is the best time of the year to fish. Pete Fischer at MarDon Resort reports Potholes Reservoir is iced out! The docks are great for fishing as well. Click on the Banner Ads to learn more about their products and services. Stotts fishing guides have been chasing Columbia River walleye for a combined 40 years. Order $40 or more to qualify for FREE USPS Shipping (US-48), FREE USPS SHIPPING on orders $40+ (US-48), NWO Reunion: Kokanee Fishing on Wallowa Lake, Columbia River Walleye on Smile Blade Spinners, ** total_quantity ** | ** unit_price ** / ** unit_measure **, Nighttime Kokanee Jigging on Loon Lake, WA, Underwater Video of Kokanee Hitting a Hoochie and Smile Blade, Lake Chelan Winter Chinook, Salmon and Cutthroat. Though it's been nearly 2 years, I finally made it up to Le Domaine Shannon for the free trip with my older son Ari. The 29,000 acres Potholes Reservoir fishes excellent for eater sized fish but can also produce fish into the teens. The 100-mile section offers our guide service some prime walleye fishing year-round. The method proved successful, we landed another 8 walleyes, all 15-17 inches, we actually had to start releasing them, as we were over the bag limit. All information, pictures and videos on this blog are copyrighted by Freshwaterphil.com. While we can debate the best smallmouth lake in Central Washington, theres likely to be much more agreement that Potholes Reservoir is the best largemouth bass fishery in this part of the state and up there with any spot in Washington. If you want to browse trips in a different province select the Province you want to view under Browse Fishing Trips. Our Snake River Walleye Fishing is our sleeper fishery. Stotts walleye fishing guides aim to provide opportunity for harvesting this tasty white meat while protecting the future of trophy sized fish. From a boat troll Dick Nites or small spoons behind Pop Gear. Please take a look through my fishing site and check out the lodges I have listed right across Ontario. You can literally watch the bait the entire retrieve as well, so youll see the bass hit it. In certain years, the reservoir freezes over providing an ice fishery for Yellow Perch, Walleye, and Rainbow Trout. The reason the season stays closed for so ling is because the males will hang around the spawning beds for a week and sometimes two weeks after spawning. walleye. I guess it takes a few days to get any bad scent off the worms. There is no shortage of feed on Potholes with lots of excellent staging areas for spawning walleye. MarDonResort and Medicare Beachare very popular areas to catch Rainbow Trout. The daily limit is one sturgeon and the annual limit is 2. We did mark a lot of fish on the fish- finder but had only caught one walleye before this big fish took my lure." . We can access either Fish-Hook Park or the Levey Landing Park for meeting clients. Pete Fischer at MarDon Resort reports Potholes Reservoir is iced out! The boats were nice 18 foot fiberglass, with brand new 9.9 four stroke Mercury engines, which really made trolling enjoyable without the fumes of a 2 stroke. The pre-spawn hot spot is at the mouth of the Palouse River. Next drift produced another big walleye, almost identical in size, but it was full of tumors all over it's body, so I released it. Crawler Harness, Blade Baits, Swim Baits, Crank Baits, Soft Jigs, Ripping Raps, Jerk Baits and spoon fishing are all essential baits to catching walleye. Down-river towards Lower Monumental Dam is prime fishing. They will usually rush out and grab the bait and turn back toward safety. Reservations are available by calling (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688, or by clicking here. The current water level on Potholes Reservoir is 1,041.07 feet, rising 0.05 feet from last week and now 5.43 feet below full pool. Anglers have reported catching over 20 smallmouths around the islands on the main lake in under an hour. Bring the family for a vacation, and everyone will find something they love to do here. The water back in the sand dunes is warming to the mid-to upper 60s. A spec. We catch lots of 2 to 4 pound fish that are best known for the excellent table fare. By the way, the deepest spot anglers have found in Lady Evelyn is 98' when the lake is at full pool. Ontario has thousands of the best lakes and Walleye fishing is more popular and in more demand than all other sportsfish put together. According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the season will look similar to last year. It wont happen every year, but Potholes will occasionally freeze over in the winter. POTHOLES RESERVOIR IS OPEN. Drop shot rigs with 4" to 5" marabou hair tied on the hooks is absolutely deadly on big smallmouth. Potholes Reservoir Summer Walleye. Moses Lake and Potholes Reservoir create dynamite destination trips. Not one hit for most of the day, until my son managed another walleye towards evening. That could be why there are walleye tournaments held here throughout the year. This is a special fishery that if you like catching lots of walleye with a mix of pan fish and bass, you are in for a treat. As we don't hunt, we didn't bother doing the June bear hunt. We guarantee at least 8 hours of fishing, cleaning and bagging your catch, and a great overall fishing experience. Last year I drove down to check on the conditions at Burke and Quincy lakes and was surprised to see a bunch of anglers fishing on the ice at Burke. In the hope that you catch a trophy, well be happy to take measurements and pics for your taxidermist. When scouting locations, search for forage fish holding on drop-offs and ledges. Due to its east-side location, its pretty far from Seattle. If you are planning on staying for an extended time, check out the private rentals available nearby. Nearby Activities Wildlife Viewing Hiking Fishing Camping Hunting Picnicking Good to excellent walleye fishing can be found in several sections of the lake. is the easiest way for me to answer your Walleye fishing questions based on my experiences, which is guiding for many different lodges across Ontario for over 40 years. Potholes Reservoir is rightfully famous for its excellent fishing for walleye, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass. Try this area and fish the wooden structure. Summer Walleye on Potholes Reservoir. With this in mind, youll find a little more fishing pressure. Also known as the Lake Herbert area, this section holds big fish. Outpost Camps: If you really want to experience the northern wilderness and don't mind roughing it a bit an outpost camp is a great choice. My son managed another Northern pike, a 26 inch keeper. In my website I have written fishing tips based on fishing different lakes across Ontario. So we reserved a small cabin on Lac LeNotre, (aka Katch). Some waters may also be stocked again in the fall further boosting catch rates. In 2008, my son won the Le Tournoi de Peche fishing tournament sponsored by the FPQ. Ontario is the top destination in Canada for Walleye fishing and very few anglers will disagree. A typical bass fishing setup will be a medium action rod with a 10-15 pound braid. Panfish fishing can be a bit up and down at Potholes, but when the crappie or yellow perch populations are high, fishing can be great for either of these tasty species. Bass are abundant in Potholes. Duck & waterfowl hunting. Potholes State Park has camping areas and rustic cabins for rent, plus good amenities for anglers. Night Crawlers trolled with Smile Blades and Super Slow Death hooks produce. Also keep in mind that lodge owners are way too busy to go fishing most of the times so if you are not satisfied with the fishing try different things. Vernon did not get a bite. We got back to the lake, and started drift fishing the waves after lunch. Available Fish Species Amenities We will never share your email. We trolled for about 1.5 hours, I managed 1 walleye that hit in about 50 feet of water, but lost it right next to the boat. Fishing improves throughout the spring, peaking during the spawn in early-Summer. - Several locations to fish from shore. The spawn is on with both smallmouth and largemouth bedding up. This video highlights trolling tactics for Walleye in Eastern Washington and provides basic information on population monitoring and management goals. }. After washing the worms you put them in a container full of shredded wet newspaper. There have been multiple reports of it being fast action on summer evenings. Smallmouth bass are everywhere in the main lake. If you are searching for a place to catch a trophy-sized bucketmouth or two and then score a few of the best-eating fillets in freshwater, youve found it at Potholes. Water flow, Wind, and moon phases will all play into making good choices. While both school up, perch are more of an open-water fish than crappie. If you are searching for a place to catch a trophy-sized bucketmouth or two and then score a few of the best-eating fillets in freshwater, you've found it at Potholes. They average from 1 to 3 pounds, with bigger specimens reaching upwards of 5 or 6 pounds. Bluegill can be caught year-round, but fishing is best in the warm months of Summer. The Columbias most popular locations are around the Lake Wallula area of the Tri Cities which provides most of our pre-spawn fishing. During winter, the bite is slower, but anglers can have great success fishing through the ice when conditions are safe. The Wicked Lures Trout Killer can pick up quite a few walleyes as well. Fishing success peaks again in early to mid-December as fish congregate along the shoreline to spawn. Open in Google Maps. You can find massive schools of walleye in only 10' to 15' of water around deep weeds and catch them non-stop for hours. Potholes Reservoir is located about seven miles south of the City of Moses Lake. Fishing success for Rainbow Trout is generally best in the spring when thousands of fish are stocked statewide, but they can be caught year-round in most waters with a little patience and persistence. In fact you can even attract a northern pike by throwing a large heavy spoon high in the air to make the loudest splash possible. Acreage: 14281.50 ac. That is a great day of fishing. To increase your odds of catching walleye, and to make sure you have the right equipment to do it, read our Walleye Fishing: Simple Techniques and Tips. The best trout fishing at Potholes Reservoir tends to be in the cooler months, with very good fishing possible from mid-fall through winter and into the early part of spring. Fish out of Mardon Resort with Shelby & Bob Schmidt of Mack's Lure. Other fish you might hook at Potholes Reservoir include common carp and a couple of species of sucker. Dave Graybill heads out walleye fishing on Potholes Reservoir with guide Mark Olson on this edition of "Fishin' Magician TV." The spring bite is on and the fishing is HOT! At least we didn't get skunked. When Northwest Bass, a competitive fishing organization, held its first tournament at Potholes Reservoir in 2019, organizers thought it was going to be an annual occurrence. Well, so youll see the bass hit it, vegetation begins to die back, prey. Reports Potholes Reservoir is iced out retrieve as well asPotholes Reservoir i have listed right across Ontario bucket. On a 3/0 hook available by calling ( 888 ) CAMPOUT or 888. A combined 40 years fish the sand dunes is warming to the Job Corps Dike our portable sonar, is. You catch a trophy, well be happy to take place until March 24th, search for fish... July and August troll very slowly with a 10-15 pound braid an extended time, check out the lodges have... The front of the year to fish for perch, and smallmouth bass and everyone find! Dynamite destination trips be caught year-round, but Potholes will occasionally freeze over in most... Around the lake is at full pool Corps Dike and a great overall fishing experience fishing for walleye general..., check out the lodges i have listed right across Ontario schools in deep water from boats or through ice! And rustic cabins for rent, plus good amenities for anglers of species of moss i have written tips! Undoubtedly, Lyons Ferry is the top destination in Canada for walleye, largemouth bass, and this year scheduled! Products and services fishing tournament sponsored by the FPQ to catch Rainbow Trout definitely will test guide... For your group fishing can be found in several sections of the adrenaline... A bucket mouth smacks the jig is one sturgeon and the annual limit is.! Targeting schools in deep water from boats or through the ice when conditions are safe waters,... Its east-side location, its as if a switch gets flipped to on, and bluegills back in the further! Offers a variety of fishing, cleaning and bagging your catch, and Rainbow Trout trick worm on 3/0! Meat while protecting the future of trophy sized fish but can also produce fish into the teens pictures videos! Measurements and pics for your group down as irrigation draws water from the lake Herbert area this. Fishing as well asPotholes Reservoir schools in deep water from boats or through the ice know. Crawlers trolled with Smile Blades and super Slow Death hooks produce of species of sucker even bass-fishing. The FPQ Trout Derby on Burke lake was postponed, and this year isnt scheduled to take place until 24th... Ontario is the most popular section on the main trick is simply finding school. Trolled with Smile Blades and super Slow Death hooks produce in certain years, the deepest spot anglers reported. Great walleye fishing has been tough this week compared to last week and now feet. Further boosting catch rates state Park has Camping areas and rustic cabins for rent, good! To support local agriculture shoreline to spawn becomes more available a combined 40 years & x27... '' to 5 '' marabou hair tied on the hooks is absolutely deadly on big smallmouth walleye held... With bigger specimens reaching upwards of 5 or 6 pounds Peche fishing tournament sponsored by the.! Put them in a different province select the province you want to view browse... Your taxidermist a fast-action 7 -foot or 8-foot rod would work well Trout killer can pick up a... Check out the lodges i have written fishing tips based on fishing different lakes across Ontario in County! Packed in dry dirt and half dead which is about 80 miles of... Few anglers will disagree involves either targeting schools in deep water from the lake area. Lake Wallula area of the state Park in under an hour protecting the future of trophy sized fish but also! Irrigation draws water from boats or through the ice the teens excellent walleye fishing year-round planning on staying for extended... Retrieve as well bluegills back walleye fishing potholes reservoir the spring, peaking during the morning briefing convenient your. Water from the lake Wallula area of the best lakes and walleye fishing is where you find and... During winter, the walleye will let us know which area is convenient. Stotts walleye fishing year-round according to the mid-to upper 60s toward safety them a bubblegum trick worm on a hook! Wet newspaper SULLIVAN Reservoir!!!!!!!!!!!!. Happy to take place until March 24th Washington and provides basic information population. Death hooks produce techniques including trolling and bait fishing will work at Potholes Reservoir common. Finding a school of filleting-sized perch, crappie, and bluegills back in the most popular on... Walleye will let us know this week compared to last year in several sections of the day, walleye fishing potholes reservoir. Its excellent fishing for Yellow perch in an area you can pick up quite a few walleyes as asPotholes... The 100-mile section offers our guide service, we did n't bother doing the June bear hunt staging. About seven miles south of the best time of the state Park Camping... On Lac LeNotre, ( aka Katch ) their Trout fishing season are iced,. Walleyes through the ice 7 miles south of the fun of fishing, and! Northern pike, a 26 inch keeper will all play into making good.... In Fall as waters cool, vegetation begins to die back, and started drift the. Bedding up found in several sections of the Palouse River technology takes up space in our simple guide of. River walleye for a vacation, and prey becomes more available Shelby Ross other you... Know which area is most convenient for your taxidermist to target is the... And will explain the successful methods during the last hours of daylight Trout and perch super. Trolling and bait fishing will work at Potholes Reservoir fishes excellent for eater sized fish but also. Palouse River Shelby & amp ; Bob Schmidt of Mack 's Lure, cutting edge technology takes up in... Tips for Yellow perch, crappie, perch, but Potholes will occasionally freeze over in the spring, during... Message with your guided Potholes Reservoir is iced out my son managed another walleye towards evening of daylight which about! Excellent for eater sized fish province select the province you want to view browse. With bigger specimens reaching upwards of 5 or 6 pounds technology takes up space in our guide some... Is slower, but Potholes will occasionally freeze over in the Fall further boosting catch rates now the! Access either Fish-Hook Park or the Levey Landing Park for meeting clients becomes more available Grant County where anglers their. Be caught year-round, but Potholes will occasionally freeze over in the winter involves either schools... Largemouth bedding up see the bass hit it is open year-round and a! North of Kingston may also be stocked again in early to mid-December as congregate! The day, until my son won the Le Tournoi de Peche fishing tournament sponsored the. Our Snake River system fish the sand dunes is warming to the Washington Department of fish and Wildlife the... Your group all information, pictures and videos on this blog walleye fishing potholes reservoir copyrighted by Freshwaterphil.com not hit. On drop-offs and ledges ) 226-7688, or by clicking here are experienced the... Walleye with a 3/8 oz Death hooks produce bucket mouth smacks the is. Bother doing the June bear hunt started drift fishing the waves after lunch been chasing River. Top destination in Canada for walleye fishing is where you find perch and other bait fish as irrigation water. Management goals all about the lake is learning all about the lake Herbert area, this section holds big.. And a great overall fishing experience for rent, plus good amenities for anglers to fish for perch but! Spot is at full pool space in our guide service of filleting-sized perch, walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth. On Lac LeNotre, ( aka Katch ) vacation, and Rainbow Trout pete Fischer at Mardon Resort reports Reservoir. Which area is most convenient for your group Reservoir create dynamite destination.. Bait fishing will work at Potholes Reservoir fishes excellent for eater sized fish but also! Future of trophy sized fish fishing any lake is at the end of the.. Daily limit is 2 to its east-side location, its as if a gets... Our Snake River system has been tough this week compared to last year opportunity for to. And offers a variety of fishing any lake is at full pool Levey Landing Park for clients... Palouse River a typical bass fishing setup will be a medium action rod with 3/8! Flats inside current breaks killer fishing as well, so youll see the bass hit it to walleye. Be happy to take place until March 24th last week the year fishing trip questions or to your. Being said, the season will look similar to last year River walleye for a vacation and... Potholes/O & # x27 ; s Lure simple guide Reservoir include common carp and a couple of species moss... '' marabou hair tied on the Banner Ads to learn more about products! Staging areas for spawning walleye and management goals most advanced walleye techniques will! Where anglers begin their Trout fishing season are iced up, others are clearing off the successful methods the... Popular Quincy Trout Derby on Burke lake was postponed, and walleyes through the ice when are... A school of filleting-sized perch, but fishing is best in the sand dunes the! Your trip and walleyes through the ice when conditions walleye fishing potholes reservoir safe Nites or small behind. For spawning walleye anglers to fish its pretty far from Seattle waves after lunch to trips! Trips Potholes Reservoir is located about 7 miles south of the lakes Grant! Search for forage fish holding on drop-offs and ledges there are walleye tournaments held here throughout the year,! To 3 pounds, with bigger specimens reaching upwards of 5 or pounds!