Idaho: Andy Dux, regional fishery manager for Idaho Fish and Game, highly recommends using the Idaho Fish Planner website before you go. It offers easy access to fishing rules, facilities, what species you’re likely to find, a map and directions, as well as the stocking record for that water body. At the bottom of the page is a link to buy your license online if needed.

Montana: The state’s Fish, Wildlife, and Parks department also has online resources.

Zach McCall fishing at Rock Lake. // Photo courtesy Zach McCall (left); Cutthroat trout from the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River. // Photo courtesy Silver Valley Chamber of Commerce; Father-daughter fly fishing on the North Fork (upper middle). // Photo: Amy McCaffree (lower middle); Sean Visintainer, owner of Silver Bow Fly Shop, with a redband trout from the Spokane River. // Photo courtesy Michael Visintainer.

Read more fishing stories in the OTO archives.

[Feature photo courtesy of the Silver Valley Chamber of Commerce – Fly fishing on the North Fork.]

The post Know Local Fishing Regulations Before You Go appeared first on Out There Venture.

This year Free Fishing Weekend is June 12-13. Anyone can participate and isn’t limited to Washington State residents. Anglers can access any lake, river, saltwater area, and other waterways in the state that’s open for fishing season.

People will also not be required to have a Vehicle Access Pass, which normally comes with a fishing license, nor a Discover Pass in order to access Washington State Park lands or Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife water access sites and boat launches. However, a Discover Pass will still be required in order to fish on public land and waterways managed by the federal Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Learn complete details for this event, including about the Two-Pole Endorsement, at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/free.

Around the Pacific and Inland Northwest, other Free Fishing Days this month include:

• Oregon, June 5-6
• Idaho, June 12, 2021
• Montana, June 19-20 (Father’s Day weekend)

To find more free fishing dates around the United States, visit takemefishing.org/how-to-fish/how-to-catch-fish/free-fishing-days/.

Photos: Derrick Knowles steelhead fishing on the Columbia River. // Photo: Jeff Holmes (top left); Spokane Riverkeeper Jerry White fly fishing on the Spokane River. // Photo: Derrick Knowles (top right); Urban fly fishing on the Spokane River. // Photo courtesy of Michael Visintainer (lower left); Black Crappie caught at Lake Spokane. // Photo: Randy Osborne; Fishing derby at Klink’s Resort on Williams Lake. // Photo courtesy Klink’s Resort.

[Feature photo by Randy Osborne, rainbow trout from Lake Spokane, near Tumtum.]

Visit the OTO archives for fishing stories with destination ideas and recommendations, fishing trips, and more.

The post Free Fishing Weekend in Washington: June 12-13 appeared first on Out There Venture.

Here are some places to check out nearer to town that require only feet or a small boat.

Tumtum and Lake Spokane

Randy Osborne, district fisheries biologist for Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, recommends Lake Spokane for both fishing from the shoreline and small boats like kayaks or canoes. WDFW and Avista have been stocking the reservoir northwest of Riverside State Park with 155,000 triploid rainbow trout. Triploid fish are hatchery raised and cannot crossbreed with wild trout.

“May is a magical month,” says Osborne. “The water is cool enough that trout are really active, but some parts of the reservoir (Lake Spokane) have warmed up enough that crappie and perch are in the shallows and more available.”

For bank anglers, Osborne recommends fishing the turnouts downstream of Tumtum, right off Highway 291. Also recommended is the boat launch along the peninsula where the Little Spokane river runs into Long Lake. It is accessible via Highway 291 and N. Shoemaker Ln. As far as regulations go, this spot is considered part of Long Lake.

Another access is Willow Bay Resort. While they do charge for launch and dock fishing, it is centrally located near Tumtum, about halfway down the reservoir.

Liberty Lake, Wash.

Osborne says Liberty Lake has seen some good fishing over the last couple of years. Boats can launch at the WDFW access site, and fishing is allowed off the pier. The season opens each year on March 1 and WDFW works hard to get the lake stocked by that date. However, late this summer WDFW may be redeveloping that site and there could be closures while they redo the pier.

Fernan Lake, Idaho

Fernan Lake has two boat ramps and most of the northern shoreline is publicly accessible, making this a great spot to get your feet wet near Coeur d’ Alene. Fernan Park and the lake’s western boat launch are right off I-90.

Post Falls Park Pond, Idaho

Andy Dux with Idaho Fish and Game also recommends the pond at Falls Park in Post Falls, east of Avista and the Post Falls Dam. This pond is heavily stocked with rainbow trout, easily accessible from town, is open all year, and provides great opportunities for family fishing.

Sandpoint, Idaho Area: Pend Oreille, Round, Cocolalla, and Shepherd Lakes

Urban fishing near the town of Sandpoint is limited without a good boat, but good shoreline fishing can be had at Sandpoint City Beach. However, there are some great options within 15 minutes of downtown at Round Lake State Park, Cocolalla Lake, and Shepherd Lake, all of which are just south of Sagle, Idaho, and proximate to Highway 95.

Round Lake has good shoreline fishing and is good for small boats. Cocolalla Lake is great for small boats, canoes, and kayaks but does not have much access for shoreline fishing. Shepherd Lake is ideal for small boats, with some nice shoreline access on the west side of the lake.

Remember any boat or watercraft (even kayaks, canoes, and drift boats) need an Invasive Species Sticker in Idaho. Purchase one online or at a licensed vendor.

Crystal Atamian is a trail runner and organic gardener whose son is teaching her to love fishing. She has written about huckleberry picking, solar installation, and several destination hikes for Out There.

Read more fishing stories in the OTO archives.

The post Fishing Close to Home in Spokane & North Idaho appeared first on Out There Venture.