Lake roosevelt

[Scrminbanshee]

Ill be heading over at the end of March. I know its still early but as a college student i have to take advantage of spring break. It will for sure be me and my dog, maybe a buddy buts hes on the" im sure if i can get permission" list.

So i have never fished it and i have read about it some but man thats a big body of water! It has a few different launches and i basically have no idea on where to go or where to camp. I would like to spend maybe 2 days fishing as hard as possible. Get there fish for the next 2 days, then pack up and head home. I have a shell on my truck and plane to live out of the back of my truck. So a place with some electricity would be a must to charge my trolling battery. Any advice on where to camp and launch out of? Any advice on any material to read with regards to the lake.

I have been slowly building up my kokanee aresanel for the upcoming season hopefully by throwing enough stuff at em i can get somewhere. Any advice would be nice. The biggest kokes i've caught came from american last year, is there different tactics for those larger ones?

I also wouldn't mind trying for some of those big bows that ive herd that come out of there? I have had some luck for rainbows around here but whats some good tactics for them bigger ones? I realize its only two days so mostly for them kokes but if theres a way i could double down with maybe some similar fishing tactics then i'm in.

I have a 16ft lund fury for a 25hp on the back and a minn kota powerdrive v2 up on the bow. so my concern is it seems like it might be a bit small but if i play the weather right then it should be fun.

Any advice sure would be helpful. I'm not looking for anyones top sercet lures or honey holes but just some advice form those that have fished it without luck and those that have managed to get some. On my way home i may just have to fish lake Chelen as well, but yet another that i have never fished.

 

[Brisco]

Your boat is a bit small for that lake on a windy day, like yesterday was out there. On a nice day you'll be fine. I was out there yesterday in a 16.5 Lund Rebel XL with 75HP and it was a bit hairy at times. Major League white caps at times. As far as where to go Swawilla Bay seems to be the best spot for the Kokanee. I typically go in at the Wilbur Keller Ferry and head west toward that spot from there but there are places you can put in further west and then turn your boat east and hit it from that way. I come from Spokane so Wilbur is my best option. I have caught the Kokes as far east as Seven Bays though.

The tactic I've used that seems to work is trolling Apex. Color seems to vary from month to month. Yesterday I was using white on one rod, and green on the other and those were the only colors they seemed remotely interested in. Right now the fish are on the surface but other times of the year I'll use downriggers to get to the correct depth based on what I see on the Sonar.

The Rainbows are nice too as you stated. They bite my Kokanee set up as often as often as the Koke's do. They just tend to stay on better and jump so if you get a jumper after a strike, It's a bow, not a koke.

Have fun!

 

[Scrminbanshee]

Well, i have been doing some research and i agree brisco if that lake kicks up its no place for me and my boat! But i have been doing some research on the kokes and where to go from what i gather that sevens bay seems like a real nice place to fish. It also is where they track most of the kokes go to spawn.(i think, if i remember correctly, from the article i read the other day) I read about a sevens bay marina, it has a launch and possible camping? still not sure if i could stay there but on there website it says they recently remodeled the place so this might be an option.

I am also still trying to figure out where exactly sevens bay is. Is it that whole bend in the river just before the spokane dumps in? Just down from where the marina is? Anyone every fished out of here? I think that this might also be close to where the rainbow pens are?-STILL NOT SURE ON THAT THOUGH. Wish i could find a decent map of this part of the columbia so i could get a better idea of where this stuffs at.

When it come to the wilbur keller ferry, where is this exactly? Is there camping over there? Is it the ferry thats up the river aways?

Thanks for tip on the apexes i dont use them much but might have to start. I did however recently order a bunch of wee tads that i'm going to try out so maybe this will be a good spot for em! Any colors you would like to recommend?

As usual any advice really helps as you can tell i know about nothing on fishing over here.

 

[Brisco]

Location of 7 bays: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=seven+bays+marina
Location of Keller Ferry: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Keller+Ferry+Rest+Area,+Lake+Roosevelt

There is plenty of camping at both locations. Its all national park. The net pens are all over the place. There are pens right by both of these locations.

The kokanee do run to the east to spawn and I have caught them at Seven Bays but I see more strikes in Swawilla Cove personally.

 

[Scrminbanshee]

Location of 7 bays: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=seven+bays+marina
Location of Keller Ferry: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Keller+Ferry+Rest+Area,+Lake+Roosevelt

There is plenty of camping at both locations. Its all national park. The net pens are all over the place. There are pens right by both of these locations.

The kokanee do run to the east to spawn and I have caught them at Seven Bays but I see more strikes in Swawilla Cove personally.

Yeah i have herd allot of good things about fishing down towards that end of the dam and towards the swawilla cove. Ill have to look up places to stay down there. Now on to look for apexes. Thanks for posting those locations for me. The launch of google earth looks super nice.

 

[Scrminbanshee]

I found where i can go and get some up to date info on lake height. What considered a low and whats a high for the lake?