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By Drew Lawson
The Times 

Local fishing gains popularity as the hunting season comes to a close

Some hunts open through end of January

 

Last updated 1/14/2022 at 2:16pm



DAVENPORT—The dawn of the New Year means many hunting seasons, such as deer and elk, are long gone. As winter persists, some hunts remain, while fishing begins to gain steam…both of the ice and standard varieties.

Local Fish and Wildlife officer Curt Wood said fishermen are seeing success on Lake Roosevelt for trout and kokanee, both in bank and boat fishing.

“I’ve heard of guys finding a lot of kokanee on the west end of the river toward Spring Canyon,” Wood said.

Ice fishermen would do well to head to Fourth of July Lake south of Sprague, where Wood said there is plenty of ice cover. Silver Lake in Medical Lake is also covered with ice, and prospective fishermen could be seen trying their luck last weekend after heavy snowfall. Coffeepot Lake is currently closed, but opens for fishing March 1.


“Twin Lakes is also pretty much frozen over,” Wood said.

Most hunting seasons are closed. Those that remain include coyote, which runs year-round, and cougar, which runs through March 31 for current licenses and through April 30 if one gets an updated license. Hunters can only tag one cougar per season.

Wood said like white-tailed deer, it was a slow fall hunt for local cougars.

“I can only remember tagging three or four,” he said. “Last year, there were a whole bunch around.”

The only cougar Wood recalls tagging was shot last week north of Davenport near Teel Hill Road.


Pheasant, California quail, northern bobwhite and gray partridge seasons are in their final legs. Those seasons close Monday, Jan. 17.

Chukar season goes through the end of the month. Forest grouse season is over Jan. 15, while turkey season has concluded.

Bobcat, fox, cottontail and snowshoe hair raccoon seasons run through March 15.

Duck, coot and snipe season runs through Jan. 30. A special duck and coot hunt for youth, veterans and active military will occur statewide Feb. 5.

White-tailed and mule deer season has concluded. Disease ravaged much of Lincoln County’s white-tailed population.

“That was almost a complete no-go this year,” Wood said. “So many of them were just wiped out.”

Hunters did see some success with elk near Lake Roosevelt, Wood said. Mule deer, which weren’t disparaged by disease on nearly the level that white-tailed deer were, are in high numbers. Around 400 are believed to be roaming the fields near the Odessa and Coffeepot Lake areas.

Author Bio

Drew Lawson, Editor

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Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.

 

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