Northwest Fishing Reports

So how do u get a whitefish out of a river because i observed around 10 25inch fish in the same area and was wondering how to get them to bite

Whitefish are caught in the early spring or in the Fall when they migrate to areas with current such as rivers or narrow flows in the lake system. Whitefish have very small and tender mouths, which is why most people who catch Whitefish were Walleye fishing while using really small hooks and minnows or really small jigs. You don't have to wait for a freak chance to catch a Whitefish. Just follow some rules for the different seasons.

SPRING FLY-FISHING
http://www.chapleaulodge.com/white.htm Provided the following information;

You can catch Whitefish on the surface in the spring with small spinners, 1/16 oz jigs, tiny Rapalas or putting a May Fly or Waxworm on a hook and a small float and just cast off the dock. Generally, the whitefish will be everywhere there are large populations of May Flies hatching on the surface. This is a perfect time for Fly-Fishing for Whitefish with your fly-rod.

SPRING:
In the very early Spring, Whitefish migrate into the rivers and streams to feed on the Walleye, Pike and Sucker eggs that are being dropped during the spawn. The best way to fish for Whitefish in the Spring is in a river with 4 lb. test line and really tiny hooks with a single salmon egg, grub, a little ball of Berkley Power Dough or the best bait, Wax Worms. Have a small float and let the bait float down stream and over the deeper pools that are behind the gravel spawning beds.

FALL:
Whitefish spawn in the Fall. They migrate into rivers and basically spawn in the same spawning beds as the Walleyes. During the spawn, the Whitefish only feed during the day which is the exact opposite of most fish. You will find that as soon as it gets dark, the fish lose all interest in food and concentrate on their spawn. During the end of the spawn, they may start to feed before they travel back to the lake.

Generally Whitefish will stay shallow all Winter. In the Spring, they feed on Walleye eggs again and do not go deep until after they gorge themselves on the spring May Fly hatch. May Flies are called May Flies everywhere in North America except North Bay, Ontario where they are called Shad Flies. You may want to know this if you have been fishing near North Bay and were wondering what the difference was.

Generally small is the word. Small baits and lures must be used. Whitefish will hit a bigger lure like a small Rapala or Thunderstick but generally the hooks on these lures are too big for the Whitefish's tiny mouth.

Small roostertails. Used to take them all the time off those fishing for trout in Wyoming....

Yeah there is this pond that is private that the snoqualmie runs into that i know people that live on it and the whitefish were huge there but would not touch a fly, worm or spinner so i was thinking maybe some type of corn or doughbait would work because they are in the current. So i will have to try and maybe keep the spinner lower or use bait longer

we were gettin them on small wet flies size #14 tipped with maggot this winter on the green river just below the auburn black diamond bridge. the set ups were weight on the bottom, 10" to first fly then another 6-8" up, another fly, both tipped with maggot all on a ultralight set up.. killed them.

Yeah Christopherbeebe has got it right if you are talking River Whitefish.
Size 14 or smaller Maggots or flies... They usually bite best in Winter though...


There are three types of Whitefish in this state.

Lake Whitefish that are in many of the big lakes in eastern Washington and the Columbia River.

River Whitefish are smaller (on average) and live in most of the rivers around here. Including the Green like mentioned.

There is also a rare third kind of "Pygmy" whitefish that lives in just a couple lakes rivers in the Mountains.


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Sam Kafelafish wrote:Small roostertails. Used to take them all the time off those fishing for trout in Wyoming....

Where did you fish there? I am moving over there in a few weeks.