Northern Roosevelt for Smallies?

[dilbert]

I'm going to be staying near Lake Curlew next week and I am planning on making a day trip out to northern Roosevelt for some smallmouth fishing and to soak the crawfish pots. The last couple F&H news issues have some good maps on the area for walleye fishing, but it's still a pretty big area, especially with several people in a little 13' boat and a 9.8 motor. What's a good launch to use that would be pretty close to several good fishing areas without having to run the boat too far (more than 2-3 miles)?

[Paul & Sammi]

You can launch a small boat from the road across the mouth of the Kettle River on the east side. It puts you into the Kettle but is a short haul around the bend into Roosevelt. The launch site there was rather primitive but I never had any trouble getting my 12' boat in unless the water was real low. Its been a few years since I have been there so I cant say what its current condition is. Walleye and Smallmouth fishing was pretty good back then along the north shore of Roosevelt outside the mouth. There is a deep area just outside the mouth that was good for Ling too

There is also a paved launch up the Kettle River about 3-4 miles at the Napoleon Bridge. I used to catch some nice Walleyes and Smallmouths from shore under the bridge back before the launch was built.

There are launches and campgrounds at Marcus Island on the other side of the lake and down lake a few miles below the 395 bridge on the east side.

Hope this helps some. Good luck!

[jmay]

The mouth of the Colville River is about 1 mile west and south of the Kettle Falls launch that a good spot for a smaller boat