Little Spokane River

[Anonymous]

Went out to Lake Spokane to spend some time fishing with my son and stopped at the Little Spokane access area out by the Lake Spokane launch. Not much going on, but the water sure is high. There was a young man fly fishing there. I took some shots of the river, and of him. Hopefully he'll show up at the site someday and introduce himself.

[Marc Martyn]

I have fly fished that exact spot. For the life of me I still can't figure out what that structure used to be. There appears to be a plaque there now. What did it say?

[Aaron]

I've always called that spot the "Old Mill"... far as I can tell it's a cement structure for holding up a mill wheel or two.

[Aaron]

Did you have much success at the "Old Mill"?

[eustace]

I also have fished ther many times and caught more squaws than anything but I have cuaght some trout and a lot of white fish there.

My Great Granmother used to talk about an old fish wheel trap or something like that, that used to catch the salmon that once ran up the river. I don't know if it was that structure but she said one fish at a time would enter a shoot and a wheel turning would flip the fish on and down a shoot where they would process them.
:bounce:

[Marc Martyn]

I've always called that spot the "Old Mill"... far as I can tell it's a cement structure for holding up a mill wheel or two.

The time that I fished it was about 12 years ago when I took Dave Hall out to practice fly casting. The water was much lower and if I remember, we had a couple of small hits but didn't land anything.

We used to float the river and fish it. We would put in by St. George's and float down to the Spokane River. Beautiful float. I do remember that while floating the area just down stream from the "mill", I noticed a very large fish swim under my pontoon boat. I called the game department and they told me that during certain times of the year, Northern Pike will go up the Little Spokane. It sure surprised me, because the fish was about 32 inches long. I haven't floated it for some time now since there was a rash of car break-ins at the put-in and take-outs.

[Jake Dogfish]

Great pics, and thanks for your report Aaron.

[eustace]

Those are great pics Aaron. That little Spokane is an untapped gem, it is one of my alltime favorites. I have fish it from one end to the other with the most productive being anywhere you can fish it. The only problem with the little spokane is acsess and floating is prohibited on most of the river. It is 1 of 2 rivers in the country where the land owner has the river rights. But this is also why there are Big Fish in it. Think about its tributaries and lakes. The east fork has the Chain Lakes near Camden, the west fork has Eloika, Fan Lake, Horseshoe and Sacheen. Not to mention the numerous other streams, like Dragoon. If you ever are on Firtile Valley Rd around the first of june there is a Rd that heads west and crosses the tiny rivers just below Sacheen Lake where a barrier is, Try it!

Thanks for the reminder!

[kutthroatkilla]

Those are great pics Aaron. That little Spokane is an untapped gem, it is one of my alltime favorites. I have fish it from one end to the other with the most productive being anywhere you can fish it. The only problem with the little spokane is acsess and floating is prohibited on most of the river. It is 1 of 2 rivers in the country where the land owner has the river rights. But this is also why there are Big Fish in it. Think about its tributaries and lakes. The east fork has the Chain Lakes near Camden, the west fork has Eloika, Fan Lake, Horseshoe and Sacheen. Not to mention the numerous other streams, like Dragoon. If you ever are on Firtile Valley Rd around the first of june there is a Rd that heads west and crosses the tiny rivers just below Sacheen Lake where a barrier is, Try it!

Thanks for the reminder!

I might try this with my fly rod when I get back to Spokane. What do you guys use? Nymphs dries? It looks nymphy to me...it looks like is has some major potential...are access point good? Brown trout healthy in there yet?

KTK

[eustace]

KTK, acsess is restricted on the LS everywhere but from the St. Goerges put in to the mouth, unless you have permision from some land owner. The St. Georges put in is near the Spokane trout hatchery off Ruder Parkway Rd and Wikiki Rd. There is a midway acsess between St.G and the Mouth on Ruder Parkway at the Little Spokane Riverside Indian painted rocks near where Indian Trails Rd merges with Ruder Parkway it as some decent bank acess and trails.

As for Nymphs or Dries that depends on the time of year and the time of day. I would say that nymphs a safe bet though for most of the time. There are Smallmouth Bass showing up in there in the summer and Pike cruise it alot.

[kutthroatkilla]

KTK, acsess is restricted on the LS everywhere but from the St. Goerges put in to the mouth, unless you have permision from some land owner. The St. Georges put in is near the Spokane trout hatchery off Ruder Parkway Rd and Wikiki Rd. There is a midway acsess between St.G and the Mouth on Ruder Parkway at the Little Spokane Riverside Indian painted rocks near where Indian Trails Rd merges with Ruder Parkway it as some decent bank acess and trails.

As for Nymphs or Dries that depends on the time of year and the time of day. I would say that nymphs a safe bet though for most of the time. There are Smallmouth Bass showing up in there in the summer and Pike cruise it alot.

Good information. Thanks eustace. Sounds like I'll need to make some friends in that neck of the woods.

[Aaron]

So you are saying that it IS open to flotation from St Georges to the mouth?

[eustace]

Yes Aaron, there is a put in for floaters there. Mrac Martyn has also floated that stretch I do believe. In the summer when the temps rise there are a lot of people floating for fun, so hit it early or hit the latter float from the Indian paintings to the mouth late.

[Aaron]

Excellent news. I thought it had been closed down. When I was younger I floated from St. G to the mouth in tubes with about 8 of my friends. Took us from 9am to 9pm.

[kutthroatkilla]

Excellent news. I thought it had been closed down. When I was younger I floated from St. G to the mouth in tubes with about 8 of my friends. Took us from 9am to 9pm.

Are the brown trout healthy in this river? I'd like to target those fish. How large do they get in there poundage wise? I did read one report that someone submitted and it was very encouraging! Hmm...

[Aaron]

I think the majority of fish on this river can't really be described with the term "poundage", but I would love to be told otherwise.

[Marc Martyn]

Excellent news. I thought it had been closed down. When I was younger I floated from St. G to the mouth in tubes with about 8 of my friends. Took us from 9am to 9pm.

That stretch of the river is controlled by Riverside State Park. The last time that I called them about the restrictions, they said that tubes and small rubber rafts were not allowed. Pontoon boats were allowed. They want to keep the river free of the usual summer "rubber hatch". Canoes, kayaks, and pontoon boats are allowed. Call them first before going, the regs may have changed since I last floated it.

[Gisteppo]

You can float in any hard-sided craft, I think the only things they state are illegal are inflatable frameless craft (floating loungers, inner tubes, etc etc). It is completely open to the public.

From the hatchery to my place takes about 4-6 hours, depending on stream flow, and its only about 15 min from my place to where most people take out. In order to reduce car prowlings, some people take out at the hwy 291 bridge instead of the secluded parks takeout. If you are really concerned, just let me know. If I am home, you can take out here, as it is just down the river about a mile from the confluence, and you might start picking up some bass on the way through.

The large fish you saw could have been a couple things actually. There are some ENORMOUS suckerfish in that piece of water as well, though odds are you did see one of our friendly resident pike. They start prowling the shallows this time of year for winterkill, so keep your eyes peeled for BIG flashes. Throw a crank and let it sit in the water, or try one of your spinnerbaits, as this is typically what the bass fisherman are using when they accidentally pick them up.

E

[Aaron]

Is there still barbed wire stretching across the river in places?

[kutthroatkilla]

You can float in any hard-sided craft, I think the only things they state are illegal are inflatable frameless craft (floating loungers, inner tubes, etc etc). It is completely open to the public.

From the hatchery to my place takes about 4-6 hours, depending on stream flow, and its only about 15 min from my place to where most people take out. In order to reduce car prowlings, some people take out at the hwy 291 bridge instead of the secluded parks takeout. If you are really concerned, just let me know. If I am home, you can take out here, as it is just down the river about a mile from the confluence, and you might start picking up some bass on the way through.

The large fish you saw could have been a couple things actually. There are some ENORMOUS suckerfish in that piece of water as well, though odds are you did see one of our friendly resident pike. They start prowling the shallows this time of year for winterkill, so keep your eyes peeled for BIG flashes. Throw a crank and let it sit in the water, or try one of your spinnerbaits, as this is typically what the bass fisherman are using when they accidentally pick them up.

E

Good info E. My most troubling problem will be to find access. Does anyone have step by step directions to access from downtown Spokane, let's say the Safeway off Division St. as a starting point. I'd have no idea where to start if I want to try this out.