potholes reservoir

Potholes Reservoir is best known for its spectacular bass, walleye, and panfish fisheries but do not overlook the quality trout you can catch out of this 27,800-acre reservoir. Two-to-three-pound rainbow trout are common in this lake, and they can get even bigger. Every year, multiple anglers catch seven-pound rainbows here.

So where do you find them? A reservoir this large can be intimidating to someone who has never fished here before. Fortunately, there are a few key places you can count on to find trout.

If you are a shore-bound angler there are a few good choices for you. In the spring, you can catch trout at Blythe Point, a WDFW access area with a boat launch on the southwest end of the reservoir. Simply go towards the end of the point and fish from there. Many anglers will plunk nightcrawlers or worms here because there are other species in the area that will take this bait as well.

A short distance away from Blythe Point is Potholes State Park. Don’t bother fishing the main lake from shore because it’s a long shallow flat that isn’t conducive to holding trout. Instead, go to the north end of the park and fish Frenchman’s Wasteway. The trout congregate in the moving water of this stream that flows into Potholes Reservoir at the northeast end of the park. Lures like Worden Rooster Tails or curly-tailed grubs with a 1/8-ounce jig head are proven winners here, as are worms fished under slip bobbers.

Another place to try from shore is MarDon Resort. In the early spring, right after ice-out, anglers can catch rainbows either still fishing or casting spinners and spoons from the shore behind the head office or at the swim beach. You do need to be staying at the resort to fish here.

Are you the kind of angler who likes to soak Powerbait? If so, head to Medicare Beach on the east end of the Reservoir. There are plenty of Powerbait plunkers here and if that’s not working, try fishing a marshmallow and worm off the bottom.

Boat anglers have more options and trolling in front of Medicare Beach or near the mouth of Frenchman’s Wasteway are two places worth fishing. Nathan LaFrance at MarDon Resort said trolling over the sunken habitat boxes between the resort and Blythe Point is also a good springtime strategy. 

As for how to catch them, trolling a Berkley Flicker Shad in sizes #5 or #7 is a proven method to get trout to strike. Trolling a Needlefish spoon is also popular, and a frog pattern is a good color to start with unless the water is stained, in which case chartreuse would be a better bet. Finally, you can’t go wrong trolling the tried-and-true Mack’s Wedding Ring spinner tipped with a worm or a half of a night crawler.

As far as rods and reels go, a basic spinning reel with a 6 to 8-pound test works fine. While I used to fish ultralight rods for trout, I don’t do so here because the odds of landing a three or five-pound rainbow can be tough to do with a very light pole. That is why I favor a 6 ½ to 7-foot, medium-action spinning rod.

If you want a change of scenery from Potholes Reservoir, head to the seep lakes just south of the reservoir. Located on state land and within the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, there are dozens of small lakes to explore fishing either from shore or in small boats, kayaks, or portable pontoon boats. 

Some of these lakes are open year-round to include Corral Lake, which is a two-minute drive from MarDon Resort. Corral Lake is stocked with tagged rainbow trout that can be caught during the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s annual trout derby that runs from the last Saturday in April through October 31^st. If you catch a tagged fish, you report it to WDFW and you win a prize that could be a gift card or certificate or something more!

Checking with Nathan LaFrance at MarDon Resort some other year-round lakes worth fishing are Blythe Lake as well as Upper and Lower Goose Lake. LaFrance says the inlet into Soda Lake can also be a good bet and when he fishes there, he casts or trolls #4 or #5 Rapala Shad Raps. All the year-round lakes just mentioned have launches for small boats.

Other Seep Lakes open the last Saturday in April (April 26^th, 2025). The most popular lake to fish during the lowland lakes opener in this area is Warden Lake and there is a resort at the north end of the lake along with a boat launch. Upper and Lower Hampton Lakes are good choices as are Hutchison and Shiner Lakes at the south end of the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge. If you want to get away from the crowds, hike into North and South Teal lakes. LaFrance says both waters fish well for rainbow trout.

Spring and Fall are both great times to chase after Rainbow Trout at Potholes Reservoir and the nearby Seep Lakes. Drop by the store at MarDon Resort for the latest conditions and if you are looking for a place to stay, the resort offers basic to luxury cabins, RV sites, tent sites, and a restaurant. Potholes State Park has basic cabins and a large number of RV and tent sites. Both locations also have boat launches.

John Kruse

www.northwesternoutdoors.com and www.americaoutdoorsradio.com 

By John Kruse

It’s all fun and games in September and October as the foliage turns scarlet and gold. The fish put on the feed bag, biting readily. Then, November and December arrive, the leaves turn brown, tree branches become empty, and catching fish gets more challenging. Having said that, there are still some great places to catch fish in Eastern Washington in the late fall and early winter.

COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

You know what they say, “the river never sleeps”, and neither do the fishing opportunities in the Gorge. At this time of year, the coho salmon bite is waning, but the walleye bite near John Day Dam, as well as catch and release sturgeon fishing, remains strong. If you are looking for current information, drop by Gorge Outfitters Supply in Rufus, Oregon.

GRANDE RONDE RIVER

It’s a long drive, but this picturesque river is worth it. Starting in November, good numbers of summer steelhead show up here, and fortunately, there is a good amount of public access for you to get at them, from Highway 129 at Boggan’s Oasis to Troy, Oregon. There is also some access near the mouth of the Grande Ronde, where it flows into the Snake River.

The steelhead run is much better than last year and anglers should be in for decent fishing from the bank, or from a raft or drift boat. Spinners, spoons, and small jigs fished under floats all work well here. Barbless hooks are required. Check the regulations for additional information.

POTHOLES RESERVOIR

The walleye bite continues well into December, and trout fishing is an option too! Try trolling near Medicare Beach or off the mouth of Frenchman’s Wasteway for quality size rainbow trout. Try off the face of the sand dunes, the mouth of Crab Creek, or in the Lind Coulee for walleye at this time of year. Trolling a spinner/worm harness behind a bottom bouncer weight works well in November, but as the water continues to cool, switch to blade baits for the walleye.

ROSES LAKE

Located near Manson, this 132-acre lake offers very good trout fishing during the fall and winter. There is a public access area on the south end of the lake, with some room to spread out for anglers fishing from shore. Once the lake freezes over, it becomes an ice fishing destination not only for trout but also for perch, which are found in good numbers here. Pro tip?

After you are done fishing, have breakfast or lunch at the nearby Blueberry Hills Restaurant. It will make the whole trip worthwhile even if you don’t catch a thing!

LONG LAKE

I was introduced to this lake when I was invited by Mack’s Lure President Bob Schmidt to fish with him and a couple of other friends on board Steve Morris’s boat, the man who owns SJM Guide Service. This lake is located just northeast of Spokane. Morris explained this fishery has a limited window because the boat launches become unusable by mid-December.

Our late November fishing trip was fantastic with a very quick limit of chunky, 12-to-14-inch rainbow trout. If you have never fished here before I would recommend using a guide like Steve. His website is www.sjmguideservice.com .

RUFUS WOODS RESERVOIR

This impoundment between Chief Joseph Dam in Bridgeport and Grand Coulee Dam is a long time draw for anglers going after the big triploid trout found in this reservoir. In the past, most of the triploids caught here were escapees reeled in near the net pens they were raised in on the reservoir. Now, the Colville Tribe raises triploid trout in a hatchery and releases them directly into the reservoir.

If you are fishing on tribal land, you will need a permit to do so, in addition to your fishing license. While many anglers take their boats to the areas just outside the net pens, bank anglers can also have success on tribal land by the net pens, as well as from shore at Bridgeport State Park, Brandt’s Landing, and the Willow Flats Recreation Area near Chief Joseph Dam. Oh, and if the triploid trout aren’t biting? Try trolling or jigging for walleye, there are a bunch of them here.

LAKE ROOSEVELT

Last but definitely not least, this 151-mile-long impoundment of the Columbia River stretching from Coulee Dam to Canada offers very good fishing during the winter months for quality rainbow trout and kokanee, both of which average 16 to 20 inches in size on a good year, with some fish even bigger than that. Walleye fishing is also very good here during the cool weather months, and they can get big (a walleye weighing nearly 12 pounds was caught this past March).

Anglers tend to fish around Keller, the mouth of the Spokane River, or by Kettle Falls. The kokanee are usually found in the lower end of the lake in the winter. If you want the latest fishing information about Lake Roosevelt, stop by Clark’s All-Sports in Colville.