Catfish/Bullheads in the Spokane Area?

[Straight Shooter]

I know that Sprague had a decent population of channel cats before it was killed-off a few years ago.  I've also heard that there some populations of bullhead in most area lakes.  Does anyone know where there are larger amounts of whiskerfish in the local area?  Enough that I could actually target them.

Thanks,
SS

[KopperBuck]

Depends on how local you're talking. But for good size and numbers I'd hit the Snake system, Palouse..

[quadrafire]

There used to be  load of bullheads in the Manito pond. They would boil the water for a handful of cat/dog food. Haven't tried it for years.

I definately wouldn't eat them, but you would raise some brow's if you were to sit there with a fishing rod.

[KopperBuck]

Lol quadrafire. That would be worth it alone.

[Mossy]

I would recommend the snake as well for some better opportunities.  Long lake, liberty, clear lake, horseshoe etc..all have bullheads.

[FISHBOY]

Sprague used to be outstanding for big cats and bull heads, but that was before they killed it off to stock dog food fed trout that are in every other lake in spokane and lincoln counties....but thats another story.

[KopperBuck]

Somewhat true.. the trout are stocked. But they're working on getting it back to a warm water fishery. Too many species competing, including the cats. Carp, small crappie and other pans, and bass that aren't going to grow. Bucket biologists made it the fishery that everyone knew - not a balanced one IMO. Their intention is to get it back to spiny ray and truck rainbows in.

[Machias]

My understanding is they saved a bunch of the bigger channel cats and after the lake was treated returned them.  So may be a pretty decent population by now.

[Mossy]

My understanding is they saved a bunch of the bigger channel cats and after the lake was treated returned them.  So may be a pretty decent population by now.

I had hoped that was true.  I've got alot of cats out of sprague over the years, unfortunately I don't think they put them back in. 

[Machias]

Here is an article from 2009 that says channel cats were restocked in 2007 after the lake was treated.
 
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/apr/12/sprague-lake-trout-lure-i-90-anglers/

This one says they put about 60 of the big cats back in after they treated the lake, so there should be a decent bunch in there now.

April 4, 2008
Contact: Chris Donley, (509) 892-1001 ext. 307

WDFW stocking trout in Sprague Lake

OLYMPIA - Anglers have an opportunity to catch fish once again at Sprague Lake, where the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is stocking trout for the next several weeks.

The trout plantings are necessary after the 1,840-acre lake, which is alongside Interstate 90 in eastern Washington's Adams and Lincoln counties, was treated with rotenone in October to rehabilitate a declining sport fishery. Carp, tench, walleye and other species were removed after the lake was treated with rotenone, a naturally occurring substance derived from the roots of tropical plants that kills fish but does not hurt people, pets, livestock or wildlife.

"The first fish we're putting back in Sprague Lake are catchable-size rainbow trout from our hatcheries," said Chris Donley, WDFW district fish biologist. "Later this spring, we'll stock crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass and channel catfish that will take a few years to grow and reproduce."

Overall, WDFW will stock about 160,000 catchable-size rainbow trout, including about 3,200 triploid trout that weigh up to 1.5 pounds each, in Sprague Lake over the next two months. Cow Lake, which is part of the Sprague Lake watershed, also was treated with rotenone last fall and will be stocked with about 6,000 rainbow trout.

Approximately 200,000 rainbow trout fingerlings and 80,000 cutthroat trout fingerlings also will be stocked in the Sprague Lake watershed to support future trout fisheries, said Donley.

Later this spring, largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie will be stocked in Sprague Lake. WDFW also will return about 4,000 black crappie and at least 60 channel catfish that were collected from Sprague Lake before last fall's treatment.

Fishing regulations for Sprague Lake, which is open year round, can be found on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm .
 

[Machias]

another good article:
 
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/10/30/1230033/sprague-lake-search-rehab-project.html
 
 

[Mossy]

They sure must be hiding then, haven't been able to find them since....

[tlbradford]

Donelly was just at our fly club meeting on Tuesday.  Sprague has really high water which means they are going to get bullheads reintroduced.  The spiny rays should be good.  You will have a hard time catching a trout, but they are in there.  I will post a breakdown of what was presented to us by the bios in the next week or so.

[Mossy]

How about the channels?