Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: Huntbear on June 11, 2011, 03:13:49 PM

Title: catfishing in The Gorge?
Post by: Huntbear on June 11, 2011, 03:13:49 PM: Anyone know where you can catfish off the bank in the gorge area? Got the bug now and going to have lots of free time with my shoulder surgery on Monday.
Title: Re: catfishing in The Gorge?
Post by: logger on June 11, 2011, 05:44:13 PM: You are going to have to get your butt up to troutlake and do some snoopin around with all that time, I have been working long days and unless I breakdown I don't get into town, we need to go to glenwood and get a burger together one of these days.
Title: Re: catfishing in The Gorge?
Post by: Curly on June 11, 2011, 06:00:59 PM: Sounds like you should give it a try in Horsethief Lake:

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Description: 338 acres on a bay of Lake Celilo, formed on the Columbia Reservoir by The Dalles dam. Prevailing winds make this a great area for windsurfing and sailboarding. Many enjoy fishing for bass, catfish, crappie, perch, trout, and walleye in season. Others forsake the river altogether in favor of the challenging technical climbing areas. Visitors who make advance reservations can get guided tours of some of the oldest pictographs and petroglyphs in the Pacific Northwest. Lewis and Clark describe a native village here, which stood for centuries until American settlement. The reservoir flooded the actual site.

http://www.publiclands.org/explore/site.php?id=4492 (http://www.publiclands.org/explore/site.php?id=4492)
Title: Re: catfishing in The Gorge?
Post by: jagermiester on June 11, 2011, 09:26:01 PM: You got a boat? If so run up the snake!
Title: Re: catfishing in The Gorge?
Post by: Huntbear on June 12, 2011, 09:15:46 AM: Quote from: jagermiester on June 11, 2011, 09:26:01 PM
You got a boat? If so run up the snake!

No boat! Unfortunately... but only live about 1 mile from Horsethief Lake. I may try Rowland Lake as well. I wish there was more bank access to the Columbia on the Washington side of the river...
Title: Re: catfishing in The Gorge?
Post by: Curly on June 12, 2011, 12:20:38 PM: Another spot I think would be worth a try is right there at the boat launch in Bingen.

And another location in the Gorge would require an Oregon fishing license but............how about the John Day near the mouth. Pretty good access for fishing from the bank there.

Here is what Oregon says about Catfish:
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Habitat: Channel catfish in western Oregon are limited to the Columbia River, lower Willamette River, and a few ponds in the Willamette Valley. They are much more abundant in eastern Oregon, primarily in the Columbia and Snake rivers and their impoundments, Owyhee Reservoir, the Owyhee River, and the John Day River. When given the choice, channel catfish prefer clear lakes and streams, but they can tolerate moderately muddy water if food is abundant. Channel catfish are not particular about what they eat. Included in their diet are fish and frogs, either alive or dead, insects, plant material, crayfish, worms, or snails.

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/warm_water_fishing/channel_catfish.asp (http://www.dfw.state.or.us/warm_water_fishing/channel_catfish.asp)
Title: Re: catfishing in The Gorge?
Post by: jechicdr on June 12, 2011, 06:26:39 PM: If you're up for a little trip, caught 30 catfish (averaging 5 lbs) in one night. Only lost one ugly stick and shimano reel. Used smelt and some small squawfish and suckers. If it's the right time of year, you can also catch trout where the stream comes into the lake and trout guts is what I lost the pole on. Brownlee reservoir, between Oregon and Idaho. Actually fished on the Idaho side, first major inlet upstream from the dam. There is a campground close to that area and it has showers. On another trip, lost a rod and reel with a 9 inch squawfish on the hook. 44° 47.020'N 116° 54.569'W on your GPS would get you to the little cutoff road to the inlet