A few inside tips that can make you more successful your next time out.
Nestled in the Spokane River in Washington state, Long Lake is a favorite destination for anglers seeking productive fishing and multiple species. While the lake is well known for bass fishing, and recreating, it has earned a reputation as an excellent spot for walleye fishing. Whether you’re a seasoned Angler or a novice hoping to reel in a trophy catch, Long Lake offers opportunities to hook a variety of quality fish, with now the walleye becoming the star of the show. Throughout this article, we will explore a few techniques you may want to know to catch walleye on Long Lake and some of my favorite spots to cast a line.
The Allure Of Long Lake
Long Lake, also known as Lake Spokane, spans roughly 24 miles and allows a ton of fishing opportunities. The lake is a man-made reservoir created by the Nine Mile Dam, and Long Lake Dam. With the lake being so close to Spokane, it attracts a lot of recreation boaters, swimmers, jet skiers, and kayakers. Lots of bass tournaments are held there, and plenty of trout are planted for family-catching fun. Don’t be surprised if you come across a pike, as at one point in time they were quite plentiful in the system. Now with the good population of walleye showing up the past several years, and so much room to fish, it makes Long Lake a prime fishing destination in the region.
Walleye: A Coveted Catch
Walleye or a highly prized fish for anglers due to their elusive nature, sporting challenge, and their great taste. Their reputation as one of the best-eating freshwater fish definitely adds to their appeal. Known for their sharp teeth and distinctive pale greenish silver color with dark vertical bars on their body. Walleye are not as aggressive as Bass, making them a bit harder to catch, which increases the excitement for anglers.
Long Lake walleye have flourished due to the abundant amount of forage fish like perch and so many other minnows, great water, and structure; including drop-offs, rocky shorelines, and vegetation. The walleye population in Long Lake is healthy, with many Anglers regularly reporting good catches, making for a perfect habitat for these predatory fish.
Walleye fishing at Long Lake typically peaks in the warmer months, from Spring to late fall. However, most anglers are drawn to the lake in the spring and summer when walleye are actively feeding and more of the lake is accessible as the water is low in the winter.
Best Time To Catch Walleye
The best time to fish for walleye on Long Lake largely depends on their feeding habits and the season. Walleye are known to be nocturnal, meaning they are most active during dawn and dusk, when the water cools and the light levels are lower. This makes the early morning and evening hours prime times to catch walleye. These fish of course will bite during the heat of the mid-day during warmer months, but I tend to find my best fish during the cooler months at night. In terms of seasons, spring and fall are often regarded to be the best times for Long Lake walleye. During the spring, walleye are typically spawning, which makes them more concentrated upriver near the Spokane House launch and further up in the shallows. That’s where we find our most large and aggressive fish. In the fall, walleye put on the feed bag and bulk up for the colder months, fishing can be productive as they aggressively feed on smaller baitfish flourishing just outside weedlines.
Summer fishing walleye can still be productive, and very good, but may require deeper fishing targeting the river channel. Walleye tend to retreat to deeper, cooler water during the summer. Using your electronics can be particularly helpful in locating them in deeper regions of the lake.
Techniques And Tips For Catching Walleye:
- Trolling
Trolling is one of the best and most effective ways to catch walleye, by covering more ground and increasing the chance of encountering a hungry walleye. When im trolling Long Lake, the most effective depths for me have been in the target range of 10-30ft, depending on season and temps. Early season trolling large crank baits like Bandits in 10-12ft of water is lights out up near the Spokane House launch. Make sure those crankbaits are making contact with the bottom a little, and you’ll be in the zone, trolling upriver. When the fish start to move out to the main lake, and a little deeper is when I will switch to a slow death rig with a worm harness from Mack’s Lure – usually on a 3oz. bottom bouncer trolling at slow speeds maintaining contact with the bottom. Walleye love crawdads and bouncing the bottom mimics crawdads fleeing, drowning in the walleye.
- Jigging
Jigging is another effective method for walleye, especially as they migrate deeper along the river channel. By using a jig tipped with a worm, or cut bait Anglers can lure walleye into biting by mimicking the movement of a distressed bait fish. The key to success with jigging is to work the base slowly and deliberately, ensuring it mimics the walleyes’ natural prey. Many anglers, including myself, prefer using soft plastics and various profiles and colors.
- Drift Fishing
Drift fishing I find effective when fish are spread out or flats I find just off the river channel. Drift fishing involves allowing your boat to slowly drift with the current while casting jigs, or bouncing jigs close to the bottom. This technique can be productive when targeting drop-offs near the flats, weed lines, or rocky shorelines.
- Night Fishing
Walleye are known to be more active at night, targeting the shallow river areas early season, or shallow weedlines closer to shore around that 7-15ft of water. I like glow color lures, silver lures, or dark black lures.
Where To Fish On Long Lake
Long Lake has several spots that can consistently produce good walleye catches. Many anglers focus on the flats adjacent to the deeper river channel, but can also be found shoreline weedlines and structures such as drop-offs and submerged gravel beds.
Some of my favorite spots include:
- The upper end of the lake: This upper portion of the lake near Long Lake Dam has many rock formations and drop-offs where these predators can hunt bait fish. Look for shorelines on the upper end that have gravel or rip rap. Walleye love to chase crawdads in these areas.
- The lower end of the lake: This area provides plenty of spots to fish from between 9-mile recreational area to Willow Bay. Trolling and jigging is very effective in this large stretch.
Walleye fishing on Long Lake in Spokane Washington, offers an experience for anglers looking to test their skills. Whether you’re fishing from a boat or the shoreline, the lake offers a diverse habitat that provides the perfect environment for walleye to thrive. With the right techniques and a little patience, you can have a successful fishing trip reeling in a trophy walleye. So grab your gear, head to Long Lake, and discover why it remains as one of the best-kept secrets for walleye fishing in Washington.
