Fishing in Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

Lake Roosevelt is a reservoir, not a river — though it was one. Grand Coulee Dam backed up the Columbia River in 1941, creating a lake that now stretches 133 miles from the dam north to Onion Creek, about 16 miles south of the Canadian border.

The National Park Service manages the recreation area along more than 300 miles of that shoreline in the northeast corner of Washington State.

The water is big, open, and subject to significant level fluctuations — something to factor in before you trailer a boat. More than 30 species live in the lake.

The ones most anglers come for are walleye, rainbow trout, kokanee, smallmouth bass, and white sturgeon. Burbot, lake whitefish, and yellow perch round out the catch. Walleye arrived in Lake Roosevelt sometime after 1962 and have built a serious fishery.

Spring and early summer are the most productive period, when fish are active and accessible. They're not known for a dramatic fight, but they're widely considered among the best-eating freshwater fish around — which keeps anglers coming back.

The rainbow trout fishery runs on stocking. A cooperative net-pen program involving WDFW, the Colville Confederated Tribes, and the Spokane Tribe plants roughly 750,000 triploid catchable rainbows annually.

Spring Canyon, just two miles above the town of Grand Coulee, has a reliable launch that stays accessible even when winter drawdown drops the lake level.

The Keller Ferry area, reached by dropping off the plateau near Wilbur, offers a double launch and marina with room for the crowds that show up during kokanee season.

Kokanee here run larger than most Washington lakes — fish of 18 inches are not unusual, and 3- to 4-pound fish are caught regularly in winter. Tributary streams provide spawning habitat for this landlocked sockeye.

White sturgeon are landlocked behind Grand Coulee Dam and can reach extraordinary size. The fishery is opened only by emergency regulation and rules change year to year — check with the park or WDFW before targeting them.

Washington State fishing regulations and licensing apply throughout the recreation area. Anyone 15 or older needs a valid freshwater recreational license.

If you're fishing from or adjacent to reservation shoreline, tribal regulations may also apply — contact the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation or the Spokane Tribe of Indians directly to confirm what's required.

Before launching, all boaters must complete an Aquatic Invasive Species mussel-free self-certification form and display it on the dashboard.

Watercraft coming from outside Washington must be cleaned, drained, and dried or carry proof of inspection within the last 30 days. Bank fishing is open anywhere outside harbors and designated swim areas.

The lake is fishable year-round for most species, and the shoulder seasons — when the houseboats are gone and the water settles — tend to be when the serious fishing happens.