This Columbia River impoundment stretches more than 150 miles from Grand Coulee Dam into Canada and is managed cooperatively between WDFW, the Colvile Confederated Tribe of Indians and The Spokane Tribe of Indians.
Fishing season is open year-round, except for sturgeon, which are closed to fishing all year. Rainbow trout, kokanee, walleye and smallmouth bass are the star attractions. Cooperative net-pen rearing projects at numerous locations provide the rainbow trout fishery. The cooperative net-pen project plants approximately 750,000 catchable sized rainbow trout annually into Lake Roosevelt. Check the latest regulations pamphlet for special trout and kokanee rules and redefined San Poil boundaries. Other catchable fish are burbot, lake whitefish, and yellow perch. Bow-and-arrow fishing for carp is prohibited.
The National Park Service operates 35 recreation areas along the 660 miles of shoreline. Maps are available at the dam's visitor center and WDFW Spokane office. Water level fluctuations can be a problem for boat launching. For current water level information, call (800) 824-4916. The Washington Department of Health (DOH) has issued this fish consumption advisory for Lake Roosevelt due to mercury contamination: pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and children under six years of age should eat no more than two meals of walleye (8-ounce portion) a month. For more information, check the DOH website at www.doh.wa.gov/fish or with the DOH office of Environmental Health Assessment toll-free at (877) 485-7316.
Fishing Prospects Calendar
Species you might catch
