Customer service staff in the Spokane Regional Office are available for walk-in service 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
2315 North Discovery Place
Spokane Valley, WA 99216-1566
United States
Fishing tips and news
Lake Roosevelt sturgeon
The Lake Roosevelt white sturgeon fishery continues through Nov. 30 from Grand Coulee Dam to the Canadian Border.
Rules for this fishery are on the Lake Roosevelt sturgeon fishing web page.
Trout
Lake Roosevelt has great trout fishing as well so once you get your sturgeon you can switch to trout instead. The area scenery is impressive in the fall as well. Another big body of water known for good fall trout fishing is Lake Spokane (Long Lake). Sprague Lake on the Lincoln/Adams county line is also a popular fall trout option.
Amber Lake in south Spokane County remains open through November, but anglers are reminded that this water is managed as Selective Gear Rules, and harvest is limited to one fish over 18 inches daily.
In southeast Washington, the Wooten Wildlife Area lakes- Watson, Blue, Spring, Rainbow, and Deer lakes- draw a lot of fall anglers and are open through the end of November.
Black Friday fishing
Winter-only lakes open the Friday after Thanksgiving each year, so start a new tradition and go fishing instead of shop
ping on Black Friday. Winter-only lakes include Hog Canyon Lake northeast of Sprague in Spokane County, Fourth of July Lake on the Lincoln-Adams county line just south of the town of Sprague, and Hatch Lake and Williams Lake in Stevens County. Williams was treated with rotenone last fall to remove invasive fish species that were competing with native trout. It did not open for the 2023 winter season but was stocked this past spring and as recently as October so the fish should be ready to bite by the time the lake opens for fishing on Nov. 29.
Deer Lake to stay open this winter
As of July 1, 2024, Deer Lake in Stevens County is now a year-round lake. Where it used to close to fishing each fall, it will now stay open, which is great news in particular for people who ice fish.
West Medical Lake rehabilitation
West Medical Lake in west Spokane County was treated with rotenone in October to eradicate illegally introduced goldfish that had proliferated and taken over the lake, squeezing out native trout. This lake will remain closed until the fourth Saturday in April after being stocked with rainbow and brown trout of various size next spring.
Mixed species
If you’re looking for some variety outside of trout, Stevens County’s Waitts Lake is open through February and offers largemouth bass and yellow perch, as well a rainbow and brown trout. Eloika Lake in north Spokane County has year-round yellow perch fishing, as well as largemouth bass, black crappie, and some brown trout. Newman Lake in eastern Spokane County and Silver Lake in southwest Spokane County are also open year-round for largemouth bass, crappie, perch, plus some tiger muskie, which usually bite best in warmer months.
River fishing
A reminder that the Little Spokane River closed to fishing on Oct.31 but opens Dec. 1 for whitefish. Regulations differ on the Little Spokane, depending where you fish so always be sure to review the current sport fishing rules pamphlet. The Tucannon River in southeast Washington is open to catch-and-release fishing from the mouth up to the Hatchery Bridge, inside the Wooten Wildlife Area. Above the Rainbow Lake inlet to the Cow Camp Bridge is closed for the season.
Hunting opportunities and news
Planning your hunt
The late general season for white-tailed deer runs Nov. 9 to 19 in eastern Washington’s Game Management Units (GMUs) 105, 108, 111, 113, 117, 121, and 124 so you should be planning your hunt if you haven’t already. WDFW’s Hunting Prospects can provide insight that can help make your hunt a successful one.
Hunter check stations and chronic wasting disease testing
If you harvest or salvage a deer, elk, or moose during the late season, please stop by a hunter check station to have your animal tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD).
Following the detection of a case of CWD in Spokane County in July of 2024, testing is now required for animals harvested in GMUs 124, 127, and 130. Hunters that harvest animals in other parts of WDFW’s Region 1 are also encouraged to have their animals tested although it is not mandatory.
CWD is a fatal illness of deer, elk, moose, and caribou. There are several ways to have harvested animals tested for it, including at a hunter check station, at a 24-hour self-service drop-off kiosk, by making an appointment at a WDFW office or with the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council, or by removing lymph nodes yourself and mailing to WDFW. Details on all these options, and other CWD information, is available on WDFW’s CWD web page.
A reminder that, to prevent the spread of CWD, you cannot transport whole deer, elk, or moose carcasses out of WDFW’s Region 1 to other parts of the state. If you hunt in other states or Canadian provinces, you cannot transport whole carcasses back into Washington. Information on what can be transported is at the link above.
Elk season
The modern firearm elk hunting season runs through Nov. 3. The best elk opportunities in the region tend to be in the southeast district of the Blue Mountains. Hunters on private lands in GMU 130 have the highest success, benefitting from animals moving on and off the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. Northeast district elk are scattered in small groups in dense forestland, making them difficult to hunt. The best northeast elk hunting opportunities are in the Pend Oreille sub-herd area, which includes GMUs 113, 117, 121, and 111.
If you harvest an elk in GMUs 124, 127, or 130, you are required to have it tested for chronic wasting disease. You can do that a number of ways. Information on CWD, testing, and rules around transporting harvested carcasses are on WDFW’s CWD web page.
Moose
Moose hunting, which is by special permit only, has been underway since October in many game management units
(GMUs) and continues through November.
New cougar regulations
As of late October, six GMUs in WDFW’s Region 1 had reached their harvest cap for cougars and were closed to cougar hunting- GMUs 101, 117, 121, 124, 127, and 130. Before heading out, be sure to verify that the cougar season is still open in the area you plan to hunt. You can do this by going to the Cougar hunting area openings and closures webpage or calling the toll-free Cougar Hotline at 1-866-364-4868 (press 2 after greeting).
Changes to bobcat sealing requirements
Under new rules, hunters or trappers harvesting a bobcat must now provide a complete lower jaw to WDFW before a pelt can be sealed. WDFW uses the jaw to determine the age of the bobcat. The same is done with deer and bears using just a tooth but bobcat teeth are solidly anchored into the jaw and require cooking to soften the bone. Rather than asking people to cook their bobcat skull, we ask for the entire jaw. WDFW’s website has information on how to remove the jaw (PDF) and other sealing information for bobcats.
Waterfowl
As the weather cools down, waterfowl hunting heats up in eastern Washington. There are lots of good opportunities to harvest ducks and geese in northeast Washington on the Pend Oreille River and Lake Roosevelt, as well as in the Colville and Kettle Valleys on private lands. The District 1 Hunting Prospects (PDF) include a lot of good information, starting on page 39, on where to hunt in the area.
New ADA-accessible waterfowl blind
If you are a disabled waterfowl hunter, there is a new hunting spot available to you on private lands. WDFW teamed up with the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council to build and place an ADA-accessible hunting blind near waterfowl habitat on private property near Clayton in Spokane County. This is the first ADA-accesssible waterfowl blind in WDFW’s Region 1 and will help to eliminate barriers to hunters with disabilities such as being able to physically access a good spot to hunt ducks and geese and competition from able-bodied hunters. For more information on this blind, or how to use it.
Wild turkey
Wow the in-laws this year by not only putting a turkey on the table, but a wild one that you harvested yourself! Wild turkey are not only plentiful (you can harvest up to four!) in Region 1 but delicious. Late fall wild turkey hunting runs through the end of the year throughout GMUs 101-154 and 162-186. More information on wild turkeys in Washington and hunting them is on the WDFW website (PDF).
Upland game bird
Pheasants, quail, partridge, and forest grouse hunting continues into January throughout the region. If you harvest spruce, ruffed, dusky, or sooty grouse, don’t forget to deposit one wing and the tail from each grouse into wing collection barrels located around the state. Biologists use the wings and tails to help build estimated population trend datasets for each species in an effort to set appropriate harvest limits.
Wildlife watching and recreation
Avian influenza
WDFW has heard about at least one case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in domestic birds in eastern Washington this fall, and with the annual migration of wild birds underway, we could start seeing signs of it in wild birds as well. If you encounter sick or dead birds while outdoors, do not touch them and report them to WDFW. Do not take sick birds to veterinarians, wildlife rehabilitators, or to your home to try to nurse them back to health. Moving birds with HPAI moves the virus to areas where it wasn’t before.
Wildlife feeding ban
A reminder that there is a ban on feeding deer, elk, and moose in game management units (GMUs) 124 (PDF), 127 (PDF), and 130 (PDF) in Spokane County, in an effort to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease. While we understand that people want to help wild animals, wildlife feeding is more harmful than helpful as it draws animals together where they can spread disease to each other. More information on this new rule is on WDFW’s CWD web page.
Be bear aware this fall
Bears are still awake throughout much of November but prepping for a long winter’s sleep. This means they are looking to fatten up and an easy meal is hard to pass up. Do your part to keep bears out of trouble by securing your garbage, livestock and pet food, and take down bird feeders temporarily (you can put them back up in December). If you live in bear country, it’s a good idea to protect your domestic animals with electric fencing or put them in a garage or building at night. More info on preparing your property and protecting your domestic animals in bear country is on the WDFW website.
Deer
With the peak deer breeding season (or rut) in November and daylight savings time, it’s a good idea to be even more vigilant than normal when driving. Deer have one thing on their mind right now and it is not uncommon for them to jump in front of a vehicle. Combined with it getting dark earlier, vehicle collisions with deer increase at this time of year, with more people driving after dark. So slow down, be extra cautious, and be aware that where one deer crosses the road, another is likely to follow. Additional tips on how to avoid collisions with deer are in our blog The rut is on, watch for deer on the move.
Salmon
November is the time when land-locked sockeye salmon, better known as kokanee, spawn in Pend Oreille County’s Harvey Creek. The fish can usually be seen near the bridge on the south end of Sullivan Lake, northeast of the town of Ione off Sullivan Lake Road.
Wildlife Program biweekly reports
To read reports published prior to 2023, visit the Biweekly Wildlife Program activity reports page.
2024
Meet your Regional Director - Mike Kuttel, Jr.
Mike Kuttel Jr. is the Eastern Region (Region 1) Regional Director. Kuttel has been with WDFW since 2015 in two statewide policy positions focused on fish and wildlife conservation and providing recreational opportunities on public and private lands through federal farm bill conservation programs and partnering with the U.S. Forest Service and Washington State Department of Natural Resources on shared stewardship of forests.
Previously, he worked for conservation districts, the Washington State Conservation Commission, and Washington State Department of Ecology. He has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science. Kuttel is a lifelong Washington resident and has lived on both sides of the Cascades. He grew up in southwest Washington fishing and hunting. In his free time, Mike enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and foraging for mushrooms and berries with family.