Jjclark Loc: Milton-freewater oregon

Anyone from Oregon or Washington know any good spots for catfishing. New to the area

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

Hey James, several folks on here from there. Hopefully they'll be along soon. Good luck.

Huntm22 Loc: Northern Utah. - West Haven

Welcome aboard there JJC grab ahold and hang on it’s a ride on here.

J.R. Sloan Loc: Inland Northwest (WA, OR, ID)

JJC--welcome aboard. JR Sloan here, born in Walla Walla, relatives in M-F, Weston, Athena, Pendleton, and just posted a regional summary in the section here: "Fishing in the Pacific NW," centered on Spokane, but covering any place in the Columbia-Snake-Idaho Border parts of the Inland Empire. Look us up and add your own experiences by exploring the Inland NW Section.

As far as catfishing, there are lots of several species, but if you're from the Southeastern part of the US, you might not find the sizes or techniques you're used to seeing from (say) the Mid-Atlantic states, or the far Southeast States. Near you, you could go north out of Walla Walla to the Snake River, and float or bank-fish along that river, entering at a range of locations, identified on maps at the WDF site.

There are some catfishing tips by location on the WA fish and game site, but the best places near the Snake Dams are probably some of the commercial campgrounds on the south side of both the Columbia and Snake, starting as far west as John Day Dam and its impoundment, up to and past McNary Dam Pool and the tri-cities, then up the Snake to and past Little Goose Dam and the impoundments below Lewiston-Clarkston on the WA-ID border. Start your fishing searches there, using the OR and WA fish and game departments' websites for the particular species, camp sites, guide services or launch sites you might be seeking. One place near Walla Walla would be the pool formed in the McNary impoundment between the mouth of the Walla Walla River and the Tri-Cities. The nearby mouth of the Snake River to the north is another high-potential catfish area.

All this being said, remember that the PNW is considered by many if not most the "natural" grounds of the salmonids: several kinds of salmon, many, many trout and steelhead and similar. Local anglers find pike, walleyed pike, panfish of several popular varieties, both large and smallmouth bass, sturgeon and many other fish. Start a conversation with some about "catfish," and it might deteriorate into something else (yes, even "dogfish") before you get to the real subject-at-hand. Which will reveal the main point: not a lot of us PNW types actually pursue catfish, because it takes a certain expertise, yada-yada. Heck you might already be your local expert.

Big news on the Columbia-Snake Rivers was recently posted on the WA Dept of Fish & Wildlife Site: the Dams at Little Goose, Lower Granite and White Salmon dam sites (according to recent announcements in Olympia and DC) are no longer being considered for demolition to improve salmon runs along the Lower Snake. My personal guess (opinion, no facts involved) on this longstanding issue is that at least one technological advance shows promise of satisfying both the agricultural and ecological problems if treated with care and cooperation. For more details on this idea, look up the term "Salmon Cannon" using those general previous terms and take a look at the ingenious equipment at least one firm is using to expand salmonid breeding opportunities while reducing natural fatalities for these fish in their breeding runs, with or without the dams.

Anybody else wanting to contribute to these topics, why not go over to "Fishing in the PNW" discussion group and add your two cents'

Justoldjim Loc: JUNCTION CITY, OR.

I would also like to know

Justoldjim Loc: JUNCTION CITY, OR.

I have caught a lot of 2-11 lb cats in the reservoirs on he snake river lost my fishing buddy couple years ago and have not been back would love to go again

J.R. Sloan Loc: Inland Northwest (WA, OR, ID)

See above, or go to Top of Page to "Active Topics" and search for catfish information, "catfish" or other relevant topics.

Also recommend again the WA Fish & Wildlife web site for maps, topics by fish types, and local recommendations.

By all means go to our comment page here on Fishing Stage (Fishing in the PNW) or any others you guess might be relevant. If you have specific questions you can come back to me using the "Personal Message" feature, but I'm a relative newbie when it comes to catfishing in the PNW myself.

When the USAF sent me to WSU back in the mid-70s, some of my classmates used to go down to the Snake by the Colfax-Dusty-Waitsburg-Walla Walla route and fished for cats almost every weekend from a launch site at the Snake crossing. Seems to me there was a hole just west of that bridge in the next downriver cove that delivered pretty well--and pretty good sized--channel cats, at that. Later there was a State Campground built on the north side of the crossing (since closed), but I think there may be a small-boat launch just across the highway near a grain processing plant, easily within a mile of that older state park.

From Spokane, and discounting the Pend Orielle and Couer d'Alene Lakes farther north, this might be your best starting point.

J.R. Sloan Loc: Inland Northwest (WA, OR, ID)

JustoldJim: just caught your post about your past experiences on the Snake River cat-fishery. Would surely appreciate a comeback on this email about preferred launch sites, bait, times of year and stuff like that, to encourage the rest of us who like catfish to visit these much-under-utilized dam impoundments and beautiful stretches of semi-wild country.

Justoldjim Loc: JUNCTION CITY, OR.

we always camped at the middle res. but mostly fished at the upper one they also had a camp ground but we had a friend who worked at the Idaho power and live across from where we camped we night fished from the bridge there but usually launched on the nest res. up river better fishing there

Spectrum18

I'm in the Tri Cities. I am primarily a bank fisherman for cats and have fished for and caught them, mainly channel cats, throughout the region in both rivers and some lakes. On the Columbia it is primarily fishing the warmer backwaters, especially around rip-rap and on flats, near deeper water; on the Snake, I've fished from the mouth up to Clarkston and found the best fishing for big fish to be at night below the dams. The Palouse River near the park at Lyons Ferry can be hot during the spawn where you will mainly catch nice eating sized fish. The fish are numerous throughout the Snake River system because of the warmer water caused by all the dams and can be found virtually everywhere along rip-rap and on flats adjacent to deep water. Active grain elevators can be good where wheat spillage seems to attract them, too. I've caught some really large cats in the Yakima River above West Richland but these days most of the bank is private and or inaccessible due to brush. Also, the Yak has gone weedy as hell over the last ten or so years. I have not fished the Walla Walla but have heard it is good if you can access it; the mouth is accessible at Madame Dorian Park. As a side note, I was trolling for steelhead above McNary once and caught a nice channel on a Wiggle Wart. Crazy, huh.

As for bait, the best is probably fresh cut pikeminnow or other rough fish, even waterdogs if you can get them, but the standards - stink baits, worms, commercial cat bait, chicken livers, etc., - all work at one time or another. Basic rigging is usually a three-way swivel set-up with breakaway line on the weight and a circle hook on heavier leader.

J.R. Sloan Loc: Inland Northwest (WA, OR, ID)

Great topical response, Spectrum! Really appreciate the comments about how to fish the Snake-Columbia impoundments.

I wonder if there are contributions, and additional comments available from people fishing the Lake Pend Orielle or the Okanagan areas for these same fish? Or for that matter, any of the other lakes in the Walla Walla - Snake - Columbia drainage systems? More water up here than in most regions, and lots of fish that seem to go untouched.