Lake Pend Oreille walleye are providing steady action for anglers this summer! Walleye are set up in typical summer locations, and anglers are reporting consistent catch rates. Walleye also continue to be distributed widely throughout the system. Since walleye telemetry began in 2019, biologists have observed a similar distribution of acoustic-tagged fish during the month of June. Walleye locations displayed in this map are from June 1 to June 30. Each colored circle represents the number of unique acoustic-tagged walleye detected at a receiver.
Looking for walleye in Lake Pend Oreille? We've got you covered
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Walleye when, where and how - it's all here
Walleye remain widespread throughout the Pend Oreille River, the north end of the main lake, and the Clark Fork delta and river. The most notable change in walleye distribution between May and June is a larger number of walleye utilizing the Clark Fork River and the diverse habitats in the Clark Fork delta. The Clark Fork River is one of the few locations where walleye may be accessible to bank anglers due to the large amount of public shoreline along Johnson Creek Road and through several Avista-owned properties including the Twin Creek access area and the Avista boat launch along Highway 200.
The Highway 95 Long Bridge and Railroad Bridge area near Sandpoint continue to be walleye hotspots where the greatest number of acoustic tags were detected, as well as where some of the best angling opportunities continue to be. Some of the tactics anglers report having success with include vertical presentations such as jig/crawler or jig/plastic combos and blade baits. Trolling crawler harnesses or deep diving crankbaits along the edge of weed beds are also effective in this area at times of day when boat traffic is not as high.
The bays and points at the north end of the main lake such as Kootenai Bay, Kootenai Point, Sourdough Point and the Fisherman’s Island area also continue to hold a number of acoustic-tagged walleye.
To do a little of your own research, make sure to check out this month’s map of walleye locations.
Biologists track acoustic-tagged walleye to learn more about walleye movements and to help anglers effectively target walleye and participate in the Lake Pend Oreille angler incentive program.
There are plenty of $1,000 reward-tagged walleye still swimming in the waters of the Lake Pend Oreille system. So far this year anglers earned over $5,000 by turning in walleye tagged with $1,000 reward tags! These reward tags are in all sizes of fish, so any walleye you catch could be the next big winner! To learn more about walleye rewards and try your hand at becoming a big winner, check out the Lake Pend Oreille angler incentive program on the Idaho Fish and Game website.
If you’re interested in learning more about walleye fishing in Lake Pend Oreille, the angler incentive program or general information about walleye in the lake, Idaho Fish and Game has resources to help.
Check out our “Lake Pend Oreille fisheries” webpage and watch the 2023 State of the Lake Meeting to learn more about the world-class fisheries in Lake Pend Oreille.
You can also visit the Idaho Fishing Planner to get information about diverse fishing opportunities throughout the state.
Please contact the Panhandle Regional office for more information at (208)-769-1414 and follow us on the Panhandle Region Facebook page for regular news and updates.