Brownlee Reservoir Catfish and Crappie.

1stklass · Feb 26, 2011

So last year a friend of mine invited me to go fishing for a week at Brownlee on the Oregon-Idaho border. I took my wife and son and 2 daughters (11,9, and 4). I caught anywhere from 60 to 100 Crappie a day

, and half a dozen to a dozen bass. My friend also pulled in a 15 lb Catfish. There are no limits on Crappie or Catfish :s0155:

and it appears that spearfishing and bowhunting the Catfish is legal. I've been told by the locals that the first couple weeks of June the Jerusalem Cricket population EXPLODES, so bad that the roads in places are like driving on ice from squished crickets. Also as the crickets pour into the lake great big feeding balls of Catfish feed on them. Might be fun to bowhunt some big catfish!!! Has anyone ever fished this area?

PS. the bank fishing was just as good as the boat.

parsons_12b · Feb 26, 2011

1stklass I have gone a couple years in a row with a few buddies in june it realy depends on the water temp and level if the water is up or too cold the fish just dont bite. last year was rough the year before was great.

1stklass · Feb 26, 2011

it was cool when i went in march. Maybe 70 tops during the day and around 40 degrees at night. water level was maybe 10 feet lower than high water line. My friend said it was not as good as the year before.
Now here is what i noticed, i caught almost 2 to 3 times as many fish as anyone else did. The bite was EXTREMELY light. I would cast and immediately have to take up the slack in the line and then let the plastic grub fall, i would barely feel a tick, usually after less than 10 seconds and immediately have to set the hook. There were a couple guys fishing next to me that were not getting any bites, or at least they thought they werent until they realized just how light the bite was then they started catching almost as many as i was catching.

bwgdc · Mar 21, 2011

i have fished there lots catfish is better below the the dam in oxbow as far as the bite i wont tell what exactly what i use but its their main food source and if you tie off to the bridge wait till they shut the dam off usually arround 11 at night you can fill 5 gallon buckets in a few hours

lukew · Mar 22, 2011

me and my wife are headed to brownlee this weekend to try to get rid of this spring fever..we are planning on camping at mccormick park as wood head park is going to be packed because of the bass tourney ...we plan on fishing oxbow at the bottum of brownlee dam..last year in june during a break from scouting for mt. goat this place was very productive as far and crappie and catfish...has anybody on here ever fished brownlee or oxbow in march and tips or ideas would be greatly aprecciated and i WILL give a full report when we return. and has anyone on here ever fished there in march before.