On the heels of a warm winter, fish catches are up for anglers on Lake Roosevelt at the start of 2026. Facing less deterrence from all manner of snow, ice, and cold weather, reports indicate that angler effort in January-February 2026 is up over 40% from 2025.
The 6,786 estimated anglers on Lake Roosevelt from January and February reported an estimated total of 13,218 fish caught, up from 8,247 in 2025 (but down from 14,065 in 2024). That number includes 7,361 rainbow trout, 4,840 walleye, 202 kokanee, and 24 smallmouth bass. These catches are counted from three sections of Lake Roosevelt: Section 1, from Northport to Gifford; Section 2, from Hunters to Lincoln; and Section 3, from Jones Bay to Grand Coulee Dam. The total fish counts from those sections are, respectively, 2,935, 6,991, and 3,291. See the full numbers in the table located at the bottom of this article.
Marc Terrazas, a fisheries biologist with Spokane Tribal Fisheries who oversees these annual surveys, said that the increase in catches from 2025 to 2026 is largely a result of warmer weather: “With the warm winter that we had, the angler numbers and effort were relatively high compared to most recent years,” said Terrazas. “With that increased effort, the catch numbers were also generally high compared to many recent years. The Rainbow Trout and Walleye fisheries look to be performing well so far this year, and shore angling has been quite popular and productive so far.”
For more fishery updates as the year progresses, you can expect to find interagency updates in our summer newsletter. Sign up for a free print edition of our biannual newsletter here.
