Share your catch

Lake Roosevelt Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Columbia impounded: Lake Roosevelt runs 150 miles of walleye, rainbow and kokanee behind Grand Coulee.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~73 F est.
Air / High
59 / 64 F
Wind
SSE 3 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Lake Roosevelt lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. Today brings cloud cover, wind SSE around 3 mph, rising pressure near 1015 hPa and a high of 64. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Rainbow troutExcellent

Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

Largemouth bassGood

Prime chasing season. Work moving baits on points and pockets: spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and squarebills, with a stick worm behind for followers.

CrappieFair

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 71 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp59 F
High / Low64 / 48 F
WindSSE 3-4 mph
Pressure1015.1 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain92% cloud, 17%
Sunrise / Sunset06:16 / 19:28
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 64/48 F, wind 6 mph, rain 17%

Fair or better. Calm and stable: plan around the solunar majors at dawn and dusk.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lake Roosevelt: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Prime chasing season. Work moving baits on points and pockets: spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and squarebills, with a stick worm behind for followers.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

When to come: the Lake Roosevelt calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Smallmouth bass
Rainbow trout
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Lake Roosevelt today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 65 F, wind to 9 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 71 F, wind to 15 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 80 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Washington requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Washington license; tribal permits required in some waters. Walleye harvest is encouraged; trout and kokanee limits per current WDFW rules.

Access

National Park Service ramps and campgrounds throughout Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area; houseboat rentals.

About this water

A 150-mile Columbia River reservoir behind Grand Coulee Dam, Lincoln, Ferry and Stevens counties, Washington.

Fishing Lake Roosevelt: the full guide

A reservoir the size of a river

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake stretches 150 miles up the Columbia River behind Grand Coulee Dam, the largest reservoir in Washington and a fishery on a scale to match. Walleye are abundant and unregulated by size in much of it, rainbow trout are stocked heavily and grow fast, kokanee school through the summer, and smallmouth bass work the endless rocky shoreline.

Walleye and rainbows

Walleye hold the points, flats and channel edges throughout the reservoir: jigs and bottom bouncers in spring, trolled harnesses through summer, with the fish abundant enough that Washington encourages harvest. Rainbow trout, many from net pen programs, cruise the upper water column and take trolled spoons and flies, reaching good size on the reservoir’s forage.

Kokanee and smallmouth

Kokanee school through the summer at moderate depths and take small dodger rigs. Smallmouth bass work the rocky banks and points, an underfished component given the reservoir’s size. Water levels swing enormously with power and flood operations, sometimes 80 feet, which relocates fish and closes ramps: check current elevation.

Access along 150 miles

National Park Service ramps and campgrounds serve the reservoir throughout the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, with houseboat rentals available. Distances are large and services sparse in the upper reaches. Tribal waters border parts of the reservoir: know the boundaries and applicable permits before fishing there.

Common questions

How much does the level change?

Enormously: power and flood operations can move it 80 feet, relocating fish and closing ramps. Check current elevation.

Are walleye abundant?

Very: Washington encourages harvest, and the reservoir supports one of the state’s most productive walleye fisheries.

Do I need a tribal permit?

In some waters bordering reservations, yes: know the boundaries and check requirements before fishing.

Is fishing good at Lake Roosevelt right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Banks Lake38 miRufus Woods Lake43 miMoses Lake71 miPotholes Reservoir78 miCoeur d Alene Lake78 miLake Chelan83 mi
Share your catch