PotHoles Lake and Reports
Monday, June 30th, 2025
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Report: Potholes Reservoir Fishing Report — June 30
Current Bite & Conditions:
Anglers found success by avoiding heavily pounded areas and keying on vegetation and deeper structure. Vegetation types called out included stringy stuff, Purple Strife on channel ledges, and reeds (frogs played in the reeds). A notable lack of wind on the final day made fish tougher to catch for some, and schools of fish shifted, requiring relocation.
Best Techniques & Baits:
Plastics / Finesse: Zoom Mag Finesse, Yamamoto 7-inh Grub, Senko (color: Green Pumpkin) on 20-lb Gamma; Gambler Weight (rattling) noted as a difference-maker.
Frogs: White frog; Spro Popping Frog produced multiple fish (also used by co-angler winner) and bites even in dead-calm conditions.
Jigs / ChatterBait / Buzzbait: Strike King jig on deeper points and deeper drops with a Strike King craw trailer; JackHammer ChatterBait; buzzbait also caught fish.
Co-angler finesse & frog combo: MAGNUM Baits MagStick (Mr. Purple) wacky-rig; Spro Popping Frog on 65-lb braid.
Key Depths / Zones:
Deeper points and deeper drops.
Channel ledges with Purple Strife.
Reeds for the frog bite.
Dunes area referenced for roaming frog targets.
Schooling locations that required relocation as conditions changed.
Local knowledge and mobility mattered. Working less-pressured stretches with Green Pumpkin plastics (plus a rattling weight) and mixing in a frog bite in reeds/vegetation produced consistent bags. When wind died and schools moved, anglers leaned on popping frog, JackHammer, buzzbait, and jig on deeper structure to keep pace.
Tournament Spotlight:
Pro Winner: Mike Matkowski — 52.05 (Day 1: 17.27; Day 2: 18.51; Day 3: 16.27) — Zoom Mag Finesse / Yamamoto 7-inh Grub / Senko (Green Pumpkin) on 20-lb Gamma; white frog; Gambler Weight (rattling); Strike King jig + Strike King craw on deeper points/drops; targeted stringy vegetation, Purple Strife on channel ledges, and reeds.
Pro 2nd: Darryl Burkhardt — 50.95 (18.54; 18.52; 14.18) — Found two good schools; struggled with no wind; caught fish on Spro Popping Frog, JackHammer ChatterBait, and buzzbait; used Lews rods/reel with anti-backlash.
Co-Angler Winner: Derek Eggimann — 43.52 — Wacky-rigged MAGNUM Baits MagStick (Mr. Purple); Spro Popping Frog on 65-lb braid; culled twice in about five minutes on a frog late in the day; kept chunking through lulls.Tips: Tip of the Tournament:
On Potholes, lean into vegetation and deeper structure: work Green Pumpkin plastics (consider a rattling Gambler Weight) and be ready to frog the reeds/vegetation when the window opens. If wind dies and schools shift, cycle through a Spro Popping Frog, JackHammer, buzzbait, and a Strike King jig + craw on deeper points/drops to stay on fish.
Sunday, June 29th, 2025
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Report: Potholes Reservoir Fishing Report — June 29
Current Bite & Conditions:
BAM’s 60-boat pro field continued at Potholes Reservoir, where the leading angler stayed on known schools rather than practicing because weights are not zeroed. The Day Two bite was slower on the primary area, but a secondary location produced a full limit by 11 a.m. Fish were relating to bushes, grass, tules, and bush islands, often setting up based on wind, with key bites coming as a bait was rolled around the point of an island. Co-anglers found fish in shallow water near willows.
Best Techniques & Baits:
ChatterBait (B-Hite Delight) with a black Fluke trailer; medium retrieve, targeting bushes/grass/tules and bush island points.
Six-inch Senko (green pumpkin) with a heavy Neko to make a fast drop and trigger reaction bites.
Six-inch Magnum worm (local company), in darker shades, fished shallow.
Key Depths / Zones:
2–5 ft off the edge of willows (“money zone”).
Bushes, grass, tules, and bush island points (wind-based fish setup).
Primary/secondary schools revisited to build weight.
Day Two success came from maximizing known schools and adjusting when the primary area slowed—shifting to a secondary spot to finish a limit early. Reaction with a ChatterBait around vegetation and bush islands, and a fast-dropping Neko-rigged Senko, anchored the pro lead. On the co side, a darker six-inch Magnum worm in 2–5 ft around willows produced quality bites.
Tournament Spotlight (Day Two Leaders):
Pro Leader: Darryl Burkhardt — 36.76 (Day 1: 18.52; Day 2: 18.24) — ChatterBait (B-Hite Delight) + black Fluke; six-inch Senko (green pumpkin) with heavy Neko; fish around bushes/grass/tules and bush island points (wind-based setup).
Co-Angler Leader: Derek Eggimann — 27.80 (Day 1: 11.14; Day 2: 16.66) — Six-inch Magnum worm (darker shades) in 2–5 ft; let it “marinate” off the edge of willows.Tips: Tip of the Tournament:
Stick with established schools and build the biggest bag possible: roll a ChatterBait (B-Hite Delight) with a black Fluke around wind-facing bush island points and vegetation, and drop a six-inch Senko (green pumpkin) on a heavy Neko to force quick reaction bites. In shallow zones, work a darker six-inch Magnum worm in 2–5 ft and let it sit just off willow edges to draw the better fish.
Saturday, June 28th, 2025
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Report: Potholes Reservoir Fishing Report — June28
Current Bite & Conditions:
BAM’s 60-boat pro field found fish grouped in schools around flooded reeds, wood, brush in 2–4 ft, and berms with water blowing into them. Some areas produced early limits, while other stretches required moving between two located schools. Fish were described as scattered but abundant.
Best Techniques & Baits:
Finesse/Bottom: 6" Yamamoto Senko on a heavy Neko (faster fall) with a VMC wacky-rigged hook (wire weed guard).
Reaction: ChatterBait (produced another four-pounder at Winchester).
Frog (co-angler): Spro frog on a Daiwa Tatula 7'4" XH frog rod, Daiwa Tatula reel, 70-lb Samurai braid.
Additional “drop baits”: Senkos, jigs, flip baits at the start spot around reeds/wood.
Rod/Reel (pro): Lews medium-heavy rod + Lews reel, spooled with 17-lb test for the Neko-rigged Senko.
Key Depths / Zones:
2–4 ft brush.
Flooded reeds and wood (starting spot).
Berms with water blowing into them (current/wind influence).
Winchester (secondary area producing ChatterBait bites).
Locating two solid schools and prioritizing the starting area around reeds/wood produced an early limit, including a four-plus kicker on a heavy-Neko 6" Senko. A move to Winchester added more quality on a ChatterBait. Co-anglers found key bites on a Spro frog with heavy braid.
Tournament Spotlight (Day One):
Pro Leader: Darryl Burkhardt — 18.52 (won by 0.03); Senkos, jigs, flip baits around flooded reeds/wood; 6" Yamamoto Senko on heavy Neko (Lews MH + Lews reel, 17-lb); ChatterBait at Winchester; targeting brush in 2–4 ft and berms with water blowing in.
2nd: Jake Boomer — 18.49
3rd: Ty Manterola — 17.47 (Big Bass 6.16)
Co-Angler Day One Lead: Cody Barker — 16.24 (Big Bass 5.60) — Key bite on Spro frog (Daiwa Tatula 7'4" XH + Tatula reel, 70-lb Samurai braid); mixed four different baits; “kept casting all day.”Tips: Tip of the Tournament:
Start where flooded reeds/wood meet brush in 2–4 ft, and use a heavy-Neko-rigged 6" Yamamoto Senko (with a VMC weed-guard hook) to trigger quick reaction bites. When the school fades, rotate to a ChatterBait on berms with water blowing in (and check Winchester if you have it located). For a big bite around cover, keep a Spro frog ready on 70-lb Samurai braid and Daiwa Tatula frog setup.
Friday, August 24th, 2007
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Water Temp: Armando Snyder
Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)
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Thursday, March 22nd, 2007
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Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)
Report: Fishing the Western Divisionals May 7-11th. Any help would be much app. Please e-mail me any info. It should be spawning time !! Serious inq. only !!!!
City: Mesa, AZ
Monday, April 24th, 2006
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Water Temp: 52-56
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Fished Potholes open tournament this last weekend. Weighed 4 largemouth totaling 15.27 pounds. Good enough for 17th place. My partner Russel Baker and I caught all our fish in 6' or less of water. Three on blue/black jig & pigs. One on a texas rig Yamamoto double tail hula grub the 176 color pattern. Fish were deep in the thick brush near the dike deep in the dunes.
Saturday, April 26th, 2003
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Water Temp: ?
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Well I drove 180 miles one way to ish Potholes today. It was kinda sunny riday evening, I didnt ish then though. Saturday morning it was cold, windy and not very good. I ished the dunes or bass, didn't get a bite. I only ished around 3 beaver huts. I saw a walleye in about 6 eet o water which suprised me. Water Clarity was really good. I ished along the rocks o Lind Coulee later in the morning. Only got a 6 inch smallmouth. Weather was just to cold this week and screwed up the bass. They had a tournament the previous week that had a lot o good results. There were bass boats out there ishing a tourny, but it looked like a smaller club tournament. I'll be back when its 90 degrees and topwater time :)
City: RentonTips: Wait or the temp to go up.
Tuesday, January 1st, 2002
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Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: in corral lake i caught 10 big mouth bass between 10-15 lbs each using a red tailed goose ly
City: pearl, washington
Thursday, June 7th, 2001
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Water Temp: 66-68 degree's
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Kapowson is a un lake to ish on,shallow with alot o structure to ish around.I seen alot o bass in the 2-5 pound range.I landed a 3lb. and some smaller bass using a 1/4oz. light brown jig and craw trailer around stump's & pad's.The WDWF. is inally going to be putting a public boat launch at the lake in 2003.Thank's guy's,because that should mean that we can expect more planted ish and possibly a ish pen over at Erickson's small boat launch,boat rental's,ishing dock & tackle/bait shop.I do not recommend using your outbord motor,their is to many tree stump's just below the surace.
City: Lake Kapowson
Date Unknown
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Water Temp: 57-60
Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)
Report: Fished 6 hrs in crab Creek & Winchester arms. Located a ew very spooky buck bass. Caught 4 using 70 series Cultiva minnows and "StandStill" cranking method. The key was inding a Largemouth, then backing way o or several minutes. Finally make a long cast past the ish's holding position and bring the Minnow to him. Strikes ranged rom mildly agressive to barely noticable.Better luck next time and -Full Livewells, Smitty
City: RENTON -
Water Temp: ???
Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)
Report: Fished the Western Bass Club tournament this last weekend on Potholes. Fishing was air, with larger ish tough to come by. The big ish or the tournament was a 4lb. largemouth caught by ellow tin boater, Larry Sullivan. Lyle Logston (sp?) won the tournament with 10 ish weighing 14+ pounds.I caught a decent amount o ish over the weekend, but not much size to them. Keeper ish came on 176 yamamotos rigged on a jighead and hotlips cranks. Smallies were anywhere rom 5-20 eet deep and near rocky points. Most ish were caught in Lind Coulee and Goose Island. With the water almost 20 eet below pool, the dunes were void o any willow cover, and were tough to get into... watch out or shallow water!The mornings both days were cold, with air temps below reezing at times. The wind stayed down all weekend, except or late Sunday when a slight breeze kicked up. The water is pea green right now, so you can ish up pretty tight.
City: NewcastleTips: Don't run on plane in the dunes :)
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