Jim and Greg at Dworshak 10/26-10/27

Neither of us has had much experience fishing Dworshak, but wanted to try catching some big fall smallmouth. We managed only 3 small bass the afternoon of the 26th under bright sunshine and light winds. We fished mainly mid-lake trying several methods including trolling deep diving crankbaits, casting Rattle Traps, and pitching jigs into rocky areas.

We fished the entire day on the 27th with better results, catching 25 to 30 smallmouth. We boated 15 miles to the upper reaches of the reservoir near Grand Dad Bridge. Soft plastics resembling crawdads produced good action on rocky shorelines. Trolling and casting crankbaits also produced a few fish. We succeeded in finding small fish, but did not find the big bass we were hoping for. Nothing was over 14 inches.

Dworshak is a stunning lake and we were fortunate to see peak fall colors during our visit. Do your homework before making the 3-4 hour trek to Dworshak. Big lake draw-downs leave several boat ramps high and dry during certain times of the year. We camped and launched at Dent Acres Campground at mid-lake.