Bassmasters Magazine ranks Columbia River and Dworshak Reservoir in Top 100 best bass fishing spots

Walla Walla, WA. -  Of the thousands of fishing holes across the nation, two locations managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District made the Bassmaster Magazine Top-100 list of best places to fish for bass, according to an April 24 release by B.A.S.S. Communications at www.bassmaster.com/news/bassmaster-magazine-crowns-100-best-bass-lakes.  

The Columbia River in Oregon and Washington ranked number 20 on the list. Much of the river’s natural resources recreation opportunities are managed by the Corps’ Walla Walla, Portland and Seattle districts. The river runs about 1,200 miles from its headwaters in British Columbia, Canada, through Washington and Oregon to the Pacific Ocean near Astoria, OR.

The Corps operates five dams on the Columbia River main stem, each forming a lake and water recreation opportunities including fishing. The Walla Walla District operates McNary Lock and Dam in Umatilla, OR, which created Lake Wallula stretching upstream to the Kennewick-Pasco-Richland area in Washington.

Dworshak Reservoir located near Ahsahka, ID, on the north fork of the Clearwater River, ranked number 85 on the Bassmaster Top-100. The reservoir extends 53 miles upstream of Dworshak Dam, with dozens of secluded inlets and streams creating ideal bass-fishing conditions. The state-record smallmouth bass record, weighing in at 9.72 pounds, was caught on Dworshak Reservoir by Dan Steigers of Juliaetta, ID on Oct. 28, 2006.

Dworshak Dam is a large straight-axis concrete gravity dam 717 feet high and 3,287 feet long. Its construction created various marinas, boat launches and camping facilities on the reservoir. Dworshak’s generator unit number three is the largest hydroelectric generator in the Corps of Engineers’ inventory, capable of producing up to 220 megawatts of electricity. 

Bass club and other outdoor recreation groups frequently choose Dworshak for group events and tournaments, according to Corps park rangers at the dam. If your group is interested in scheduling an event at Dworshak, call the visitor center at 208-476-1255 to find out how to apply for a special use permit.

Recreation information for the Walla Walla District’s McNary Lock and Dam area is available from the McNary Natural Resources Management Office in Umatilla, OR at 541-922-2268; Upper Lake Wallula information upstream of McNary is available from Ice Harbor Natural Resources Management in Burbank, WA at 509-547-2048.

More information about Walla Walla District outdoor recreation opportunities is available at www.nww.usace.army.mil/corpsoutdoors.