Dworshak Reservoir makes Bassmaster Magazine’s list of Top 100 best bass fishing spots for fifth year in a row

For the fifth year in a row, Dworshak Reservoir, a water-recreation destination managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District, made the nationwide Bassmaster Magazine Top-100 list of best places to fish for bass, according to information released June 20 by B.A.S.S. Communications at https://www.bassmaster.com/best-bass-lakes.

Dworshak Reservoir, located near Ahsahka, on the north fork of the Clearwater River, ranked as number five in the Western Region. In previous years’ Top-100 lists, it ranked: 2015 - 74, 2014 - 47, 2013 - 26 and 2012 - 85. This year marks Bassmaster’s fifth year of publishing the Top-100 list.

Bassmaster made a significant change in organizing the rankings for this year’s list: “The Top 10 lakes in the nation are ranked regardless of location, but instead of ranking the remaining lakes through 100, as has been done in the past, Bassmaster divided the nation into four regions: Northeast, Southeast, Central and Western. Now, readers will see the Top 25 lakes closest to them. This also created four No. 1 regional fisheries.” 

“We’re extremely pleased to be recognized for providing some of the best bass fishing in the nation,” said Paul Pence, Dworshak Dam and Reservoir natural resources manager. “Combined with our campgrounds, marinas and boat launches, we offer some great outdoors recreation experiences for our visitors.”

Bass clubs and other outdoor recreation groups frequently choose Dworshak for group events and tournaments, according to Corps park rangers at the dam. Organizations 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.

Dworshak reservoir extends 53 miles upstream of Dworshak Dam, with a surface area of 17,090 at full-pool, about 175 shoreline miles, and dozens of secluded inlets, streams, rocky points, stumps and long bars 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, on Oct. 28, 2006. Dworshak Dam is a large straight-axis concrete gravity dam 717 feet high and 3,287 feet long. Its construction led to the development of various marinas, boat launches and camping facilities on the reservoir. 

The Columbia River in Oregon and Washington, downstream of McNary Dam to Portland, managed by the Corps’ Portland District, ranked number 18 in the Western Region. This stretch of the river also regularly made the cut on past years’ Bassmaster Top-100 lists.

Natural resources recreation opportunities are managed by the Corps’ Walla Walla, Portland and Seattle districts along much of the Columbia River’s length through the United States. 

The Columbia River runs about 1,200 miles from its headwaters in British Columbia, Canada, through Washington and Oregon to the Pacific Ocean near Astoria, Oregon. The Corps operates five dams on the Columbia River mainstem, each forming a lake and water recreation opportunities including fishing.

More information about Walla Walla District outdoor recreation opportunities is available at www.nww.usace.army.mil/corpsoutdoors. Portland District recreation information is available at http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/.

A photographic slide show of all top bass locations and their rankings in the Western Region is available on the Bassmaster Magazine website at http://www.bassmaster.com/best-bass-lakes/slideshow/25-best-bass-lakes-west.