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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Idaho satisfies all angler desires

Rich Landers Outdoors editor

North Idaho lakes have a little bit of everything, from perch to state-record tiger muskies, and from joy to sorrow.

Bright spots include numerous lakes full of panfish eager to bite a baited hook, regardless of who’s tending the rod at the other end. Examples include Chatcolet, Cocolalla, Fernan, Hauser, Hayden, Shepherd, Twin and the Lower Coeur d’Alene chain lakes

And the cutthroat trout fisheries in the Coeur d’Alene and St. Joe rivers are world-class.

“The rivers should continue to be very good with a good range of fish sizes,” said Chip Corsi, Idaho Fish and Game’s regional manager. “It doesn’t appear that any water runoff events are going to affect them. In fact, the Coeur d’Alene River stretch from the South Fork down to the Cataldo Mission area is so good we’re considering a proposal to allow fishing earlier in the season.

“There are some great hatches in late winter and early spring. If we manage the harvest with catch-and-release, the fishery could hold up to it. Heck, there’s no reason for everybody to be driving past the Coeur d’Alene on their way to the Clark Fork this time of year.”

Both the Coeur d’Alene and the St. Joe already have catch-and-release sections that help preserve the fishery capital despite a growing interest among fishermen seeking quality streams.

As good as the fishing is on the Coeur d’Alene River, telemetry studies show that poaching is rampant on the 20-mile section of the North Fork from the South Fork upstream to the Prichard area. About 30 percent of the mature fish apparently are being illegally taken and killed, the research indicates.

Lake Coeur d’Alene is the most popular fishing destination in Idaho, according to a statewide survey conducted in 2005, and it shouldn’t disappoint many anglers this year.

The biggest change is the reduction in the kokanee limit from 25 to a new limit that allows an angler to keep no more than six salmon (kokanee and/or chinook) a day. “We’re trying to reduce the harvest of kokanee and increase the take of chinook to try to get the fishery back in balance,” Corsi said.

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe has not yet announced whether it will enact similar rules on its waters south of the Harrison area. Anglers must buy a tribal license to fish in the tribe’s waters.

Meanwhile, bass fishing continues to improve in Lake Coeur d’Alene. “The smallmouth fishery especially is growing all around the shoreline,” Corsi said. “We encourage people to catch them and keep them. They’re delicious.”

“For better or worse, smallmouths are even showing up in Priest Lake.”

Lake Pend Oreille continues to struggle with a collapsing kokanee fishery. Cash and rewards are being offered for anglers who catch and kill big rainbows and mackinaw to reduce predation and give kokanee some breathing room to increase numbers.

For the first time in memory, the Clark Fork River and some tributaries opened April 1 from the mouth upstream to the old railroad bridge to the harvesting of big spawning rainbows as part of the kokanee recovery program.

“Success has been pretty limited, but there’s a chance to catch some nice fish in the periods when water flows come down,” Corsi said. “I know of at least one 10-pounder.”