Fishing Report

Trout, Idaho

Several North Idaho lakes are still attracting many anglers, but the area’s cutthroat streams are luring many more fishers.

This is the time of year when a high percentage of fishers turn from lake fishing to stream fishing. Such streams as the Coeur d’Alene, St. Joe, Lochsa and Selway are the destination of hundreds of Idaho anglers and scores of fishers from throughout the country.

The Coeur d’Alene River is so low that floating the upper sections is no longer an option for most fishers.

The lower river, however, still is high enough for floating.

The St. Joe has been attracting large numbers of anglers, most of them fly fishers. Nearly all anglers wade the upper river, but some have been floating sections above and below Avery.

Although the Lochsa holds good-sized cutthroat, it isn’t nearly as popular as the St. Joe. However, fishing has been excellent the last 10 days, according to fisheries biologist Larry Barrett of Lewiston. Most of the big cutthroat that had been spawning in the tributaries have moved down into the main river and are hitting anglers lures and flies.

Mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies have been hatching along all of the rivers. In fact, some fly fishers automatically tie Elk Hair Caddis or Parachute Adams patterns on their tippets when they start fishing. Usually, the patterns are effective, but sometimes nymph patterns bring more strikes.

Clients of guide Rich Lindsay caught a couple of big Mackinaw trout at Priest Lake a few days ago. One of the clients caught a 40-pounder and decided to have the fish mounted. The other mack, a 30-pounder, was released.

Jeff Smith, owner of the Fins & Feathers shop at Coeur d’Alene, said that most of the macks being caught weigh 3 to 7 pounds. Anglers have been trolling plugs at 140 feet. Ice has melted at most mountain lakes and some anglers have done well, catching rainbows and cutthroat, Smith said. Popular lakes have been Elsie, near Kellogg, and Glidden and Revette, near the Idaho-Montana border.

Trout, Montana

Some fly fishers think Montana’s Clark Fork River is a better trout stream now than it’s been in several years.

To Donn Dunn, operator of the Clark Fork River Outfitters, fly fishing has been terrific the last few weeks. He said he and a client last Saturday hooked and released more than 40 trout during a 10-mile float from St. Regis to his property along the river.

That’s what the fishing’s been like, he said.

He and his client caught the fish on size 12 Royal Wulffs, size 14 Pale Morning Duns and size 10 green Stimulators.

The Kingfisher fly shop also said fly fishing has been outstanding along the Clark Fork. Hatching have been Pale Morning Dun and Green Drake mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies.

The shop’s guides recommend using size 8 Royal Stimulators with a size 14 or 16 flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph dropper, sizes 14 to 16 Parachute Adams and red parachute Madam X for the stoneflies.

Fly fishing also has been excellent along Rock Creek, the shop said. Recommended flies: extended body Green Drakes, olive cripples, Goddard or Elk Hair Caddis, Parachute Adams and Chernobyl Ant.

Spokane area fly fishers reported excellent fly fishing along the Missouri River during the caddisfly hatches in the evenings. Daytime fishing can be slow, they said.

Kokanee

Kokanee fishing has been phenomenal just before and after dark on most evenings, Joe Haley, manager of the Granite Point Resort, reported.

“Some fishermen who know how to catch the fish on baited hooks at night have been limiting in an hour,” he said. The daily limit is 10. The kokanee are 9 to 13 inches long, with most of them 11 to 13 inches.

Haley said that the still fishers have been going out on the lake about 8 each evening. When they spot kokanee on their sonars, they anchor and start fishing. In most cases, the fishers have been using glow hooks baited with maggots.

Still fishing has been more productive than trolling, he said, but trollers also have been doing well in the mornings before the speed boats and water skiers are out on the lake.

Trollers have been letting out 3-1/2 color of leaded line. They’ve been using Martin lures baited with corn or maggots.

Kokanee fishing has picked up at Lake Coeur d’Alene, Smith said. It was good last weekend. However, few anglers have been taking home 25-fish limits.

The 11- to 13-inch kokanee are 25 to 30 feet deep. Most productive areas have been in and near Squaw Bay, but some trollers have taken fish in Beauty Bay.

Trout, Washington

With surface temperatures now in the 70s at Eastern Washington lakes, anglers are fishing deep to catch trout.

Trollers are letting out three or more colors of leaded line ahead of their flies and lures to reach the trout that are staying in cool waters most of the day and moving into shallow water in the evenings.

Still fishers have been fishing in 20 to 30 feet of water.

The region’s big reservoirs are now the most productive spots for hooking big trout. They include Lake Roosevelt, Moses Lake and the Potholes Reservoir. Trollers have been hooking 2- to 6-pound rainbows.

Surprisingly, Sprague Lake is a good spot to troll and still fish for rainbows, even though it’s managed as a spiny ray lake. The trout stocked in the lake last April are now more than 13 inches long. In addition, an occasional carryover rainbow to more than 6 pounds is caught.

Resort operator Mike Mielke said Berkley’s Power Bait outfishes marshmallows and worms.

Most of the yearling trout in the trout-only lakes have been caught, but some lakes still have large enough numbers for fair and even good fishing.

Spiny rays

Fishing for the tiger muskies in Hauser Lake has slowed considerably, but northern pike in the lakes adjacent to the lower Coeur d’Alene River have been hitting anglers’ lures regularly, Smith said.

The most productive lakes have been Swan, Killarney and Blue.

Smith said most anglers have been casting spinner baits and Daredevles. The pike, for the most part, run 3 to 5 pounds. Pike fishing has been slow at Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Fishers have caught a few tiger muskies at Hauser Lake the last 10 days, he said, but the big, ugly fish have been tough to catch. Mielke said that walleye fishing continues to be good at Sprague Lake, with some anglers bringing in limits of fish that are 18 inches and longer.

“Most fishermen who have had good fishing for walleyes have been drifting worm harness rigs or casting Beetle Spins to the shoreline,” he said.

Walleye fishing has been slow at the Potholes Reservoir and only fair at Lake Roosevelt.

Salmon

Salmon fishing seems to be picking up at Lake Coeur d’Alene, Smith said.

A few big chinooks have been caught the last 10 days, he said. Guide Rick Caddy caught an 18-1/2-pounder while trolling herring behind a flasher in 75 feet of water. Don Fabin of Coeur d’Alene caught a 14-pounder on an Apex lure in 60 feet of water in front of the golf course.

Most of the salmon are 70 to 90 feet deep. Most productive fishing has been in the north end of the lake, primarily in deep water in front of Squaw and Bennett bays. Although most have been caught on herring behind flashers, Smith said anglers also should troll plastic squid behind flashers.

Salmon fishing is ending along Washington tributaries of the Columbia River system.

If you’ve been planning to fish the Icicle River, you’ve got only one more week to do so. The season ends July 22. Fishing has been slow along the river even though there have been enough chinooks in the river for fair to good fishing at times.

The Ringold Springs area of the Columbia River will remain open through July 31. However, anglers have had poor luck lately.

The lower Columbia from the Highway 395 bridge at Pasco to the Rocky Point/Tongue Point area has been open to fishing for sockeye salmon and chinook jacks. The season ends July 31.

Saturday and Sunday is the last weekend to fish for sockeye salmon in Lake Washington.

Salmon fishing has been outstanding out of some Coast ports since the season was opened recently.

Fishing out of Westport has been the best in years, in the opinion of Mark Cedergreen, executive director of the Westport Charterboat Association.

The catch has been about 70 percent coho in the 5-6-pound range. Chinooks are running 10 to 25 pounds.

The coastal salmon season is open Sunday through Thursday each week through September or until the quota of 28,900 coho and 7,400 chinook are caught.