Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for May 30, 2024

Thu., May 30, 2024

By Alan Liere The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

If you plan to release a fish, do not hold it up vertically for even a few seconds. If it must be handled, wet your hands, support the belly and hold it horizontally.

Heads up: Fins and Feathers and Les Schwab in Coeur d’Alene will be sponsoring a kids’ fishing tournament on Fernan Lake from 8 a.m. to noon on June 15. Fishing gear and other prizes will be awarded to participants. Call Fins and Feathers (208-887-9304) to register.

Idaho’s Free Fishing Day is June 8. At two local events, fishing equipment will be available for use and experts will be on hand to help novice anglers learn the joys of fishing: These are: Salmon, Kids Creek Pond, 10 a.m. to noon, and Stanley, Sawtooth Kids Pond, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

While a limited number of rods and reels will be available for use during these events, participants are encouraged to bring their equipment if possible.

Overheard: Trout fishing on Curlew Lake is the best in years, according to the folks at Fisherman’s Cove Resort. A lot of 14- to 16-inch fish have been netted, and even a few large (14- to 17-inch) kokanee, which have not shown in the lake until just recently.

Braggin’ rights: Koocanusa Resort & Marina in Montana held their its annual fishing derby May 18 and 19 with 328 anglers and lots of big rainbow. The winner was a local man from Libby, Rich Hutter, with a rainbow weighing eight 8 pounds, seven 7 ounces. He won $2,296. Kokanee fishing was slow, but Deanna Kazemba weighed in 20 fish at four 4 pounds, three3 ounces, winning $820. The best fishing was south of the marina.

Fly fishing

The Spokane River reopened last Saturday. Flows have dropped, but it is still cold, swift and challenging wading. Rubberleg stonefly nymphs, caddis pupa and streamers are all early-season choices. Caddis are also hatching.

Premium water conditions are reported on the North Fork Coeur d’Alene River. Salmonflies are still around, especially higher up in the drainage. Gray and green drakes, pale morning duns, blue-winged olives, yellow sallies and golden stones are all on the menu. Subsurface fishing will remain consistent. Streamers have been reliable with small to midsized sculpin or leech patterns the best.

Conditions are also great on the St. Joe, but the uppermost parts of the drainage above Red Ives are still cold and do not have as much fishable water. The hatches are similar to those on the Coeur d’Alene.

The Clark Fork has dropped. Levels are still on the high side and clarity isn’t great, but the fishing has been good. Clark Fork trout love podding up and sipping mayflies, especially on overcast days.

Kenyon of Silver Bow Fly Shop fished the lower Grande Ronde near Heller Bar recently and reported great smallmouth bass fishing. Smolt-colored streamers produced a lot of fish, but crawdad style flies fished near the bottom caught the larger fish.

Trout and kokanee

In June, Idaho Fish and Game will be stocking seven ponds and lakes with rainbow trout. These are: Elsie Lake, Fernan Lake, Gene Day Pond (also known as Osburn Pond), Post Falls Park Pond (a great fishing spot for kids and anglers with special needs), Sinclair Lake, Smith Lake and Steamboat Pond. Of these, Fernan Lake will receive the largest number of fish at 5,200.

About 12,000 triploid rainbow were released recently into Rufus Woods. While these smaller fish are easy to catch, they make it difficult to get the bigger trout for which Rufus is noted.

Slow drifting with Power Bait has worked well on the south end of Fishtrap Lake in about 20 feet of water. Clear Lake browns and rainbows are still hitting trolled flies and spoons. Flatfish remain effective.

Fish Lake in Chelan County has been a good place for a stringer of 11- to 12-inch rainbow and possibly some kokanee. It also has a hefty population of perch.

Coeur d’Alene Lake kokanee are hitting trolled offerings in 25 to 35 feet of water. They are running 9 to 10 inches. Big Pend Oreille trout are hitting flies and Apexes up high. Fishing has been good.

Salmon and steelhead

The harvest quota has bumped up again for Clearwater River chinook. A seven-days-a-week season is predicted and good fishing will most likely last until late June.

Fishing for spring chinook on the Icicle River at Leavenworth has been slow, but there are fish being caught and there are more on the way. The river is high but not cloudy. The main problem with fishing the Icicle is the shortage of spots for bank or boat fishing.

Chinook anglers are hoping to see enough fish enter the Wenatchee River that it will be opened to springer fishing. Things are looking promising.

The mainstem spring hatchery chinook season below Bonneville Dam from Rocky Point/Tongue Point upstream to Beacon Rock and from Beacon Rock to Bonneville Dam will be open to fishing June 12-15.

Spiny ray

Clear Lake is a good destination for largemouth bass, and it is also giving up some decent-sized bluegill. Fish the docks for crappie at Twin Lake near Inchelium.

Some of the best walleye fishing on Lake Roosevelt has been near the mouth of the Colville River. The smallmouth bite is picking up anywhere there are rocks on the bottom. Throw scented tube jigs. Banks Lake is also a good bet for walleye, and smallmouth bass are everywhere.

Long Lake has been slow for crappie fishermen, but when you find them (usually in about 10 feet of water), it will not be uncommon to come home with fish averaging close to 10 inches and some stretching as long as 14. In Idaho, Hayden and Hauser have also been good for large crappie.

Newman Lake has been good for largemouth bass, and a few large crappie have also been caught. Throw Senkos in the lily pads for the bass and smaller jigs under a bobber for the crappie. Don’t be surprised, either, to hook something much larger, as there are tiger muskies on the prowl. Silver Lake largemouth and tiger muskie are also hitting. Anglers fishing in the stumps for perch and bluegill are sometimes surprised when one of these hits a small curlytailed jig.

The Largemouth bass fishing continues to be good on Potholes Reservoir. Throw half-ounce black and blue jigs, swim jigs, jerkbaits, chatter baits, Senkos, spinnerbaits, frogs and Texas rigged plastics back in the dunes. Fish are in 1 to 12 feet of water. Some of the largemouth are still on beds.

Walleye fishing is improving. They have finished their spawn and are in the weeds back in the sand dunes and up Crab Creek. Troll a Slow Death rig with a crawler or cast paddle tail swim baits in 6 to 15 feet of water.

Other species

Pike fishing has been “decent” on Lake Coeur d’Alene, according to Fins and Feathers, which recommends trolling jerkbaits or spinnerbaits in 6 to 12 feet of water. Smallmouth bass are on their beds and fairly easy to catch.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com