Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for Aug. 14, 2025
Fly fishing
The lower sections of the Spokane River have been good in the deeper parts where oxygenated water holds trout that will grab streamer and soft hackled fly patterns fished on sink tip fly lines. If you are nymphing the Spokane River now, you will probably catch more whitefish than at any other time of the year.
The Kootenai River is one of the best trout fisheries in August. Hoppers or Chernobyls and droppers and caddis and PMX style patterns work well in the late evening hours. Pale morning duns often hatch as well during this time of the year.
Most of the fishing reports from the St. Joe River have been decent, says Silver Bow Fly Shop.
Trout and Kokanee
Trout – both browns and rainbow – become active around 7:30 p.m. at Liberty, Diamond and Waitts lakes. The perch bite picks up around that time too. Diamond and Liberty have some perch approaching 12 inches. Overall, the northern trout lakes are fishing better than the ones south of Spokane.
Lake Coeur d’Alene kokanee fishing has been excellent, and the fish are running an impressive 11-13 inches. Jeff Smith at Fins and Feathers in Coeur d’Alene says this is the best fishing he has seen in many years, but the best bite is deep – 60 to 70 feet down. He also noted the kokes were being caught all over the lake but the East Arm might be the best. Most boats are cashing in on the generous 15-fish limit. Guided trips are available through Fins and Feathers, (208) 667-9304.
Steelhead and salmon
Lake Coeur d’Alene chinook fishing has been decent for 24-inch keepers. Successful anglers are trolling a small dodger and a fly or mini squid. Bigger fish are down deep in the stretch of water between East Point and the Coeur d’Alene River.
The quality of the Lake Wenatchee sockeye is still good, but the bite has been off, and the wind often makes trolling difficult. The limit is four a day, but anglers have been fortunate to average one fish each.
Chinook salmon (wild or hatchery) open daily beginning Monday on the Snake River from the downstream edge of the large power lines crossing the Snake just upstream of West Evans Road on the south shore (approximately three miles downstream of Clarkston), upstream to the Washington/Idaho state line. The limit is three adult chinook.
In the Columbia River Area through Aug. 10, 6,524 chinook (39% of the area guideline) and 43,043 coho (86% of the area quota) have been landed. At Westport through August 10, 11,160 chinook (50% of the area guideline) and 21,413 coho (58% of the area quota) have been landed. At La Push a total of 505 anglers participated in the all-species salmon fishery August 4-10, landing 101 chinook and 701 coho. Through Sunday, August 10, 1,010 chinook (44% of the area guideline) and 1,425 coho (55% of the area quota) have been landed. At Neah Bay through August 10, 9,029 chinook (72% of the area guideline) and 3,087 coho (30% of the area quota) have been landed.
Spiny ray
Deer Lake bass fishermen are finding a lot of largemouth and smallmouth bass by tossing plastics around docks and into the weeds. Dark colors have been the most productive.
Lake Roosevelt walleye are hugging weed beds in 15-25 feet of water. Trolled bottom walkers and nightcrawlers have worked the best on the flats. Most fish are the 16-18-inch “eater” size.
This is prime time for Banks Lake walleye. The area below the landmark known as Rosebush is a good place to start.
A friend reported an excellent day of fishing at Northport. He and a friend caught walleye, redband trout and a native cutthroat (all trout released) and several sturgeon, also quickly released without measuring as there is no sturgeon season there. He said water clarity and level were good. The bite was over by noon.
The smallmouth bite has been good along rocky shorelines on Priest Lake. Throw grubs or tubes.
Other species
Bucktails and surface plugs are taking tiger muskie from Newman, Silver and Curlew lakes. The bite has not been fast, but on occasion, it becomes frantic for a short time. The perch fishing at Curlew Lake remains good, as it does at Long Lake. Eloika Lake remains good for largemouth bass, but perch and crappie anglers are limited to dunking bait straight down in ever-decreasing pockets of open water.
Coeur d’Alene pike fishing has been fair for anglers using chartreuse or white in-line spinners and spinnerbaits in about 15 feet of water. Fernan Lake anglers have been concentrating on big channel cats more than trout lately.
Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com