Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for July 24, 2025
Fly fishing
The Spokane River is still a good place to catch a trout. Silver Bow Fly Shop recommends dry-dropper rigs with a big chubby or hopper and various caddis nymphs. Nymph rigs have also been effective in the faster plunge pools and riffles.
Summer on the St. Joe River has been good and should continue to be good. Attractors will produce as well as caddis patterns. Prospecting with a chubby/dropper or just a regular Chernobyl is a good starting point.
The North Fork Clearwater and Kelly Creek are good summer options. The Lochsa and Selway rivers have been fishing well.
Trout and kokanee
Trout action has slowed on most of the lowland lakes, but the occasional positive report comes from Fishtrap Lake, where some anglers are finding trout by drifting bait on the south end. Waitts and Diamond lakes have been productive from dusk on for anglers dunking Power Bait or worm/marshmallow “sandwiches” in deep water. Jumpoff Joe rainbow have been biting Power Bait as well as worm/marshmallow combos over the springs to the left of the resort.
Lake Pend Oreille is giving up a lot of small macks and some big rainbow. Priest Lake macks are biting near the islands. Trollers are taking the larger fish on spoons and plugs down deep.
Kokanee fishing is good at Dworshak Reservoir. Most anglers are fishing the lower end below Dent Bridge, but this will change soon as the mature kokanee migrate upstream toward their spawning grounds. Fishing will then be best above the Grandad Bridge.
Steelhead and salmon
The Lake Wenatchee sockeye season opened Wednesday with a limit of four fish. It will close Aug. 31, one hour after sunset. Selective gear rules are in effect.
The recreational harvest allocation for sockeye in the Hanford Reach and Upper Columbia River has been met and the season has closed. The Columbia River from Rocky Reach Dam to Wells Dam is open Wednesday through Saturday through July 31. Fishing for fall chinook from Priest Rapids Dam to Rock Island Dam opens Sept. 1, as described in the 2025-2026 Washington Sport Fishing Rules Pamphlet.
Spiny ray
Some big catches of 9- to 10-inch Loon Lake perch have been made recently by anglers working small baited jigs in 25 feet of water off the weed beds along the east side of the lake. Sacheen Lake has been giving up some nice largemouth bass as well as perch and a few big crappie.
Good perch fishing is also available now at Coffeepot, Deer, Waitts and Long lakes. Don’t look for them close to shore, but rather in at least 20 feet of water. Get as close to the big weed beds as you can, or better yet, find pockets deep inside these beds that allow your offering to reach the bottom.
Priest Lake smallmouth are numerous in rocky areas close to shore in about 10 feet of water. Small diving plugs and plastics are both effective.
With no size or bag limits, fishing for walleye in Lake Pend Oreille should be on your fishing to-do list this summer. Recent surveys by Idaho Fish and Game show there is an abundant year class of 14- to 17-inch, “eater-size” walleye. Fish and Game is managing Lake Pend Oreille for a low-density walleye population to prevent excessive levels of predation on kokanee, so bringing home a cooler full of delicious fish while also helping to sustain Lake Pend Oreille’s fishery is a win-win. This summer, fish the weed edges at dusk and dawn in 14-20 feet of water.
Long Lake largemouth and smallmouth bass are hitting everything from spinnerbaits and weedless frogs to weedless spoons like the Johnson Silver Minnow and medium-diving Rapalas. Coffeepot Lake bass have also been biting well, with green pumpkin Senkos seeing excellent action. Crankbaits are also effective. Top-water swim baits like the Zara Spook have been effective at most bass lakes, but the best action with these is usually before the sun hits the water.
Silver Lake near Cheney has provided some excellent bass fishing. The lake is loaded with small perch and bluegill. Some of the bluegill are a decent size.
For larger perch, Curlew Lake would be hard to beat. Boats launching out of the state park don’t have to motor far to find the fish in the 20 to 30 feet of water the perch prefer.
Other species
The mouth of the Palouse River has been a good spot to catch channel cats and bullheads on cut bait or nightcrawlers.
Coeur d’Alene Lake pike are being found lately in less than 15 feet of water on the edges of weed beds. Bass fishing has also been good. The flat water of the St. Joe above Lake Chatcolet has been decent for pike.
Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com