Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for June 12, 2025
Tip of the week
With tiger muskie biting on Newman and Silver lakes near Spokane, anglers who go after these toothsome fish need to develop a technique for releasing them quickly and safely. Make sure your net is big enough – about 20 inches wide and 20 inches deep. Have a pair of long-nosed needle-nose pliers handy for removing the hook, and a pair of bolt cutters capable of cutting through the hook if the fish has taken it deep or it is in its gills. The fish will remain calm in the net, so leave it there as the hooks are disengaged. If a quick picture is desired, lift the fish by grasping it just past the tail and supporting the head. Do not hold it vertically as this can damage the spine. Return it to the net to recover before turning it loose.
Overheard
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is conducting a creel survey on the Kootenai River through Oct. 15. During the survey period, anglers will be asked to participate in a 2- to 3-minute interview after completing their fishing for the day to gather information about their experience.
Heads up
Saturday is Idaho’s Free Fishing Day. All anglers, residents and nonresidents, are invited to celebrate the day by fishing without a license. All other rules and bag limits still apply. Fish and Game will also host a number of fishing events across the state to introduce fishing to new anglers.
Braggin’ rights
My son Matthew just returned from several days of fishing on the West Side with two friends. He brought home a limit (80) of shrimp, a 25-pound halibut and several rock bass, all from the Neah Bay area. The most exciting fishing, he said, was for ling cod on the west coast of Vancouver Island, just off Port Renfrew, where his group caught numerous big fish without hooking any of them. He said they used live greenling for bait, hooking them through the lip and lowering them to the bottom. The ling cod would take the bait and hold on while being raised slowly to the surface where they were netted just as they let go.
Fly fishing
The Spokane River has dropped nicely, providing more wade-fishing options. Silver Bow Fly Shop said a chubby/dropper combo gets it done. There have been good caddis hatches on the warm afternoons and evenings, and the dry fly fishing can pick up in late evening.
The North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River is in its peak shape for the season. Dry fly fishing has been great top to bottom. Fishing mayfly patterns with droppers can be productive. Terrestrials have also begun to generate strikes.
The St. Joe River levels have dropped and wade fishing is a good option. It’s coming into prime time.
Montana rivers like the Clark Fork near St. Regis are dropping and should become a decent option by the weekend.
Trout and kokanee
After a slow start this spring, the bite on Dworshak Reservoir has turned on, and anglers are catching limits of kokanee, most in the 10- to 13-inch range. Dworshak allows 25 kokanee per person.
Lake Coeur d’Alene kokanee are larger this year, running 10-12 inches. Powder Horn Bay has been good, as has Spokane Point. The fish have been suspended at about 30 feet. Lake Pend Oreille kokes are small this year, but the mackinaw fishing has been good for 3- to 4-pound fish on the troll.
In Montana, Koocanusa Lake kokanee are running 7 to 12 inches but are in huge schools. If you don’t find one, fishing can be tough despite the 50-fish daily limit. It will improve as the fish spread out during the warmer weather. Trout fishing is said to be decent, but when it gets going in late June, 4- to 10-pound fish are not uncommon.
Also in Montana, Camp Tuffit on Lake Mary Ronan reports kokanee from 11 to 13 inches. Unlike most years, the bite lasts all day rather than just being early and late.
Also, jigging with an unbaited Swedish Pimple has become popular. The bite is good but tails off toward the end of the month and then goes “lights out” through July and August, when the fish are running 15 to 16 inches.
Although Marshall Lake Resort closed a number of years ago, the lake is stocked annually with Westslope cutthroat trout and there is a public launch available. Marshall Lake cutthroats don’t get large, but there are a lot of them, and the evening bite can be spectacular on top.
Sacheen Lake brown trout are just slightly larger than the rainbow trout. A friend has good luck trolling a fly on the surface in the evening. Diamond Lake also has good rainbow action on the north end.
Williams Lake trout anglers are catching more big fish than before, many of them weighing 2½ to 4 pounds. While the dock fishing at Bunkers Resort has slowed way down, fishing has picked up for still fishermen around the popular Tree 11 hole, and trollers are doing well on the west end along the cliffs.
Steelhead and salmon
The Clearwater chinook run has moved farther upriver, which means the South Fork of the Clearwater should provide some action in the coming weeks.
Chinook fishing at the confluence of the Main Salmon and Little salmon has been slower than expected with the bite coming only in a 30-minute flurry at dawn and nothing after that. The fish are smaller than usual. The Little Salmon is in excellent shape, however, and fishing is expected to pick up soon.
The salmon and steelhead angling rules for the Wind River have been returned to the permanent rules listed in the Washington Sport Fishing Rules. All other permanent rules remain in effect.
The Columbia River sockeye fishery on the Hanford Reach opens Monday. Above Priest Rapids Dam, it will open July 1, with both areas allowing a four-sockeye daily limit.
Coeur d’Alene Lake chinook are hitting flashers and Mini-Squids at 40 to 50 feet. Jeff Smith at Fins and Feathers in Coeur d’Alene said there are a lot of fish under 24 inches (the new minimum size for keeping), but out of every five fish hooked, two will usually be legal fish up to 8 pounds.
Spiny ray
About 8 miles northeast of Deer Park, Fan Lake is a multispecies lake with a public launch.
While trout used to be its main attraction and are still planted, the lake is best known for largemouth bass and other spiny ray.
Smallmouth bass fishing is good on Idaho’s Hayden and Coeur d’Alene lakes. Fishermen are throwing Wooly Buggers or small tube jigs to shore. Long Lake has also been good, and anglers there are also catching good numbers of 14- to 17-inch walleye in shallow water.
Coffeepot Lake anglers are finding plenty of 2- to 3-pound largemouth. Senkos have been effective. Newman, Liberty, Silver, Houser and Hayden lakes are producing some bigger largemouth.
Barker Flats on Banks Lake holds plenty of smallmouth along the rocks. Anglers casting to deeper water there are also having good walleye action.
Northern pike on Coeur d’Alene Lake are hitting spoons. Fishing will improve when the weed beds become more defined. The smallmouth bass bite has been good at Priest Lake.
Other species
All-depth halibut fishing in Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) will open for additional days on Monday, Tuesday and June 30.
Shad are moving up the Columbia River and beginning to arrive in good numbers at McNary and Ice Harbor dams.
Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com