Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for Oct. 2, 2025
Fly fishing
Silver Bow Fly Shop says the Spokane River is fishing well. There has been some bwo activity and you could possibly see fall caddis and October caddis. A chubby and dropper are working well, as do Euro or bobber rigs.
For the North Fork Coeur d’Alene, pack some October caddis for the afternoons. Mahoganies are on the radar too. Good fall fishing continues on the St. Joe River. Streamer fishing has been picking up.
Great fishing continues on the North Fork of the Clearwater and Kelly Creek. October caddis have been the main bug, but mahogany duns, blue winged olives, and purple hazes will round out the dry fly selection.
Trout and Kokanee
Fishing was slow for two friends at Waitts Lake this week as they landed only four brown trout between 11 and 13 inches.
Coeur d’Alene Lake kokanee are in spawning mode and the big fish are turning red. Hayden Lake kokanee aren’t as far along in the spawning cycle, and it is still possible to catch a silvery fish. The best bite has been at 40 feet.
Several Idaho lakes and ponds in the Clearwater region will be stocked in October. Among them are the easily accessed Winchester Lake with 12,000 rainbow trout stocked. Docks and fishing platforms are available. Kiwanis Park Pond in Lewiston will receive 900 rainbow trout.
In the Panhandle region, Kelso Lake, Spicer Pond and Steamboat Pond will be stocked with rainbow trout in October.
Several lakes north of Spokane remain open for trout through October. Cedar Lake and Rocky Lake in Stevens County should be good for rainbow, and Renner Lake in Ferry County will serve up brown and brook trout. Renner is a walk-in lake with good shoreline access. Closer to Spokane, Badger, Amber and Clear are good bets for rainbow or cutthroat, and Clear Lake also has some big largemouth bass.
Steelhead and salmonIdaho Fish and Game closed harvest of unclipped adult fall chinook salmon statewide on Sept. 19, and that closure has been extended through Friday. If more fish don’t show up at Lower Granite Dam soon, the restriction may be extended further. Fisheries for adipose-clipped fall chinook will remain open.
Diminished flows in the Clearwater River has shut off the bite of fall chinook and steelhead. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s Clearwater Region Fisheries Manager Joe Dupont says that as the water cools in the confluence, fall chinook will move on upstream. Steelhead fishing in the Snake River around Heller Bar should pick up in a couple of weeks and the lower Salmon River will likely turn on a week after that.
Friends who fished between Vernita Bridge and Priest Rapids Dam caught their limits of chinook this week and said a lot of fish were being caught there.
Spiny ray
Long Lake fishing has been very good for big perch, whether trolling or still-fishing, and the bite should continue for at least a couple more weeks. You’re likely to catch a variety from Long this month, as walleye, bass and rainbow trout are also putting on the feed bags.
Walleye anglers have been catching a lot of fish while trolling crankbaits, bottom bouncing worm harnesses, and throwing jigs on Potholes Reservoir. These fish are on the deep humps on the face of the dunes to the mouth of Crab Creek and along the rock flats on the east side of Goose Island. The riprap along the dam is starting to produce large walleye on jerkbaits.
Potholes anglers have also been catching large numbers of big perch (12-16 inches) while bottom bouncing worm harnesses around the mouth of Crab Creek and the humps to the north of there, but the bluegill and crappie bite has slowed.
Walleye fishing has been very good on Banks Lake. Barker Flats and Devils Lake have been booting out ‘eyes from 13 to 20 inches and some large perch as well.
Other species
The first round of razor clam digging opportunities at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks beaches are from Monday to Oct. 12. For more information, refer to WDFW’s razor clam webpage.
Hunting
In the Clearwater region of Idaho, the Redbird segment of the Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area and Palouse youth-only Access Yes! site will be stocked with pheasants for the youth-only season that runs Saturday through Friday. The Palouse youth-only Access Yes! site requires a signup. In the Salmon region, pheasants will be stocked weekly at Pratt Creek, Kirtley Creek, and the Pahsimeroi River Access areas and will continue weekly during the season. The general season for Idaho pheasant opens Oct. 11 and runs through the end of December.
The Washington quail, chukar and gray partridge seasons open Saturday. Quail numbers are projected to be high, chukar numbers fair and gray partridge low. The pheasant and waterfowl seasons begins Oct. 18.
Some of my friends and family just returned with me from our annual waterfowl hunt in Alberta, Canada, with coolers filled with white-fronted and Canada geese. This trip, we concentrated on white-fronts (specklebellies) as they are the best tasting of all geese, but on the first day of the hunt, we also took a pair of sandhill cranes, adding this delicious “ribeye of the sky” to our annual end of the hunt” banquet with our many Canadian friends.
Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com