Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for Oct. 23, 2025
Heads up
A prescribed fire operation to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire while promoting forest health and improving wildlife habitat near Suncrest was scheduled to begin this week on 433 acres of state trust lands about nine miles west of Suncrest and five miles southwest of Tum Tum. Smoke may be visible on nearby roadways, including State Route 291 and Corkscrew Canyon Road. Access to the Lake Spokane Campground may be impacted during active burning. Outdoor recreationists and hunters are encouraged to check closure information frequently to ensure the areas they plan to visit are open.
Braggin’ rights
My friend, Otto Klein, insisted I join him and his big German shorthair, Einstein, on the Palouse on the opening day of the pheasant season Saturday. I was reluctant to go because severe neuropathy in my feet and legs makes walking in heavy cover an adventure in staying upright. Nevertheless, I went – my 65th opening day in a row. I stayed mostly upright, and Otto and I knocked off early with two roosters each. He then surprised me with a tailgate lunch featuring elk tenderloin fried to perfection. We shared the banquet with a tired but very deserving Einstein.
Fly fishing
Rocky Ford usually gets good towards the end of this month, but it is very weedy with just a spot or two of open water. A few more hard frosts are needed.
Good fishing reports come from the Silver Bow Fly Shop guide crew on the Spokane River. Blue-winged olives, some October caddis, chubby Chernobyls, double nymph (or Euro rigs), streamers, and soft hackles all have potential. The bigger fish have been on the prowl lately and low flows make getting around easy.
Fall has been good on the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River. During mid-day you can usually find some risers looking for BWOs or midge emergers. October caddis, or fall caddis, should find some fish too. Nymphing and streamers seem to always work. Fish will be podded up in the deeper water.
The St. Joe River continues to see good fall fishing action. Mornings are chilly, so it will be a slower start and probably a nymph game, but midday and afternoon should see some rising fish. Small bugs are attracting most of the attention. Pack a variety of your BWOs and midge emergers as the trout can get wise to your pattern and you will need to mix it up.
Trout and Kokanee
Big Pend Oreille Kamloops trout are moving up in the water column and anglers will soon begin targeting them near the surface with big flies. In Washington, Lake Bonaparte tiger trout are coming into shallower water near shore where anglers can catch them with an assortment of spinners and jerkbaits.
The Lake Pend Oreille Angler Science Program partners with the fishing community to gather information that helps biologists better understand rainbow trout catch rates, harvest and survival. Participants primarily contribute by recording catch data in logbooks and reporting tagged fish. Anglers must record fishing information while targeting rainbow trout on Lake Pend Oreille during periods that align with local fishing derbies. All fishing participants will be entered into a free raffle with opportunities to win high-quality gear. Logbooks are included with the purchase of derby tickets. The Lake Pend Oreille Angler’s Club Fall Derby runs Oct. 29–Nov. 2. The Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club’s Thanksgiving Derby runs Nov. 22–30. Completed logbooks must be submitted by Dec. 10 to qualify for the free raffle. For anglers not participating in a derby, free logbooks are available at the Panhandle Regional Office, 2885 W. Kathleen Ave., Coeur d’Alene.
Steelhead and salmon
Fishing has picked up at the Snake/Clearwater confluence and up to the Cherry Lane Bridge. Bobber fishers are using red shrimp soaked in garlic oil at 20 feet for some nice B-run steelhead.
The lower Grande Ronde has been good for steelheaders. Fly fishermen are doing best with nymphs, but bait (shrimp or eggs) are also taking fish. The Shumaker stretch has been slower than the water above Boggan’s, but there are fish moving through and some more rain would help a lot.
Spiny ray
The perch fishing around the I-90 Bridge over Moses Lake is just beginning to get good, but anglers there are catching some big crappie.
I fished blade baits for the first time Tuesday with my friend, Al Rettmann, who has figured out where and when to use them on Long Lake. The walleye had moved from the weedy places we found them a month ago by trolling, and we found them this time by casting into 22 to 25 feet of water over flats with little weed growth. At one time I caught four 16- to 18-inch ‘eyes on four successive casts. We also caught some big perch on blades, and Al landed a largemouth bass of nearly 5 pounds.
Other species
Razor clam digging opportunities at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, and Mocrocks beaches will be available through Sunday. The first tide series of the season was a successful start with many diggers getting their limit.
Squid fishing in the Puget Sound is becoming an increasingly popular resource for anglers of all ages and skill levels, and you do not need a boat. Squid can be found in nearly all waters of the Puget Sound, from the Strait of Juan de Fuca, all the way to Tacoma. The general rule is that squid start showing up in the Port Angeles area around September and migrate down to Tacoma through January and February. Some hot spots to check out are the Port Angeles City Pier, the Edmonds Pier, Pier 70 in Seattle, Seacrest Marina Pier, and Les David Pier in Tacoma. In general, squid fishing is best in the winter months and they’re most likely to “bite” at night. All you really need is a long fishing rod, a squid jig and a bucket to hold your catch. Squid are open year-round, the bag limit is 10 pounds per person and they are easy to clean and delicious fried in butter.
Hunting
Pheasant reports from opening weekend have been mixed, but if you could find good cover and water, the birds were there. I would say this is going to be a better season than last. Quail numbers are definitely up.
Mule deer hunters had a generally good open weekend, and in areas not affected by blue tongue, some nice whitetail bucks were taken. Grouse populations seem to be down.
Alan Liere can be reached at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com