It's time to fish the Cd'A River

Spring is here, and that means more of the Coeur d'Alene River is opened for fishing.

The Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District opened the gate past the Shoshone work center on Coeur d'Alene River Road, meaning more prime fishing spots are open along the river.

"A lot of people will want to know that," said Brad Zierer of Black Sheep Sporting Goods.

Up the newly-opened road it's a little patchy, said Andy Boggs from the ranger district, with stretches of pure ice, and it's recommended that a high clearance be used if anglers want to go up that far.

Meanwhile, the hot spot right now on the river is in the Cataldo Mission Slough area, right below the mission.

Cutthroat and rainbow trout are chasing sized 10-12 black and brown rooster tail flies and orange and green stimulators, Zierer said.

The best way to fish the area is to go out on kayaks, he said.

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"The local trout streams - the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene, the St. Joe and the Clark Fork are all fishing really well right now," said Mike Beard of NorthwestOutfitters in Coeur d'Alene.

For all three locations, Beard recommends nymphing in the morning with stonefly nymphs and midges.

"It's pretty consistent in the early afternoons to where we're getting midge and small stonefly hatches."

For fly-fishing, Beard says the local lakes are "right on the verge" of readiness.

"Hayden Lake is in the lower 40 degrees, and pretty soon it should be good for crappies," Beard said.

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Fernan Lake is seeing plenty of action these days, said Matt Palmer of Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

"We're starting to catch crappie and perch off the bank on the upper end," Palmer said.

Most fishermen are relying on screw grubs underneath the bobber, he said.

Crappie tend to range around 9 to 10 inches, with perch a little smaller.

Rose Lake is also seeing a surge in crappie and bass, he added, with the bass biting on soft plastics.

Some chinook salmon are still getting hooked on Lake Coeur d'Alene, he said.

"It's been kind of hit and miss," Palmer said. "But they've caught a few bigger ones. I know two people who caught 15 pounders."

Those trophies were lured with helmeted herring, Palmer said.

Other fishing holes aren't so bountiful right now, he added.

"In most places, the water is so low, it's been kind of tough," he said.

Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers

The Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe are continuing to fish well, said Mark Roush of ROW Adventures in Coeur d'Alene.

Many fly fishermen are drifting wooly buggers and leach patterns under an indicator in the deeper holes on the lower river.

"If this does not trigger any strikes, try and slow strip the fly instead of letting it sit or simply twitching it," Roush said. "It is always good to bring along some princes and pheasant tails for additional nymphing presentations."

More fish are starting to move up into the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene and upper St. Joe, he said. The stone fly hatch has already started in small proportions, but anglers should start to see more dry fly action in the form of stones and small may flies soon.

Area lakes

The bite is on at Fernan Lake, Roush said.

"Fishermen are crowding onto the western slough, and most people have been having great success while casting out grubs and worms for perch, bluegill and crappie," he said. "Fly fishermen have also had success while drifting small bead head prince nymphs about 12 inches down under an indicator."

Pike fishermen are starting to drift herring and smelt under slip floats on Lake Coeur d'Alene, and there have been reports of some good fish being caught in Cougar and Wolf Lodge bays, Roush said.

Steelhead

Nick Slomski, head guide for ROW Adventures, was on the Grande Ronde late last week.

"There are still plenty of fish to be caught down on the Ronde," he said. "I actually had more pulls while swinging flies on this particular trip than I did drifting nymphs. The season will be winding down soon, but we should have a couple more solid weeks."