Time is right to drop a line

The timing is right to drop a line in the early-season lakes, according to Jeff Smith.

"Fernan Lake and Rose Lake are early season lakes, they kick in a little bit before the other ones do," said Smith, with Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

Right now on Fernan, Smith said, folks can catch a good mix.

Pan fish like crappie, perch and bluegill are biting at the east end of the lake.

Many are baiting with rocket bobbers and screw grubs underneath.

"Some guys will bait that with maggots," Smith said, adding that folks can use a boat or fish from the shore.

Largemouth bass are also chomping on the east end, he added.

He advised using a weedless jig or a crank bait.

Fernan also still has plenty of trout to offer, Smith said, and many are being caught with night crawlers or power bait.

Fishermen are snagging largemouth on Rose Lake, too, Smith said, using the same methods.

"It's been pretty decent," he said. "I've heard of bass up to 5 or 6 pounds caught so far."

Northern pike are doing well on Coeur d'Alene, Thompson and Kalarney lakes, Smith said, as well as the Chain Lakes.

"They're mostly bait fishing for those, and using either smelt or herring, either on the bottom or with a bobber," he said.

The biggest pike will be found in Lake Coeur d'Alene, he added, in areas like Cougar and Blue Creek bays.

Smith said Dale Johnson of Coeur d'Alene recently brought in a 19-pound rainbow trout from Hayden Lake.

"This thing was massive. It was huge," Smith said, adding that others could try to achieve the same by trolling on the north end of the lake with rapalas or a coyote spoon.

Folks should troll shallow, he added, from the surface to about 20 feet.

"They probably can't expect a fish that big, but it's one of the biggest ones I've ever seen," Smith said.

Fins and Feathers will hold its annual spring Chinook Salmon Derby this Saturday and Sunday, Smith said.

Tickets are $20. The biggest fish will bring in first prize of $1,000.

"It's pretty good for a weekend tournament," he said.

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The recent rain and runoff are wreaking havoc with fishing on the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers after the streams began to show promise for spring fishing, but area lakes are opening up more all the time, said Bud Frasca of North West Classic Tackle in Hayden.

"The rivers are blown out," Frasca said. "They were starting to come down, but they went way up. The rivers probably won't be fishable for another week or two, depending on the weather."

The best bet, Frasca said, is area lakes, where he believes rain has a limited impact on fishing.

"If the ice is off them, you should fish," Frasca said.

Idaho Fish and Game will start to stock area lakes beginning next week, then continue through the end of the month.

Next week's schedule includes Fernan, Hauser, Lower Twin, Round, Granite, Kelso and Jewel. Fernan will receive 4,000 fish and Hauser, Lower Twin and Jewel 3,000 each.

"If they're stocking the lakes, those fish are catchable," Frasca said. "A lot of people are just looking for fish for the frying pan."

Frasca said anglers may want to stay away from areas where muddy creeks are emptying in the lakes.

"Most of the lakes are open, although they may not be completely open," he said.

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Fly-fishing might be possible this weekend, but on Tuesday afternoon conditions on local rivers were looking bleak.

"The lakes are cold, and the rivers are high," said Mike Beard of Orvis Northwest Outfitters in Coeur d'Alene.

The Coeur d'Alene River was flowing near 8,000 cfs on Tuesday, Beard reported. It's dropping, though. Good fishing water is generally moving around 3,000 cfs, he added.

The Clark Fork is on the rise, collecting water from its tributaries. Anglers would be wise to wait for a drop before driving over to Montana.

Once the weather clears up, fish the lower portions of the Coeur d'Alene river with big nymphs and San Juan worms, Beard added.

Despite the bleak outlook, there are still a few opportunities for ambitious fly-casters in the Inland Northwest. Coffee Pot, Sprague and Amber lakes, near Sprague, Wash., are fishing well right now, Beard said.

Small chironomid patterns - midges - should lure rainbows.

"The real small flies that you fish real close to the bottom," Beard explained.

Leech patterns and woolly buggers could also do the trick. Floating on the lakes is a good tactic this time of year.

"You look for that kind of muddy bottom, where the chironomids will hatch," Beard said.

North Idaho lakes like Hayden and Round are all too high, muddy, cold or icy right now, he added.

"In a couple weeks they're gonna go," Beard said, but this week eastern Washington is the ticket.