Chinook salmon active in Lake Cd'A

While bass season is still improving, anglers can catch chinook salmon in Lake Coeur d'Alene.

Troll for the fish dragging little squids, hoochies and flashers, at less than 2 miles per hour while the lines sink to about 90 feet deep, said Tina Padgitt, of Black Sheep Sporting Goods.

The fishing should get better as the month continues, as it's just the start of the best time to land chinook.

"It's starting," Padgitt said. "But it's going to be slow starting."

Bass fishing is still in full bloom.

Tubes, worms, plastic lizards and anything with a small plastic profile has been yielding the best results for smallmouth bass, especially on the northern lakes, like Lake Pend Oreille.

Largemouth bass are being pulled up north too, as well as Hayden, Coeur d'Alene and Fernan lakes.

Drop Red Eye Shads, half-ounce to three-quarters in size, or Rat-L-Traps or all sorts of Crankbaits and roll it in very slowly. You want just enough movement to wiggle the bait, but not get snagged in the weeds.

Anglers are catching crappie on occasion in Fernan and Hauser. Just throw out crappie jigs. They are biting slowly, so reel in slowly, Padgitt said.

Steelhead fishing popular choice these days

Steelhead fishing on the Clearwater River is one of the most popular choices of anglers right now, said Dan Harris of Cabela's.

"It's time," Harris said. "A buddy of mine went down and had 23 fish by noon. There's lots of fish to be caught, and they're big fish."

Jigs and bobbers are doing the trick.

"Some are tipping the jigs with shrimp; others are not," Harris said. "A few guys are still using eggs, which is less costly if you lose everything."

Harris said it helps your chances if you have a boat to fish from.

"You can't get a good drift if you fish off the bank," he said.

Harris said he believes there are more steelhead this time of year than there has been in previous years and anglers haven't had to deal with a lot of muddy water.

"So far the water levels have been good," he said.

Harris said the kokanee on Lake Coeur d'Alene are starting to die.

"There's still some to be caught, but they're getting pretty old," he said.

Pike and bass can still be caught in the weedy areas on area lakes until around Thanksgiving, but the presentation needs to be slow.

"With husky jerks and crank baits you've got to pause a long time," Harris said.

With river fishing, Harris recommends hitting it during the warmth of the day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"There's still some good afternoon bites here and there," he said. "I wouldn't worry about fishing the rivers early."

Harris said now is a good time to gear up for ice fishing.

Harris said he hears good trout fishing is to be had at eastern Washington lakes that remain open, but anglers are urged to check on closures before heading out.

Fishermen snagging steelhead along Clearwater River

If anyone's in the mood for a road trip, Jeff Smith recommends joining the stream of fishermen headed for the Clearwater River.

Anywhere along the river between Lewiston and Orofino will do for snagging some serious steelhead, said Smith, with Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

"The numbers throughout the river seem to be really, really good right now," Smith said. "They'll continue for the next couple months, really. Those fish are coming in all the time."

He recommended moving around to find ideal fishing spots, though the North Fork has been popular.

If fishing from the shore, he suggested using a slip bobber and jig.

"There are other ways to catch them, but from the shore, that's the best way," Smith said.

If folks are dropping a line from boats, he recommended back-trolling plugs.

Some are snagging up to 12 trout a day, Smith said.

"It's a lot of fun," he said. "The fish are big and still in decent shape."

Folks can also expect some satisfying fishing at home on Lake Coeur d'Alene, he added.

"As far as catch rates, this is one of the best times of the year to catch fish on Coeur d'Alene," he said.

Northern pike have been doing well for this time of year, he said.

"Sometimes it's dependent on the weather," Smith said. "I usually fish until Thanksgiving, and anytime after that is a bonus."

He's catching most pike on plugs or spoons, he added. He recommended Husky Jerk Rapalas and Bomber Long As for plugs.

"Spoon wise, I don't think it matters that much," he said.

Most are catching pike down at the southern end of the lake, he said, by Harrison at Harlow Point.

"Everything south of Harrison is really good," he said.

Some areas work closer to Coeur d'Alene, he said, like at Wolf Lodge Bay.

Salmon fishing is still doing well on the lake, too, he said.

He reminded the salmon must be more than 20 inches to keep, with a limit of two.

"I've still been catching them at 80 and 90 feet deep," he said.

He recommended using helmetted herring or an 8-inch flasher with a mini squid.

"Your best bet is about mid-lake, either at Loffs Bay or Carlin Bay," he said.