Northern pike still biting in Cd'A, Hayden lakes

Northern pike are still biting on Coeur d'Alene and Hayden lakes.

"They're anywhere from 2 to 12 pounds," estimated Dan Pierce with Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

The fish can be found anywhere along a weed line, he said, and are best snagged by using spinnerbaits, huskey jerks or any jerk bait.

Fishermen are still hooking chinook salmon, too, using herring with helmets or flashers with mini squids.

"All over Coeur d'Alene Lake," Pierce said of where to drop a line for chinook. "There have been some 5 or 6 pounders (caught). Sometimes you get over 10 pounds."

They can be found at depths of 60 to 90 feet, he said, usually in the Carlin Bay area or the east arm of the lake.

Kokanee is also still prevalent on the lake, he said.

"They're starting to get pretty dark, but they're still good to eat," he said.

Wedding rings with a flasher is the way to go to snag kokanee, he said. They can be found all across the lake.

Panfish are still active on Fernan and Hauser lakes, Pierce added.

The perch are at an average of 7 to 9 inches, he said.

Just use a nightcrawler with a bobber off the bottom, he said. Folks can fish anywhere, including off the docks or the shoreline.

"They're easy to fish for," he said.

Kokanee fishing on Coeur d'Alene holding on

Even with the recent frosty weather, kokanee fishing on Lake Coeur d'Alene is holding strong, said Steve Holweg of Cabela's.

"I went out a couple days last week and did well both days," Holweg said. "We were fishing between 26 and 45 feet, and that's where we found kokanee. They're coming up higher and closer to the shoreline."

Holweg said he believes there's still good fishing ahead.

"The kokanee I caught led me to believe there's a couple weeks left before they start turning really dark," he said. "That's when I stop fishing for them. Until they start to break down, they're still edible and good smoked."

The chinook on Coeur d'Alene, meanwhile, will be at 65 feet and deeper.

With colder temperatures, Holweg recommends starting later in the morning for bass and bluegill fishing on area lakes. Anglers may also have to fish a little deeper.

"The cold mornings will put them off a bit, but when it warms up they'll get active again," Holweg said. "Fish can be a little lethargic like us first thing in the morning. But, as the water warms up, they like to eat to pack on energy."

Holweg said he heard steelhead fishing on the Clearwater also continues to shine.

"Based on the (equipment) we sold, there's a lot of people going down," he said. "A truck driver told me that every other vehicle that passed him when he was coming from Lewiston had a boat behind it. They're going for salmon, bass, steelhead or all of the above, and I'm sure that hasn't changed."

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The best season for smallmouth bass is upon us, with the fish swimming at shallower depths and becoming more active feeding.

Lake Pend Oreille is a fantastic option for anglers looking to cash in on the aggressive smallies, said Blake Becker, of Black Sheep Sporting Goods.

That's because the weather has dropped, so all types of jerkbaits or little tubes, such as YUM tubes in any shade of green are the best options.

Keep the 8-pound lines at 12 to 25 feet deep, and anglers should make a killing.

"Now that the weather has been cold that last two months, it's on," Becker said.

Largemouth aren't as active, but both types should be swimming in even shallower if the temperatures stay around the freezing mark at night.

If anglers still want to go after them, they are coming up for spinnerbaits, rolled in slowly.

Kokanee are active on Lake Coeur d'Alene. They're the deepest, swimming at 35 feet deep at the south end of the lake, chasing silver wedding rings, tipped out with corn.