Kokanee doing well on Lake Cd'A

Kokanee fishing is doing well on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

Keep trolling slowly with wedding rings, using 3-ounce weights, at depths of 35 to 40 feet, said Tina Padgitt of Black Sheep Sporting Goods.

Trolling for trout on Lake Pend Oreille is also going well, so tie on squid patterns and let them drag 80 feet deep and up.

It's not all trolling out there, either.

Smallmouth bass and pike are active in Hayden Lake. Use Knotty Scotty lures to land pike and Senko worms for the bass, but in both cases, anglers can cast from the banks or docks.

Largemouth bass are chasing all types of rubber patterns in Fernan Lake. Senko worms are good ways to catch them around the lily pads just off shore.

Catfishing is kicking in Fernan and Hauser lakes as well, Padgitt said. Put stink baits on a Treble Hook and bounce it off the bottom, where the fish lurk.

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Pat Way of Orvis Northwest Outfitters in Coeur d'Alene said fishing regionally has been good, but a little more challenging with the warmer weather.

"The key has been to be there early or late," Way said. "The heat has not been good for midday fishing."

He said there has been much more terrestrial insect activity.

Hopper patterns with ant or beetle imitations have been very effective on both the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers.

There is some caddis and mayfly activity in the mornings and evening, but nymphing during midday is going to be the way to get things done, Way said.

"Pheasant tails, midge pupa and caddis larva have been fooling some fish," he said. "Look to downsize your offering as the water continues to drop."

In some stretches of river that get a lot of pressure, small flies work best, Way said.

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The summer heat is still driving the fishing schedule on area rivers and lakes.

The best times to try to snag something on the St. Joe and Coeur d'Alene rivers continues to be the early mornings and evenings, said Bud Frasca of North West Classic Tackle in Hayden.

"Hoppers and ants and beetles are the fly of the day," Frasca said.

On area lakes, Frasca said the bass have moved out into deeper water. During the day, they can be found at 20 to 30 feet.

"Early mornings and in the evening, you can bank fish for them," Frasca said.

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Lakes across Kootenai County are offering a variety of fish to snag these days, said Dan Pierce with Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

Kokanee are biting well in Lake Coeur d'Alene, Pierce said. He suggested using spinners with corn and maggots hooked to a wedding ring.

Northern pike can be snagged in most bays of the lake, he added, along the weed lines.

Most are catching pike on spinnerbaits and spoons, Pierce said.

Both Lake Coeur d'Alene and Hayden Lake are seeing smallmouth bass around rocky shorelines, he added. Double tailed grubs or single tailed grubs should do the trick for the smallmouth, he said. He recommended plastics or tubes, with a quarter ounce to half ounce weighted head.

Fernan and Hauser lakes, as well as "all the little lakes" are still full of stock trout, Pierce said.

Fishermen are catching those with powerbait and nightcrawlers, he said.

"You can troll with rooster tails," he said.

Panfish are also biting in all the lakes, Pierce said. He advised using a nightcrawler and a bobber.