Fish seeking cooler water to beat heat

Fish in both lakes and rivers are seeking cooler water this time of year as the remaining hot days of summer play out, said Bud Frasca of North West Classic Tackle in Hayden.

"The water on the rivers is low and clear and the fish are wary," Frasca said. "The best times to fish are early morning and before dark."

Frasca said the St. Joe River is fishing "really good" and the Coeur d'Alene "pretty good."

"I'd recommend the tributaries for the Coeur d'Alene to get to colder water," Frasca said.

Crickets, ants and hoppers are good choices for river fishing.

"Fish will come up during the day to eat a dry fly if you get it over them," Frasca said.

Frasca said as temperatures cool off, anglers will start to see fall bugs come out over the next few weeks.

Smallmouth bass fishing on both Hayden and Coeur d'Alene lakes is also going well.

"You can do that during the day," Frasca said. "The bass are in 10 to 20 feet of water. Most of the fish are in cooler water between 60 to 65 degrees. Split-shot or drop-shot them."

If temperatures cool off in the coming weeks and fall weather sets in, anglers will have to change their approach accordingly.

Until then, said Tina Padgitt of Black Sheep Sporting Goods, people should ride out the same patterns that have worked all summer.

That means going after rainbow trout and kokanee at Spirit Lake by jigging lines with bead chains, spinners and glow hooks.

It may change soon though, which means anglers should troll for the fish with wedding rings. When it starts to cool off, don't sink your line too deep, as the fish will come up closer to the lake's surface.

"As soon as the water flips over, it will change," Padgitt said, about the lakes cooling down.

Bass season is still going, too.

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.

Cooler weather has proved exactly what local fisherman needed, said Pat Way, with Orvis Northwest Outfitters in Coeur d'Alene.

"Fishing has picked up dramatically on both the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers," he said. "Fishing has been good throughout the course of the day with most insect hatches in the evening."

He added, "Hoppers and other terrestrial imitations have been getting most of the attention, but blue-winged olive mayflies have also been prevalent."

It appears pressure is dropping a bit from river visitors and recreational floaters, which bodes well for local anglers, he said.

The Clark Fork in Montana is also fishing well in the mornings and evenings, he said.

"Post Labor Day fishing should do nothing but improve for the next few weeks," he said.

The North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River cleanup is Sept. 15, he said.

He said the meet-up is at Albert's Place at 9 a.m.

The cleanup will continue until 1 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for the most "interesting" trash.

If someone would like to help with the cleanup, please RSVP, he said. He recommended bringing gloves, good shoes and water. Garbage bags will be provided.