Twin Lakes the best bet for solid ice

Some ice fishing is still available, promised Jeff Smith with Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

Just not locally.

"If you want to ice fish, you've got to go north," Smith said.

Fishermen are still drilling holes on the Twin Lakes, he said.

"They're catching a lot of perch," he said, adding that most fishermen are using glow hooks and maggots.

Others are starting to have success catching steelhead on the Clearwater River by Orofino, he added.

"The reports most of the season have been kind of poor, but they're catching some fish finally," Smith said. "I don't know if it's a change in conditions or fish numbers, or if they just started biting."

Many are slip bobber and jig fishing for the steelhead, he said.

He cautioned that fishermen have to toss back the native fish.

"The majority of the fish you have to release," Smith said, noting that a fin clip indicates the keepers. "One in four will be a keeper. But it's still fun."

Folks are also fishing for walleye at Lake Roosevelt in Washington, he said.

Fishermen can launch from Fort Spokane or Porcupine Bay.

Most are catching walleye with jigs and nightcrawlers, Smith said, adding that he prefers the fuzzy grub.

"It's really finding the depth," he said of nabbing the fish. "If nothing else, you can start shallow and progressively move deeper until you start catching fish."

Here at home, things have been slow on Lake Coeur d'Alene, Smith said.

"The pike fishing is still something that's stable, but it was slower," he said.

People are still dropping lines for pike at Wolf Lodge and Mica bays, he said, and bait fishing with smelt or herring.

Smith said that when he has caught salmon in the lake, it's been around 50 to 70 feet. He recommended minisquids and a flasher, or herring.

Those bites are fewer lately.

"If we get some water flow, I think that will bring the fish up higher in the water column," he said.

Steelhead fishing on the south fork of the Clearwater and Grand Ronde rivers remains an option for anglers, said Bud Frasca of North West Classic Tackle in Hayden.

Try a nymph with an indicator during the outing, Frasca said.

He said the lower portion of the Coeur d'Alene River near Cataldo is another possibility on sunny days.

Frasca recommends using streamers.

"You can fish the pond water by the ramp," he said.

Frasca said this is a good time to clean your gear, find out what you need to buy and get ready for the upcoming season.

With warmer temperatures in the forecast, he expects more options to open up.

Steve Holweg of Cabela's said most anglers - even those on smaller lakes to the north - are staying away from ice fishing due to dangers of falling in.

"Most of the people I've spoken to are just waiting for open water," he said. "There's too many people who have fallen through the ice this winter, and they don't want to be the latest statistic."

Holweg spoke with some anglers who fished Lake Roosevelt in Washington lately and they didn't have much luck.

"We're kind of in a wait-and-see time," he said.

That will soon change, however, because spring fishing can be the best time to go out, Holweg said.

"That can be the best time to catch the bigger fish from the winter carryover," he said.

Pat Way, Orvis Northwest Outfitters in Coeur d'Alene, said fishing on the Clearwater River has been the most consistent lately for steelhead.

Many anglers are fishing near Kooskia, but there are a lot of fish distributed throughout the river, Way said.

"Swing bunny leech flies with sink tips, or nymph stonefly patterns with egg droppers," Way said.

The trout fishing has been good recently, but with all the snow this week and rising air temperatures, Way expects the river to bump in flows.

"The question is how much is it going to rise?" Way said.

Streamer fishing has been the most productive way to catch fish on the Coeur d'Alene River, but fish are taking nymphs as well, Way said.

"Look for slow walking speed water and fish your flies low and slow," Way said.

Prince nymphs, pheasant tails and San Juan worms have been the most effective patterns, he said.

"If the forecast stays true, we could have 50 degree weather this weekend," Way said. "It would give a short window for fishing dry flies, but with that nice weather comes higher stream flows."

Nothing much has changed with fishing patterns, said Tina Padgitt of Black Sheep Sporting Goods.

At last check, ice fishing was almost done for the season, leaving anglers waiting for spring fishing to heat up.

On Lake Pend Oreille, downriggers, Apex and rapalas are the best bet to catch rainbow trout. On Lake Coeur d'Alene, chinook tend to chase lines loaded with flies, minisquids or herring helmets.

Dragging the lines at 30 to 60 feet was a good bet during the fall, when the season was more active. Crankbaits will land smallmouth bass around the docks and rocks, while all sorts of rubber patterns, such as Senko worms, will land largemouth bass.