Perfect conditions for area fishing

Recent conditions have been perfect for fishing on area lakes and streams, said Bud Frasca of North West Classic Tackle in Hayden.

"Everything is as good as it gets; it's not going to get any better," Frasca said. "Hayden is really good for bass right now, and crappie are still around. They're bluebacking the lake to death and the fish are running 10 to 14 inches. They're doing it with downriggers and spinners with grubs."

Frasca said he recently tried split shotting on Hayden, using weight a couple feet up on the line with a light hook and 4-inch plastic worm.

"I caught a 6-pound pike and a 9-pound pike while fishing for bass," he said. "Pike are on the bite, too."

Frasca fished multiplespots on the Coeur d'Alene River with his daughter on Monday and caught fish all over.

"The water is dropping every day, it's clear and ready to fish," he said. "You can fish anywhere on the river and catch fish. There's good concentrations throughout the river. We stopped at the holes that had ripples. If it had bugs, we fished it. Everybody who fished last weekend seemed to do well."

Frasca said the March browns and stone flies are coming off.

The lower part of the river will likely be the best bet, Frasca said.

"This is the time in which a guy who is wading stands a chance," he said.

Frasca called cutthroats "beautiful" right now.

"They're in spawning colors," he said. "It's just a good time to be out."

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Mike Beard, of Orvis Northwest Outfitters, said area rivers are in great shape or will be very soon.

"The North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene is running about mid- to late-June flows right now so this is a great time to be hitting it," Beard said. "Still high enough you aren't crossing down low, but that should not be an issue higher in the drainage."

Lower river is free of obstacles so floating has been productive, but there are more places to wade now and will just get better over the next few days, Beard said. Great hatches of green drakes, yellow sallies, March browns, flavs, golden stones and even a few salmonflies around have the fishing looking up in a big way.

The St. Joe River also is ahead of schedule, but still higher than the Coeur d'Alene.

"The river is not wide open to wade, but there are more and more spots to get into daily," Beard said.

Afternoons have been seeing some major hatches of blue-winged olives, green and brown drakes, big caddis, and enough stoneflies that chernobyls and bigger dry flies have been working, he said.

"Fish seem to be a little more podded up on the Joe, so when you find some feeding fish you might as well stay on them," Beard said.

The fish should start spreading out as the St. Joe does its last drop into summer flows, he said.

"But for now keep concentrating on the seams and lazy riffle water and you should find some feeding fish," Beard said.