Coeur d'Alene Fishing Report 05.30.19

So, with the Memorial Day weekend now behind us, it's time to settle into summer mode.  The Coeur d' Alene River is in incredible shape and giving it up in spades!  The dry fly fishing up the CdA is great now.  Next, the St. Joe is still a bit high and looking like a couple of weeks out yet before it's in wadeable shape.  Plus, right now, the Clark Fork, too, is a few weeks out yet.  And, the local lakes are fishing great.  If you are looking for a great bass, pike, or crappie fix, now is your time.  From Hayden to Lake CdA or Fernan, they are all fishing well.

Current Conditions

Coeur d'Alene River  - The Coeur d'Alene is really in great shape and just getting better.  Flows barely bumped with the rain over the weekend   The dry fly fishing has been off the charts good.  Big golden stones are out, and fish are chomping them. Pink hendrixons, pale morning duns, yellow sallies, green drakes, some caddis, and grey drakes are all out.  The CdA is the place to be here locally.

St. Joe River - I spent the weekend up on the Joe and it is still pretty high  There is still a fair bit more snow on the Joe than other drainages.  I think in a week it should be quite a bit better but in two it will be far better yet.  There are still soft water spots you can wet a line, and there are plenty of bugs out too.  If you go, the lower end of the river in a drift boat or raft will be a better bet than walk-wading.  Just concentrate on the soft eddies and pockets.

Clark Fork River (MT) - The Clark Fork is still a ways out yet.    Looking forward, I'd give it three weeks from now before we see floatable flows.  Look for 15,000 cfs and dropping is a good starting point.

Local Lakes- Hayden, CdA, Fernan, Twin, Spirit, Chain lakes. - All of the local lakes are fishing great right now.  Whether you want to chase smallies, crappie, largemouth, or pike, all of these lakes are a great choice.  Crappie fishing is really strong now.  Smallmouth and largemouth are still on the bite.  Smallmouth are on the rocks and docks and largemouth are in the back shallow bays near the banks.  Pike are still active in the shallow back bays too.  Large profile flies on floating lines early in the morning over new weed beds will get you a pike or two.

Match the Hatch

On the local rivers, like the Coeur'd Alene and St. Joe, you should expect these bugs to be out. These are the flies to match them.

Green drakes - Pullover drake, sparkle dun, film critic, extended body paradrake, turducken green drake

Pale morning dun - Sparkle flag Quigly, snowshoe pmd, sparkle dun, Gallop's tilt wing, parachute pmd

Stoneflies- Fluttering golden, fluttering salmon fly, Rogue foam stone, dancing Ricky, morning woodstone

March browns- Cripple March brown, extended body, parachute march brown

Grey drake- Extended body grey drake, deer hair paradrake, Adams superfly

Caddis- X-caddis, elk hair, Goddard, corn-fed caddis, double duck caddis, soft hackles, outrigger caddis

Attractors- Pmx, humpies, chubby chernobyls, royal Wulff, purple haze.

Need to fill the box before you go? Order flies online here.

Tips & Techniques

Don't forget the mighty soft hackle now as the hatches are picking up.  We carry a variety of soft hackles that suffice for most of the hatches we have.  From a green drake to a pale morning dun or caddis, we have one to fit the bill.  The soft hackle is so deadly through the course of the summer.  Run it as a caddis emerger later in the day to evening on the swing.  Drop one behind your pmd dun as a secondary emerger.  Or, put one behind your bead head nymph and sink it deep like a nymph under an indicator.

There are still plenty of stoneflies around.  The big golden stones are on the prowl so big pat's rubber legs or double bead stonefly nymphs will be the ticket now if you are nymphing.  I also like a JJ's special under an indicator with a smaller bead head nymph, like a pheasant tail, psycho prince, and copper John.  The JJ special can imitate a stonefly or possibly a crayfish.  As soon as the Clark Fork comes into shape this rig is a go-to.  It also works great on the CdA or Joe too.

Did you know…

Good news from up the St. Joe, Moon Pass from Wallace.  Not sure on the status of Gold Pass from St. Regis, but I think it is open now that Moon is open.  If you are in their neck of the woods, Joe Cantrell's fly shop in St. Regis should have the up to date info on the pass.  We mentioned it last week, but it is worth another mention and that is that Alberts landing on the CdA river is doing shuttles now.  They are located just 1/2 mile upstream on the opposite side of the river as the Snake Pit.  The first bridge you come to after the Snake Pit is how you get to their place. There is a large gravel bar just underneath the bridge where you can launch.  Again, on the St. Joe, The Big Eddy resort is now doing shuttles as well.

See past reports from the CDA region here, or click here to view all northwest regional reports.