Sandpoint Idaho Fishing Report 07.11.19
No matter where you go, there’s plenty to do and fishing has been good all around. Increased recreational pressure on local lakes means it’s time to take a hike and hit some water that has barely been touched.
Current Conditions
Lake Pend Oreille - Hexagenias – Big. Yellow. Tasty. Trout, bass, and walleye will eat hexes at night and in the late evening chasing their emerging nymphs to the surface. A foam hex and a Mohican mayfly in sizes 6 to 10 will have you covered on top. For hex nymphs, a Baer’s hex or even a tan zirdle will do the trick for trout, bass, and walleye that are keying in on this important hatch. Locate a nice muddy flat and wait for the magic to happen. There will still be some fish on dock and rip-rap structure throughout the summer. Back sloughs and bays will have pike and largemouth in them. Froggin’ with a deer hair bug can payoff big around weeds and shoreline vegetation, with the potential for a topwater pike or bruiser largie!
Clark Fork River below Cabinet Gorge Dam - Flows are variable throughout the day. We see anywhere from 35,000 cfs dive to 4,600 cfs and then back up again. The in-between window of the flows will offer a couple of decent hours of fishing. Caddis are absolutely everywhere at the moment. The hatch is the strongest in the late afternoon and evening hours approaching low-light situations. Focus your efforts on top and just below. Try some caddis emergers as your tag and see what happens.
Kootenai River at Leonia, ID - The Kootenai is fishing well and will just get better as the summer continues. Hatch wise, we are seeing small brown/gray caddis, small pmds, and a few drakes kicking around. If you see stonefly shucks on the river rock at water-level, try some larger dries like stimulators and chubbies. All the floats are open and fishing consistently. Streamers like sparkle minnows will bring some fish to hand, with the chance at some fish in a larger size class. This river is self-explanatory, just hit the banks and hit your runs.
Thompson River near Thompson Falls, MT - The Thompson fishes well throughout the summer but fish generally spread out to only the deepest runs, pockets, and pools. Focus your time and efforts covering water and moving through new fish. The main hatches right now are caddis, baetis, goldens, and yellow sallies. Try fishing a dry with an emerger behind it, letting it swing at the end of the drift. Dry droppers like a chubby and Pat’s will work anywhere, but in a pinch have some smaller flies to fool the fussy trout. Nymphing is super effective on the Thompson, and you can probably bring some big fish to the net with some patience. Euro-nymphing techniques will work well here too in the skinny water. Try some jigged pheasant tails or Frenchies as your anchor fly, with a lightning bug or twenty-incher above. Fishing should be consistent through the entire system.
Local Lakes - Increased recreational pressure on local lakes means it’s time to take a hike and hit some water that has barely been touched. My favorite thing to do is open up a Benchmark Map book and find a lake or remote access point to streams and lakes. If you want some peace and quiet, check out some high mountain lakes in the area. Most are stocked with trout or have trout in them, and you can get away with throwing simple flies like wooly buggers, parachute Adams, and elk hair caddis. Down low on Cocolalla and Round Lakes, expect to find fishing trickier with boat traffic. Just seclude yourself from waked-out areas and strip small streamers for trout and smallmouth on an intermediate or mid-sinking tip. Expect fish to be in 12 to 15 feet of water. Evenings will be best for stalking rising trout from a kayak, kick tube, or boat. Small mayflies and midges work well just before dark. Ants and beetles are often overlooked on these lakes as well. There’s a lot of lakes out there… stop in for a cup of Kokanee coffee and pick our brains if you have questions!
Match The Hatch
Lake Pend Oreille – Hexagenia – Foam Hex #6-8, Mohican Mayfly #10, Baer’s Hex #6, Zirdle (Tan) #8. Dragonflies & Damsels –Lake Dragon, Rowley’s Grizzly Dragon, or Chan’s BMW, assorted sizes. Crawfish – Sweet Baby Cray, Bassmasters, and the Grim Reaper. Forage Fish – Lowfat Minnow-Bluegill 1/0, Hud’s Bushwhacker 2/0 in assorted colors, Murdich Minnow- Baby Rainbow #4.
Clark Fork River – Caddis – Elk Hair Caddis Tan #12-16. BWO – Challenged Baetis #16-18, Spotlight May BWO #14-18. Midges – Hanging Midge #20-22, Griffith’s Gnat #18-22. Stoneflies – Chubby Chernobyl- Gold #10-12, Stimulator- Yellow #12. Attractors – Purple Haze #12-16, Parachute Adams #12-16, Hippie Stomper Pink, Purple, Red #12-14.
Kootenai River – Caddis – Tan Elk Hair Caddis #12-16, CDC Bubbleback Emerger #14-16, Party On Top Caddis #14-16. Stoneflies – Chubby Chernobyl Pink, Gold, Purple, Red #10-12, Stimulator- Yellow #12, Pat’s Rubber Legs Coffee/Black #8-10 Tan/Brown #8-10. Green Drakes – Film Critic #12, G.D. Scumbag #10-12. PMDs – Parachute PMD #14-16, Hi-Vis Spinner PMD #14. Attractors – Purple Haze #12-16, Chubby Chernobyl Purple, Pink, Red #8-10, Chartreuse or Red Humpy #14, Crystal Stimulator Yellow #10-12.
Thompson River – Caddis – Tan Elk Hair Caddis #12-16, LaFontaine’s Emerger #14-16, Corn Fed Caddis #14-16. Stoneflies - Chubby Chernobyl Gold #10-12 Olive #10-12, Stimulator- Yellow #12 Olive #12, Lime Trude #14-16, Snowshoe Sally #14-16, Pat’s Rubber Legs Coffee/Black #8-10 Tan/Brown #8-10. PMDs – Parachute PMD #14-16, Hi-Vis Spinner PMD #14. Attractors – Purple Haze #12-16, Chubby Chernobyl Purple, Pink, Red #8-10, Chartreuse or Red Humpy #14, Crystal Stimulator Yellow or Orange #10-12.
Need to fill the box before you go? Order flies online here.
Tips & Techniques
Swinging works for small flies and single hand rods too. Tie on a gently weighted or unweighted soft hackle emerger in a color that matches your current hatch. Cast at a downstream angle and then mend upstream. Follow your line down and across by pointing the rod tip at the fly, effectively leading the fly into a “swing” across the current. Olive and dun or partridge and orange soft hackles work great during baetis hatches, while a sparkle pupa or cdc caddis emerger works great during a caddis hatch. If you are a two-handed caster, trout Spey is a thing, and it can be one of the most exciting takes in trout fishing.
See past reports from the Sandpoint area here, or click here to view all northwest regional reports.