Top Tips for Chasing Hayden Lake Smallmouth

Being an Alaska kid, the idea of bass or spiny ray fish other than pike was just something I read about growing up.  Moving to North Idaho and learning about the diversity of the fisheries here was really overwhelming. From native Westslope cutthroat to wild steelhead to all the different warm water species we have in our lakes and streams, the smallmouth is one of the most underrated species, I think, in the fly-fishing realm.  Not only are they aggressive and downright greedy, but they also fight just as hard as a dime bright rainbow in cold water.  If you are a big numbers person and need a constant tug on the line, these are the fish for you.  For our area, Hayden Lake is a great place to start out chasing these fish.

Hayden Lake in Comparison

Hayden is one of the smaller lakes in the area in comparison to Coeur d’Alene, Pend Oreille, or Priest, but it is still a sizable lake with 40 miles of shoreline. There are two main access points.  Honeysuckle boat launch at the south end and Sportsman’s access at the north end.  Honeysuckle is the larger of the two ramps and can accommodate two boats at the same time on the ramp.  There is a fee for the launch and a quick pay system near the ramp.  Sportsman’s access does not require a fee but is a smaller launch area with less parking.  Both are good ramps and well maintained. Other than the north and south end access points, there is little other public access on the lake.  Really, having a boat is going to be the way to utilize the lake.

The structure of the lake is pretty diverse.  From rocky shorelines to shallow sand bars, back bays that scream largemouth or pike, to small feeder streams that create great habitat too, the lake holds some incredible smallmouth habitat.  The are also larger rocky shorelines, many docks, and overhanging trees make for perfect smallmouth homes.

Best strategies for summertime bass? Learn more here.

Hayden Lake Smallmouth as Big as...

We’ve seen fish as big as seven-plus pounds come out of Hayden.  However, many fish within the two to four-pound range are common.  I’d say during the spring from late April to first of June will be your best chance at the bigger fish on a fly rod. This is during their spawning period when the larger fish will move into the shallows.  The large rocky shorelines on this lake is where I like to concentrate my efforts.  Warmer days are key to fishing during the spring on Hayden.  The rocks will collect the heat, and this is part of what draws the fish to these areas.  Days in the 60s to 70s are best, and the fish become very aggressive when the water temperatures finally reaches 60 degrees.

As summer hits and the water temperatures stay in the high 60s or over 70 degrees, the larger fish will move deeper and make targeting them with a fly rod more challenging.  Though, you can still have good success with a smaller class of fish throughout the summer and into fall in shallower water.  However, the larger fish will move to depths of 25 to 30 feet or deeper at the height of summer.  At this point, an aggressive full sinking line is a must to target the larger fish on Hayden.

Smallmouth Tactics and Tackle

Having a boat with an electric motor is best.  You’ll want to be able to control the boat in the wind while slowly cruising the shoreline at a castable distance.  If you don’t have an electric motor, having a couple of anchors, one for the bow and one for the stern, is good too.  If you find a good area to concentrate on, you can set both anchors so you can control the position of where you want to cast.  Work the area for a while and then move and reset at another point.  Trying to negotiate the boat without an electric motor of some sort on even a slightly windy day is frustrating at best. If you can head into the wind with your electric motor, this is best to do -versus, having the wind at your back can be challenging to slow the boat down.

There are many docks along the shoreline of Hayden too.  These are great hiding areas for the smallmouth.  Work all sides of these docks and the pilings that are holding them. Overhanging trees or downed trees in the water are killer holding spots too.  Shady areas on a warmer day can be a good spot to concentrate.  In the spring we get a ton of pollen from the trees and this can create not only horrible allergies but fantastic cover for the smallies.  This is one of my favorite times to cast a topwater popper or surface fly.

Traditional poppers with cork heads are great but think outside the box too.  If you are a trout guy and you have larger foam ants or beetles or my favorite chubby chernobyl, these patterns work well.  Make your cast to your target and “pop” or “twitch” your fly and then pause.  Strip and pause, strip and pause. This seems to be the better stripping approach, versus a constant retrieve.  At times, I’ve seen three to four fish rushing up to eat my fly.  This is a super exciting way to target these fish.

I prefer a faster action 9’6-weight or 7-weight fly rod.  Some of these fish pull very hard and head for structure when hooked.  Having an aggressive or fast action rod will allow you to control these brutes.  We like to throw bigger weighted flies and windy situations call for a heavier and faster rod. Also, I’d start with a weight forward or more aggressive weight forward floating line.  I really like Scientific Anglers MPX tapers or their Boost tapers for these applications.  They are designed to pick up and throw bigger flies into the wind.

Secondly, I’d have a full sinking line or two.  The first one I’d buy would be a moderate or intermediate sink.  The second would be an aggressive type 6 or faster sink for later in the summer in the deeper water.  Again, Scientific Angler has hit it out of the park with their sonar series full sink lines.  They are density compensated and detect strikes far better than the older types that would get a large belly in them.  They are thin, and they cut through the water very fast and consistently.  At times, I’ll have three to four rods rigged with different lines and flies for the right situation that may come up. For example, a crayfish pattern on a full sink through the rocks is a killer tactic on Hayden throughout the summer.

Want to cast better? Start with your line. Learn how here.

My Favorite Patterns to use on Hayden

• Bead head woolly buggers - The ol’ standby but one of the best.  I like white, black, brown and olive.  Rubber legged ones are preferred too.  Sizes in #2-10 are what I carry.

• Clouser minnows - Another classic but these at times are a faster sinking fly than a woolly bugger.  Getting deeper at times is critical and these flies with the heavy dumbbell eyes will do this best. Chartreuse and white, all white, black are good combos.  I will tie them with a bit of crystal flash or flashabou for accent.

• Poppers - This is a pretty endless category. For the most part, if it makes a good bubble on the surface, they will eat it.  I carry a variety of sizes from #2 to small ones in a #8.  Color has really never seemed to make that big of a difference.  Ones with rubber legs and a bit of flash work well.  Again, big trout dry flies with rubber legs and foam work well too.  There are some cool spun deer hair flies out there too with creative colors and tails.  Cork ones work well also and are very durable.

• Rabbit strip or worm flies - Smallies love a plastic worm like nobody's business - And, a longer rabbit strip fly that emulates these plastics work great.  Rainey’s flies have some killer new patterns that work like magic.  RJ’s jiggy worm or Rich’s ultimate worm are super cool patterns that will for sure get pounded by Mr. Bronze Back. Also, the Worm slider is another great looking pattern too.

• Crayfish patterns -The crayfish is a staple of smallmouth on Hayden Lake and others alike.  There are a ton of different ones out there.  I like a Yuck bug for a simple crayfish or a JJ’s special.  Make sure you have some crayfish patterns with plenty of weight and keep them on the rocks when fishing them.

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

Other Tackle to use on Hayden Lake Smallmouth

Your leader and tippet should be on the larger size when targeting them.  I rarely fish a leader or tippet under 3x, and this is usually in the eight-pound variety.  They are usually not leader shy.  On a sinking line just run a straight piece of tippet of your choosing at no longer than five feet.  This will give you a more direct connection to the fish.  With your floating line, consider using a shorter tapered leader, 7.5’ is a good choice.  These shorter leaders will help you cast into the wind better and pick bigger flies out of the water better. Rio’s big nasty leaders are ideal for this kind of fishing.  Using a bigger butt section for turning over big bugs, plus, also using medium-stiff material helps with this as well. These come in 6’ leaders from 10 to 20 pounds.

So, when you get tired of catching trout on our local streams or just can’t due to spring runoff, consider Hayden Lake for smallmouth and many of its other diverse species. It’s right in town, and it’s an easy-to-get-to before and after work lake.  Plus, it has good access and plenty of big smallies ready for you to test your skills on.  Don’t underestimate these fish!  They are hard fighting and will give you a run for your money.

Wonder what the current water conditions are? Check these out.