Coeur d'Alene Fishing Report 07.04.19
Nothing short of greatness in our area! There are so many good reports from all of our fisheries of late. Now is really a tough time to decide where to go. Everything is in shape and good to go. Whether wading or floating is your gig, there are tons of options right now. It’s looking like warmer temperatures are coming up this week in the high 70s and low 80s. This is perfect weather for the week of the 4th! Our town is bustling with energy and people looking to go fishing. The shop has been very busy with lots of happy fishermen and women. Hope you guys and gals have a great week on the river with your families and enjoy the 4th!
Current Conditions
Coeur d'Alene River - The fishing here has been solid. Big fish are still being caught but you'll need to bring your A-game with the lower water conditions now. The river is in summer mode and bright skies and warm temperatures can mean more technical fishing. There are lots of ants and beetles out and hoppers are now on the palate. There are no big hoppers yet but they will come as the grass on the banks dry out. There are still plenty of pmds and caddis in the afternoons and a few green drakes kicking around too but not many. Smaller streamers will produce some bigger fish now. Look for the faster pocket water and undercut deeper banks. The shade is a good thing now too. Get up early and siesta mid-day and back at it till dark. The evenings will produce many more risers than early mornings now.
St. Joe River - It is nothing short of incredible on the Joe. I absolutely love the Joe this time of year. It is such a diverse river with so many options of differing waters. I like to concentrate on pocket waters and two to five feet deep riffles. You will find fish willing to play here even in the middle of the day on the surface. The Joe has a great canyon feel and the high canyon walls on most of the river help the fishing greatly. The water maintains a good cool temperature even in the heat of the summer. I still will look for shade and deeper runs in August though. Same bugs really as the CdA River. You’ll want to use pale morning duns, golden stones, beetles and ants, hoppers, caddis, rusty spinners. Again, don't be afraid to run a small slump buster or near nuff sculpin through the run you just fished. You'll be greatly surprised with a bigger fish or two.
Clark Fork River (MT) - Oh my goodness! It’s so good right now. Big rainbows, browns, and cutthroat are the reason I love the Fork this time of year. The water is in great shape with plenty of clarity. It has a touch more water than the other rivers now which is not a bad thing. I love chucking a tandem streamer rig now on the Fork. A couple of #6 black or olive near nuff sculpins or bighorn buggers will work. There are also still enough golden stones out to keep the fish looking up for the big bugs. Your standard golden or orange chubby in a #6 or #8 with a longer two to three feet deep bead head will be on one of my three rods. I have a tandem streamer rod rigged, a short leader nymph stick, and a rod with the chubby and long dropper. The nymph rod will have a bigger Pat’s rubber legs with a San Juan worm dropper or bigger prince nymph or pheasant tail nymph as the dropper. If you are looking for a killer float this is the place to be.
Match the Hatch
Coming into our core summer season, the usual suspects are out. For pale morning duns try a hackle stacker, Quigley cripple, comparadun, or thorax dun. Caddis are coming out thick in the afternoons and evenings too. Use your standard #14-16 elk hair caddis, x-caddis, cornfed and trail them with a small #16 soft hackle. Plus, don't forget a Goddard caddis as well. Rusty spinners and pale evening duns will be out with the caddis too in the evenings. You’ll want to use smaller bead head nymphs like the flashback pheasant tail, psycho prince, Quasimodo pheasant tail, copper johns #12-16's -in all these bugs. Plus, use foam beetles, smaller hoppers like the head turner by Rainey's (this hopper is amazing), chubby chernobyl's, and orange and yellow stimulators. Also, the purple parawulff is a favorite small attractor for this time of year. I like it as much or even more than a purple haze. Run a small #16 or #14 bead pheasant tail behind it to fish in the flats on the Clark Fork and hold on.
Need to fill the box before you go? Order flies online here.
Tips & Techniques
Start downsizing some of your bead head nymphs. Caddis and smaller mayflies like the pale morning duns, rusty spinners, and a few others are now the mainstays. Not saying a stonefly nymph like a Pat's or big prince will not get eaten -just not as often. Try high sticking a shorter tandem smaller bead headset up in the pocket water on the Joe or the Coeur d'Alene. Keep moving from rock to rock and concentrating on the edges of the rocks vs. just behind them. The fish love this kind of water this time of year. There is more cover and oxygen for them in the riffles and pocket water. These are also good ambushing spots for them too. Use a softer indicator like a poly yarn indicator and try not to splash your offerings down into the water. You may only get one chance per rock if it is shallower water. Fish can become spookier this time of year -there are more anglers out now and they are also easier targets for birds of prey. Fish know this and will boogie out at the first sign of a big shadow, poor cast, or anyone wearing a Patriots hat!
Did you know...
If you are considering getting out on the water with a guide, we can help. We are partnered with local outfitters and can get you set up with them. If you want to book a trip on the Coeur d'Alene, St. Joe, Clark Fork or the Idaho side of the Kootenai we can help. Give us a call and let us know what you are interested in and we will get you with an experienced guide and help you learn about all of our local waters.
See past reports from the CDA region here, or click here to view all northwest regional reports.