Sandpoint/Ponderay, Idaho Fishing Report 06.14.18
Clark Fork (ID)
Flows out of Cabinet Gorge Dam is currently 55,700 cubic feet per second. The river is starting to clear up, but still too big to launch a boat.
Lake Pend Oreille
The lake is roughly a foot under normal pool. It is good to see water visibility start to clear up, but we are still looking at 4-5 feet of clarity. The further south on the lake you go, the clearer the water. Surface water temps have been ranging from 55-62°F. There is still a little bit of debris in the lake, so be careful while boating.
Pike fishing has been good. The best time of day has been from 11am-3pm when the lake is at its warmest for the day. Sunny days with a light breeze have been ideal conditions. Most of the northerns have been in the back of sloughs and bays, hunting in 3-8 feet of water. Finding weeds is crucial when attempting to locate pike. Use floating line if you are fishing over weeds, and fast sinking line if you are fishing drop-offs or rocky structure. Flies like Jackknife or Pike Slider will be all you need.
Bass fishing has also been good. Pound the docks and gravel flats in the mornings and evening for a topwater bite. Lots of smallies are being caught in 5-15ft of water off points and drop-offs. Use floating line for poppers, and fast-sinking line for stripping streamers. General white, chartreuse, or orange poppers work well for topwater. For sub-surface flies, a Bushwacker, Deceiver, and #4 Clouser usually does the trick.
Lake Cocolalla
Fishing has been best in the mornings and evenings. Water clarity is between 4-5ft which is. pretty good considering what it will be in a couple months. The key to fishing this lake is to keep the boat moving. Cover as much water as you can until you find the trout. On days when the lake is glass, it is easier to find the loose pods of trout because they often times rise to sporadic flies. I have the best success fishing an intermediate line with a #6 olive Woolly Bugger, rust Baby Gonga, or a #6 Thinmint.
Kootenai River
Flows out of Libby dam is currently 20,100cfs. The Kootenai is a big river this time of year, so a drift or jet boat will be you best way to access the river. The softer eddies will be where most of the trout will be feeding. Any time of day can produce fish. Large dries like #8 royal Chubby Chernobyl, #10 olive PMX, #12 purple Parachute Adams, or #10 pink Hippie Stomper should do the trick. If you are looking to nymph, try a #8 Pat’s Rubberlegs followed by a #14 Lightning Bug. This is a great river to strip or swing streamers, so don’t forget to bring flies like #2 white Zoo Cougar or #4 white Complex Twist.
See past reports from the Sandpoint/Ponderay area here, or click here to view all northwest regional reports.