2026 Memorial Day Weekend Forecast

Have a great holiday weekend!

Excitement is high as we approach the most anticipated holiday for Spokane-area anglers. The long Memorial Day Weekend kicks off the season for many as rivers drop and hatches ramp up.

Because this winter brought lower snowpack and warmer temperatures, the North Fork Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe Rivers have been fishing well for a while now. Even in higher water years there are windows of opportunity, but this spring didn't bring any big blowouts so it's been solid since the beginning of April. The fishing mantra of 2026... DON'T WAIT TO GO!

The North Fork Coeur d'Alene drainage doesn't get the big snowfall like the St. Joe and I would say it already looks like mid-late June for water levels up there. You can fish anywhere you want right now. If you are wanting to float it, go sooner rather than later. It will be a skinny one this summer plust the inner tuber hatch will be nuts. Hatches of pale morning dun mayflies, caddis, drakes (green and gray), and yellow sallies have been the mainstay. I would say you can expect to see golden stones as well and maybe a straggler salmonfly, but more likely a golden stone. Carpenter ants have also had a little buzz lately too and the hatch that has seem to go on forever this spring is the March brown hatch. How high can you go? As high as you want.

We have floated the St. Joe recently and I took a drive up the St. Joe yesterday (of course I brought my fly fishing gear). The St. Joe is in great shape for Memorial Day Weekend. The water is still cold (48 degrees above Avery) but whether you want to fish the lower end or the middle-upper it is good. Current flows don't lend themselves to many fishy pockets as you near Gold Creek or higher. Speaking of Gold Creek, the road over Gold Creek to St. Regis is still closed. The last little bit of road from Line Creek CG up to Spruce Tree CG is also closed as of 5/20. Earlier this season the region saw a big windstorm that wreaked havoc on the trees causing massive blow down. When you travel above Avery you will see piles and piles of fallen timber stacked up where crews have cleared the roads. Hatches on the lower end of the St. Joe have included PMDs, caddis, drakes, some golden stones and March browns still. Oh and yellow sallies as always this time of the year. Near Avery and above you can still see some salmonfly stones. Fishing was very good along my journey upriver to check on conditions. The cutties are eager for flies!

Our hometown fishery the Spokane River opens this Saturday May 23rd! What do we anticipate for opener? Good fishing, that's what! River levels are super fishy right now and should lend themselves to productive fishing right out of the gate. Caddis is the main bug here from opener to pretty much winter time, with late May and June being the most prolific part of the season. You could potentially see some straggler salmonflies out still, mostly in the Riverside State Park area, but they can be found elsewhere too. They do generally hatch earlier in May when the river is closed. Tossing a big chubby and a long dropper is go-to for most of the season. Droppers and nymph rigs can (and should) include rubber leg stones and caddis pupa. Those are staples here.

The Clark Fork River near St. Regis is on the drop, and while high still, it is beginning to fish very well. PMDs have been the main pattern here.

Bo spoke with the North Fork ranger district regarding driving conditions to the North Fork of the Clearwater / Kelly Creek. As of now... there is 70" of snow drift still at the top of Hoodoo Pass. Historically someone from the private residences back along Deception Saddle will come in and plow out the drift. No word on when / if that will happen. Access from the lower end via Pierce is open so if you do want to fish the lower North Fork Clearwater and Kelly Creek you can get through that section. There is a massive slide in the Black Canyon near Fix Creek and Can Creek and just south of Hidden Creek CG, no word on those will be done, doesn't sound like any day soon. A person could drive up from the lower end, go up Kelly Creek, then over Deception Saddle to access the upper NF CW. However, the North Fork Ranger Dist said absolutely NO TRAILERS on Deception Saddle, it is not possible to take them over the pass right now.

Lakes - see Kenyon's latest in the weekly fishing reports... I'm just a river angler these days :)

Have a great and fish-filled Memorial Day Weekend. Business hours as usual Saturday - Monday. We appreciate your business!