NF CDA - North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Hatches

Skwalas
March Browns
BWO's

The Fishing

A few of us from the shop were able to get out for a day on the North Fork Coeur d’Alene this week. Fishing was good overall, some windows of slower dry fly action when the wind would pick up and minimize the March Brown hatch. But otherwise, fish were found on March Brown dries, Skwala dries, streamers and nymph rigs. We’re really getting into that time of year where all tactics will come into play throughout the day. I’d plan on mostly subsurface action in the mornings, swapping over to dry fly or dry-dropper rigs once surface activity picks up. Some fish are starting to hold in faster moving currents, but plenty are still hanging out in the slower pools and eddies.


Note: Fishing tributaries during this time of the year isn't ideal. Two reasons, it is very early April so water conditions are still cold, plus it's spawning time of the year. Give them a few more weeks at least.

If you like trusting forecasts, here’s a link to the Northwest River Forecast Center for river flow projections. Like the weather, these change often and aren’t always accurate, but are a helpful tool for planning out your fishing days.

NF CDA at Prichard (Copy and past this link): https://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?PRCI1

We have rafts and single person boats in-stock! Rio Craft Madison(SOLD), Rio Craft Teton, Outcast PAC 1300, Outcast Stealth Pro, and Outcast Clearwater. Spring is boat season!

Current Flow

Prichard = 1160 ft³/sec
Prediction Flow - Prichard

Cataldo = 3590 ft³/sec
Prediction Flow - Cataldo

St. Joe River, Idaho

Hatches

March Browns
Skwalas
BWO's

The Fishing

The St. Joe has stayed good since Sean was up there earlier this week. Flows did creep up a bit this week but that hasn’t hurt the fishing. I typically am not concerned with minor flow increases this time of year, as long as the graph isn’t on a vertical trajectory. March Brown activity is still consistent, along with a few Skwalas roaming around. Generally we don’t get a massive Skwala hatch up here, but there’s always enough to get the cutties interested in a big foam bug. Like the CDA system, mornings will be a little slow on the dry fly front so plan on subsurface tactics until things warm up a bit.

Note: tributaries and very high up in these cutthroat drainages are not ideal this year, and tribs are still pretty cold as it is only early April. It is also spawning time so avoid the tributaries (and any gravel areas) for a bit longer, give the cutthroat a break and focus on the main river. The road above Avery is closed from due to down trees and fallen rock/boulders.

If you like trusting forecasts, here’s a link to the Northwest River Forecast Center for river flow projections. Like the weather, these change often and aren’t always accurate, but are a helpful tool for planning out your fishing days.

St Joe at Calder (Copy and past this link): https://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?CLDI1

We have rafts and single person boats in-stock! Rio Craft Madison (SOLD), Rio Craft Teton, Outcast PAC 1300, Outcast Stealth Pro, and Outcast Clearwater. Spring is boat season!

Current Flow

Red Ives = 713 ft³/sec
Prediction Flow - Red Ives

Calder = 4920 ft³/sec
Prediction Flow - Calder

Miscellaneous

The Fishing

Starting to sound like a broken record on the lake front here, pretty much everywhere has been fishing very well lately. With the warmer weather, hatches are starting to get more consistent and the fish are responding well. Chironomids are beginning to dominate the game, both dry fly and nymph variations. Leeches will always find fish, but I’d be pairing them with a chironomid pattern for sure. Damsel patterns should start getting more attention as well. Our friend Malyn reported good fishing at Coffeepot earlier this week, nothing crazy for numbers of fish but some very quality trout were found.

Spokane River, Washington

Hatches

n/a

The Fishing

The Spokane River from the WA/ID state line down to Nine Mile Falls Dam is now closed until the Saturday before Memorial Day. This closure is to help protect spawning Redband rainbows.

Current Flow

12800 ft³/sec
Prediction Flow - Lower River / Post Falls

Steelhead Rivers

The Fishing

Reports for steelheading on the Grande Ronde, Snake and Clearwater are wrapped up for the season. Time to let them spawn. We will begin reports for steelies late summer as they trickle back into the Columbia system. We will periodically have some smallmouth reports from this region when we get them.

Current Flows

Grande Ronde River at Troy - 3480 ft³/sec
Prediction Flow - Troy

Snake River at Anatone - 34300 ft³/sec
Prediction Flow - Anatone

Clearwater River at Spalding - 28400 ft³/sec
Prediction Flow - Spalding