Sandpoint/Ponderay, Idaho Fishing Report 11.29.18
Clark Fork River (ID)
The flows on the Clark Fork below Cabinet Gorge have been better in the past week. Generally, they are ranging between 4,000 and 18,000 cfs and drawn out overnight and into the mornings. Midges are popping, but bug activity has been minimal. It’s a nymph game now, so get out your favorite subsurface flies and midges. Stripping streamers such as a #4 kreelex in bronze/gold will turn heads and give you the potential of hooking something big. Swinging patterns such as a TFP copperhead or TFP boomslang will bring some nice trout to the net. Bead head soft hackles in dark colors and peacock bodies have worked out well for me. Also, standard nymphing rigs will catch fish as well. Pat’s rubber legs and DB stones are some of my favorites. Good luck and have fun!
Lake Pend Oreille
The big lake has bottomed out and temperatures are around 45 degrees F. The water clarity is about 10 feet. Fly fishing LPO in the winter months is a tough go. From now until March, there won’t be much to report on. On warmer days, look for bass and pike to follow bait up the water column along shelves. Larger swim fly patterns like -gamechangers and dredgers fished on or near the bottom will turn fish. Sinking lines are a must this time of the year. Fishing won’t be super-duper, but if you find a break in the weather and can mark fish, stay patient and you’ll connect. As for trout, streamers near the surface have picked up some fish.
Lake Cocolalla
Coco is cooling off and throughout the month will trend with the impending freezing temperatures. The trout will continue to cruise the shoreline in about 5 to 12 feet of water. Low-fat minnows, complex twist buggers, and zirdle bugs will help you connect. Using flies that move water are crucial in the 1 to 2 feet clarity range. Browns can be caught along the north side of the lake as well as rainbows and cutthroat. Drifting/pulling chironomids behind a float tube, kayak, or boat will produce, as cruising trout feed on these larger midges. With the frigid weather, ice-up isn’t far away, so get it while it’s good.
Kootenai River
Break out your streamer rods and your best nymph game. Flows are back up to 15,000 cfs and the clarity remains around 60 inches. Soak some streamers and work deeper pockets and structure. Baetis nymphs are going to be your best bet, and there’s nothing wrong with a #14 pheasant tail. Small patterns like a #16-18 WD-40 will imitate a broad range of aquatic stage bugs. Don’t overlook midges, there will be plenty around this time of year. A #18-20 blood midge is my go-to midge pattern. On sunny and warmer days, look for some fish feeding on midges on top, so carry a few Griffith’s gnats in assorted sizes, #16-#22. Stay vigilant and look for active fish.
See past reports from the Sandpoint/Ponderay area here, or click here to view all northwest regional reports.