KOOTENAI RIVER FISHING REPORT

May 23, 2025

Kootenai River (ID)

Water Temps: 46F Heat of the Day

Flows:  12,300 cfs @ Leonia and dropping

Fishing has remained great on the Kootenai as we are being blessed with consistent flows and some nice, fairly consistent weather! The dry/dropper rig has been working well with a #8-10 Plan B or Chubby on top with a #14-16 Duracell or Blow Torch below. Nymphing through the morning will be best until midday; you should start seeing some risers! Twin Rivers Access opens this weekend for the season and Leonia opens June 1.

How do I attach the second fly in a dry dropper rig?  

I would guess that 9/10 anglers would agree it’s this way: After you attach your floating fly to the tapered leader, attach a section of tippet material to the bend of the floating fly hook, using a clinch knot, which is the same way you tie any fly on. And then, of course, attach the bottom fly to the end of that secion. 

Pend Oreille River/Lake

Lake level 2,057.67ft and rising  

Flows out of Albeni Dam 33,900 CFS

Water Temp: 54F

HATCHES – Streamers

Pend Oreille River  

The whole Pend Oreille River/Lake system has been fishing excellent lately for many different species. The smallmouth have been on fire near rock structures, such as rip-rap edges, boulder piles, sunken islands and rock flats. Clouser Minnows are working great in the river with the added current of spring time flows, any weighted minnow pattern for that matter should work fine. I just never got past the Clouser the other day, it was that good. The pike have been moving in shallow on the nicer days. Sometimes you can even see them in certain types of water and structure around the lake, such as sandy flats with a weed edge. The warm weather on the horizon for Memorial Day weekend should get the pike all fired up again after this cold spell moves on. As the lake continues to head towards full summer levels, we are starting to see more largemouth bass being caught in the lake as well as in the river, which makes for some really fun topwater fishing that is right around the corner. 

Small Lakes

Water temps 58-63 

The small lakes are starting to get some weed growth around the edges, which can be a good indicator of more good fishing opportunities on the way. As the lakes warm the trout will move away from the shallows during the day and be replaced by panfish and largemouth bass for the summer, which means topwater to the fly angler! As for now, the trout action is still great. I went out to one of the local trout lakes and caught many on a floating line, using a 7’ 3-weight rod, casting a small Woolly Bugger to sunken logs. It’s a good time to get out and enjoy that trout action before the summer heat puts them deeper.  


KOOTENAI RIVER FLOW DATA


NORTH IDAHO WEATHER FORECAST


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is the Kootenai River good for fishing?
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