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KOOTENAI RIVER FISHING REPORT
June 18, 2025
Kootenai River (ID)
Water Temps: 57F Heat of the Day
Flows: 17,000 cfs @and dropping fast
Must Have Flies: Chubby Chernobyl #12 - #8 Blowtorch Jig #14 - #12 Hares Ear Nymph #14 - #10 Parachute Adams #14 - #10
Flows are coming down fast on the Kootenai, which is making the fishing tremendously good! Clearer water with temps moving from 54 – 57 degrees makes for great conditions. The Kootenai very rarely gets over 64 degrees in the heat of summer, making it a great cold water sanctuary when other trout streams get too warm. But we still have some time before that is an issue. A double nymph rig is still the best way to catch a boatload of trout, but you will see trout rising to PMD emergers and adults with caddis coming into play in the evenings. The edges of rip-rap and eddy seams that meet the main current have been hotspots lately. Drifting with an eddy is a good way to fish this river because eddies are big and you can “lap” them a few times. When doing so, go with a nymph rig or “short leashing” rig if they are sipping emergers. The dry/dropper rig with an attractor fly on top and a Blowtorch Jig about 3-feet below has been getting some love. The days are long and the fishing is great out there!
Pend Oreille River/Lake
Lake level: 2,062.26ft
Flows out of Albeni Dam: 26,100 CFS
Water Temp: 60-68F
Must Have Flies: Clouser Minnow #4-#6, Finesse changers #2, Moss man popper #2, Walkers Wiggler #2 and Crayfish Patterns #2-#4
With the lake at full pool, we are starting to see consistent water temps on the surface, ranging from 60-68 degrees depending on time of day and location. But, regardless, it makes for excellent bass fishing out on the lake whether targeting largemouth or smallmouth. The mornings and evenings provide the best action for big fish, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t accessible during the day as well. Topwater has been working great as it should in the middle of June. Using a suspended minnow pattern, that darts and stops right under the surface has been a good presentation in the lake. There are still some decent pike cruising around shallow as well. As for fishing the Pend Oreille River, there is still some notable current in most places above Albeni Dam. We found smallmouth tucked in the rocks and edges waiting for food to swim by. Below Albeni Dam there is still quite a bit of current running through, but as you move away from the dam, the current starts to slow and becomes more manageable to fish. Keep an eye on the releases from the dam as it can affect the fishing. Typically, on the way up or down it slows the fishing, whereas when it's been consistent flows for a day or two it seems to make the fishing better.
Small Lakes
Water temps: 65-73F
Must Have Flies: Dragonfly Nymphs #8-#4 Damselfly Nymphs #12-#10 Balanced Leech #8 Woolly Bugger #4 Poppers #12-#2
More of the same for the small lakes around the area this week. Fishing shallow around the lily pads and docks with poppers of various sizes will entice panfish and largemouth bass. If you move out a little deeper and fish a drop-off or a submerged tree, you can find nice schools of crappie. They aren’t too picky. This far into June the trout fishing on the lakes is pretty much only going to be good in the early mornings or really late at night. With higher water temps, they will be hanging lower in the water column to escape the heat. You will still catch them, but it slows down this time of year. This weekend and coming week, I would focus my attention on the shallows, docks, weeds, and lily pads for nice bass and panfish.