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KOOTENAI RIVER FISHING REPORT
April 10, 2025
Kootenai River (ID)
Water Temps:44F HEAT OF THE DAY
Flows: 9,310 cfs @ Leonia
Hatches: BWO, MIDGES, MARCH BROWNS
Not much has changed in the regard to water conditions on the Kootenai this week. We’re still hanging around 9,000 CFS and water temps are slowly creeping up, which is helping to widen that window of the best opportunity during the day. Most mornings have been spent nymphing or streamer fishing, but there have been some heads up eating on the surface starting midafternoon and extending into the evening, which is exciting to see. Water levels should remain good like this for another couple weeks until the spring runoff starts to slowly bring up the flows. Every year is different, so we shall see what it looks like this year! Until then it's a great time to get out on the Kootenai with very little pressure and some nice weather on the horizon. Should make for a great time on the water!
Extended Body March Brown #14 Rocky Mountain Mint Adams #14 Parachute Adams #14-#16 Wooly Bugger #6-#10; Ice Off Leech #10; Sculpzilla #8-#6; Mini Dungeon #6; She Demon #2; Trout Spey Bugger #6 Slayer #4 ; Duracell Jig #14-#18; Lazy J Stone #10; Pat’s Rubber Legs #14; Blow Torch Hare’s Ear Jig #10-#14; MFC Thrasher Jig #14; Peach Fuzz Jig #16; Zebra Midge #20-#16; Soft Hackles BWO #18-#12; Parachute BWO #18; RS-2 Emerger #20
Pend Oreille River/Lake
Lake level 2,053ft and rising
Flows out of Albeni Dam 25,900 CFS
HATCHES – Streamers
I was out on the Pend Oreille River last week and water temps were still 42 degrees during mid-day, so it could be a little bit more time before we start to see good smallmouth bass action on the fly rods.
Jungle Junky #4/0 Skinny Dipper #2 Game Changers 5”-7” Whammy Tomahawk #1/0 ManBearPig #2/0 Woolly Buggers #6-#8; She Demon White #4; Mini Dungeon #4; Small Crayfish Patterns #6-#8; Slump Buster White/Yellow/Natural; Praska Minnow #4 Foxy Cleopatra #4 Slayer #4 Small Game Changers #4
Small Lakes
The small lakes have been the star of the show lately due to the fact they warm up much faster than larger water bodies. This is a great time to get out and find those holdover trout that made it through winter. They are hungry and ready for battle. I was able to get out on a couple of the lakes this week and the crappie are starting to move in shallow and collect on structure. Small leeches and buggers will fool most crappie, but they can get picky. Having some small chironomids, scuds, and pheasant tails can help with that issue. As for the bass, we are starting to see them become more active in the shallows during the heat of the day and that should only get better as we go!
Praska Minnow #4 Foxy Cleopatra #4 Balanced Leech #10 Chironomids #14 - #16 Boobies Blobs Simi Seal Leech #12 Buggers #10-#14 Scuds #14-#16 Kreelex Minnow #6 Mini Dali Lama #4
Questions of the Day
“What water temperature should I look for to start targeting smallies on the fly?”
In our area we start to see bass come shallow enough for flies when the water reaches 50-55 degrees. With some warmer weather coming, and warmer nights, the bass action will pick up. On Lake Pend Oreille and the river you can encounter fish displaying very different moods just by finding the water that is getting the most sunlight each day, or by locating sandy or clay bottoms that warm quickly in the sun. You can also look for partially submerged rock walls that soak up that sun and heat the water around them. The pike action on the lake has started getting better. Using smaller flies, around 5”-7”, and changing up the retrieve will get them to react. If you do get a follow, but the fish bails next to the boat, go right into a “Figure 8” sweep. This can be enough to get those picky pike to strike.
“How do I do a figure eight sweep for pike?”
You will strip the fly line and leader into the rod guides and stick most of the rod in the water with the first ferrule at water level. Grab the butt of the rod with your non dominant hand, grasp the cork with your dominant hand, and start stirring the caldron. Slowly draw a figure 8 and let that fly speed up and slow down with every pass. Once a pike grabs, the rodeo begins.