KOOTENAI RIVER FISHING REPORT
January 8, 2025
Kootenai River (ID)
Water Temps: 45F
Flows: 5,000 cfs @ Leonia
Hatches: Nymphs
Flows are drawn way down on the Kootenai for the winter season. This can make for some good wading options on the Idaho side, which is limited but the Montana side has lots of options for wading. Searching around the deep pools is a good bet during wintertime but you will also find these Kootenai Rainbows tucked into eddy seams as well as still hanging in slow moving riffles looking for a meal. Deep nymph rigs under an indicator paired with a long drift is going to be the best approach. Small streamers swung on a sink tip will also move some fish. FLIES Wooly Bugger #6-#10 Ice Off Leech #10 Sculpzilla #8-#6 Mini Dungeon #6 She Demon #2 Duracell Jig #14-#18 lazy J Stone #10 Pat’s Rubber Legs #10-#14 MFC Thrasher Jig #14 Peach Fuzz Jig #16 Zebra Midge #20-#16 Soft Hackles #18-#12
Pend Oreille River
The Pend Oreille River isn’t what most fly fisherman would call a worthy river but during the winter months it does hold some nice trout to get you through the winter months. It’s big, slow, and wide and I think that is why it doesn’t get much attention during the winer months but if the cabin fever is getting to be too much it’s a good option just a few minutes down the road from Sandpoint. The ticket I have found out there is working small streamers on a sink tip line and retrieve the fly back very slow, you are basically fishing a lake with current if that makes sense. FLIES Wooly Buggers #6-#10 Sparkle Minnow Gold #2-#4 Sex Dungeon #2 Swim Coach #2 Farmers Daughter #2 4AGE Fish #4 Clouser Minnow #4 Small Game Changers 4” or less.
North Idaho Lakes
The only issue with Fall in North Idaho is the fact that everything is fishing good, but the clock is ticking... So, I’m here to offer some suggestions. The smaller stocked trout lakes can be great this time of year to get out and do some Stillwater style fly fishing. Balanced leeches, Water Boatman, buggers, Scuds, Boobies and Blobs and buzzers will all work great right up until we get the ice forming. Fishing on an intermediate and slow stripping or fishing an indicator rig on a choppy day have been working well. As for the predator species, fall can be great on Lake Pend Oreille as well as the Pend Oreille River. Alot of the bigger predator species are starting to slide off deeper with the cooler temps but there are still some shots at a nice pike or even a decent Smallmouth, you’ll just need to start slowing down the retrieve and start using sinking lines to get down and stay down. Both the lake and River (Pend Oreille) start to become a little bit more “trouty” in the fall and winter so don’t be surprised to start catching some nice rainbows and browns out there as well.