PAST SPOKANE FISHING REPORTS 2024
January 12, 2024
Location: Spokane River
Flows: CFS/3140
Spokane is cold, with more precipitation in the forecast and we need it. With the single digit temps this week, tying flies might be a better option. We have dates still available for fly tying classes, February 3rd, 17th and March 2nd are still open for people wanting to learn to tie and or learn some new tying techniques. Next week fishing should open the opportunity to fish the Spokane. Nymph setups with hot spot flies. Jigged 10,12,14 flies getting down deep in slow runs will show you success. Swing flies is still a viable option black, and red has been killer for us in the shop.
February 20, 2024
Location: Spokane River
Flows: CFS/7,090
Flows on the Spokane are currently sitting at 7,090 cfs, which should make for some great winter fishing. You can expect to find fish holding in all the usual haunts, such as deep-water seams and back eddies. Nymphing a stonefly with a hot-bead Euro nymph will bring the most consistent action but come prepared with some BWO dries because they’re coming off daily. Streamer addicts should try sculpin patterns with a little flash in them.
Location: Area Lakes
Some of our area lakes that are open year-round like 4th of July near Sprague have been producing some jumbo trout. Staple stillwater patterns such as blobs and balanced leeches fished under an indicator have been working the best. If you do decide to try a streamer, be sure to fish it slowly due to the cold water temps. If you have questions about any of our local fisheries, please come into the shop and we’ll get you dialed-in for success!
March 5, 2024
Location: Spokane River
Flows: CFS/9500
Flows on the Spokane have jumped to 9,500 cfs, which will make for some very challenging fishing conditions. If you want to do some river fishing, you’re better off heading to the CDA or St. Joe. Reminder: The Spokane River closes to fishing from the WA/ID border downstream to Nine Mile Dam on March 15th.
Location: Area Lakes
We’ve been getting some great reports from our customers who’ve been hitting local lakes like Liberty, Amber, and Waitts to name a few. Chip O’Brien ventured out to Coffeepot Lake last Friday and caught a few from the bank, so don’t worry if you don’t have a float tube or boat! Balanced and ice off leeches have been doing most of the damage but expect chironomids to start hatching more heavily over the next few weeks. We have a full assortment of stillwater flies and gear in the shop to ensure your success!
Location: Spokanite Brewing
Our fly tying event is fast approaching on Sunday, March 24th at Spokanite Brewing from 2-4 PM. Bring your tying supplies, come have a local beer, and tie some flies with us! Go to our events page for more information on this event and to see what other awesome events are coming up!
March 13, 2024
Location: Spokane River
Flows: CFS/7600
Only a few days left to fish the Spokane before it closes on March 15! A tungsten stonefly pattern with a jigged Prince dropper under an indicator will get it done all day long. BWOs are coming off during the middle part of the day, so if you’re lucky you’ll find some risers. Have a few size 16 baetis cripples at the ready just in case!
Be sure to check out our Coeur d’Alene shop’s report page for the most up to date info on the North Fork and St. Joe!
Reminder: The Spokane River closes to fishing from the WA/ID border downstream to Nine Mile Dam on March 15 – Saturday before Memorial Day.
Location: Area Lakes
We’ve been getting some great reports from our customers who’ve been hitting area lakes like Liberty, Lenore, and Waitts to name a few. Chip O’Brien ventured out to Coffeepot Lake last Friday and caught a few from the bank, so don’t worry if you don’t have a float tube or boat! Balanced and ice off leeches have been doing most of the damage but expect chironomids to start hatching more heavily over the next few weeks. We have a full assortment of stillwater flies and gear in the shop to ensure your success!
Location: Spokanite Brewing
Our fly tying event is fast approaching on Sunday, March 24th at Spokanite Brewing from 2-4 PM. Bring your tying supplies, come have a local beer, and tie some flies with us! Go to our events page for more information on this event and to see what other awesome events are coming up!
March 20, 2024
Location: Spokane River
Flows: CFS/Doesn’t matter!
The Spokane River closed to fishing from the WA/ID border downstream to Nine Mile Dam on March 15 and remains closed until the Saturday before Memorial Day.
Location: Area Lakes
Trout: The chironomid hatch is starting to pick up on the lakes to the west of Spokane. This time of year, it’s usually smart to have a good selection of colors and sizes of these mosquito-like insects. Some of our favorite patterns are Chromies, Snow Cones, and Collaborators.
Balanced leeches fished below an indicator in tandem with a chironomid is a good way start off your day before the hatch gets going. Try switching to a natural-colored Balanced Leech if you find fish shying away from the hot-beaded variety.
Carp: We’ve been getting some great reports of carp being caught in the shallow lakes west of Spokane where water temps have ticked up over the past week. Buggers, Balanced Leeches (stripped and under an indicator), and other medium sized streamer patterns can draw some heart stopping takes from pre-spawn carp! Get after them before they get picky!
Bass: Soon...
Location: Spokanite Brewing
Our fly tying event is this Sunday, March 24th at Spokanite Brewing from 2-4 PM. Bring your tying supplies, come have a local beer, and tie some flies with us! Go to our events page for more information on this event and to see what other awesome events are coming up!
April 3, 2024
Location: Spokane River
Flows: CFS/Doesn’t matter!
The Spokane River closed to fishing from the WA/ID border downstream to Nine Mile Dam on March 15 and remains closed until the Saturday before Memorial Day.
Our annual Lake City Spey Clave in Coeur d’Alene is less than a month away! This is a great chance to learn from some of the best in the industry! Check out our events page for more information!
Location: Area Lakes
Trout: Now that last week’s cold temperatures are behind us, we should start to see some more hatches on area lakes. Callibaetis and chironomids will start hatching in force over the next couple of weeks in the lakes to the west of Spokane. We have plenty of patterns here in the shop to keep you in the game for all phases of these hatches! You should also have some water boatmen at the ready too. If you see fish launching out of the water, it’s usually these little trout skittles they are chasing!
If you are looking to catch some Lahontan Cutthroat, we’ve been hearing some great reports about Lenore and Omak Lakes!
Our annual Lake City Spey Clave in Coeur d’Alene is only a month away! This is a great chance to learn from some of the best in the industry! Check out our events page for more information!
Carp: This time of year, I usually spend my mornings trout fishing and transition to carp in the afternoon after both the air and water temps have warmed up. Focus your efforts on the lakes and canals around Moses Lake. There are dozens of places that hold carp in this area, and many of them never see an angler all year! Black buggers, balanced leeches, and Pat’s Rubberlegs are great patterns to use for pre-spawn carp in off colored water.
Our 1st annual Carp Clave is happening on April 20th in Boardman Oregon and will provide anglers of all skill levels insight on how to catch these peculiar fish. Be sure to check out our events page for full details!
Bass: Soon...
April 10, 2024
Location: Spokane River
Flows: CFS/Doesn’t matter!
The Spokane River closed to fishing from the WA/ID border downstream to Nine Mile Dam on March 15 and remains closed until the Saturday before Memorial Day.
Location: Area Lakes
Trout:Liberty, Waitts, Amber, and Medical Lake have been providing some trouty action for folks who want to stay close to home. Balanced leeches and chironomids under an indicator are still the ticket. Slow stripping streamer along the shoreline will also get some grabs.
We’ve been hearing some great reports from customers heading over to Lenore for Lahontans. These fish love nasty weather, so don’t let a little wind or rain deter you from heading over to check out this unique fishery. Water clarity can be an issue on windy days, but don’t let that deter you. Brightly colored blobs and flashy streamers will often get their attention when the water is murky.
Mid-April is callibaetis time in Central Washington. Lakes like Quail and Dry Falls have great hatches of these size 14-16 mayflies, and the trout take notice. Using a size 14 BH Pheasant Tail or Hare’s Ear will catch fish below the surface before the hatch gets going usually by noon. Retrieve your flies with erratic twitches and hold on tight because the strikes are never subtle!
Our annual Lake City Spey Clave in Coeur d’Alene is less than a month away! This is a great chance to learn from some of the best in the industry! Check out our events page for more information!
Carp: Rivers, creeks, lakes, and ponds in Central Washington have been putting out some bruisers lately. No need to get up early to chase these fish. They like to sleep in and wait for the sun to warm up the water temps in the afternoon. A well-placed fly like a Scarpion or Carpdashian will certainly get their attention.
Our 1st annual Carp Clave is happening on April 20th in Boardman Oregon and will provide anglers of all skill levels insight on how to catch these peculiar fish. Be sure to check out our events page for full details!
April 16, 2024
Location: Spokane River
Flows: CFS/Doesn’t matter!
The Spokane River closed to fishing from the WA/ID border downstream to Nine Mile Dam on March 15 and remains closed until the Saturday before Memorial Day.
Our annual Lake City Spey Clave in Coeur d’Alene is less than a month away! This is a great chance to learn from some of the best in the industry! Check out our events page for more information!
Location: Area Lakes
Trout: Bugs, bugs, and more more bugs! We’re entering that time of year where our lakes are coming to life with insect activity. Chironomid hatches are happening throughout the day and while it’s tempting to put a dry fly on when you see fish chasing chironomid adults on the surface; you’re probably better off sticking to sub-surface larva and pupae patterns. Chromies, SJ worms, zebra midges will all get the job done under an indicator along a weedline.
Callibaetis will be a welcome midday sight at some of the lakes around the Moses Lake area. Let the wind tell you which part of the lake to fish, because these mayflies will be congregated on the windward side, and the trout know this too.
Carp: Five Tips for the Beginning Carp Angler:
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Stealth is key. Carp are as spooky as they come. Walk softly along the bank. Take time to observe the area before approaching it. Keep a low profile. Dress like a sniper, blend into your environment, and pick your targets well.
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How’s your presentation? Think of every carp as Chef Gordon Ramsey. You could have the most delicous looking fly on the end of your leader, but if you cannot present it well on a dinner plate it probably won’t get eaten. Practice your casting accuracy before you go.
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Water clarity will dictate what color fly to use. Have a range of colors from black to orange in your box. A black fly with chartreuse dumbell eyes is my pattern du jour when the water is dirty in the spring.
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Carp are everywhere in Eastern Washington. Do some research, look for spots off the beaten path and explore!
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Go to our 1st Jurassic Carp Clave in Boardman Oregon this Saturday. You’ll have the chance to learn from some of the best carp anglers in our area and make some new friends in the process!
April 25, 2024
Location: Area Lakes
Trout: Stillwater anglers rejoice, the general lake opener is this Saturday! There are so many lakes to choose from in the Spokane area it can be hard to choose which one to go to. Some of our favorites in the shop include Fish (Spokane County), West Medical, and Clear. The weather is looking good for the weekend, so expect to see some chironomid activity. Damsel and dragonfly nymphs will be active around the weed beds. We just got in a bunch of new stillwater patterns to help you have a successful outing!
Carp: The first annual Jurassic Flats Carp Clave was a resounding success! Anglers attending were treated to a ton of information on how to chase these golden ghosts. If you have questions on where to go locally, please swing by the shop.
Warmwater Species: We’ve been getting some great reports from anglers catching crappie while chasing trout. Balanced leeches under an indicator are a great way to target these fish around structure. Smallmouth bass are also getting ready to move into the shallows to build their spawning beds. Tie a meaty streamer on a sink-tip, strip, and hold on!
Flows: CFS/Doesn’t matter!
The Spokane River closed to fishing from the WA/ID border downstream to Nine Mile Dam on March 15 and remains closed until the Saturday before Memorial Day.