Even though it's cold, bass fishing is still active.

You just have to go a little deeper to catch them.

Blake Becker, of Black Sheep Sporting Goods, who tallied more than a few bass in Sunday's derby on Hayden Lake, said the fish are in nine to 12 feet of water in Hayden and Lake Coeur d'Alene. Use Rapalas and jerk baits and reel in slowly, letting the lines sink into the weeds at those depths.

"It's slowly starting," Becker said. "It's just going to take that bit of good weather to really activate them."

When the water warms in a month or so, you'll be able to catch them in less than a foot of water. Pike, meanwhile, are active on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

Use smelt or herring to get them. Crappie, mostly on Fernan Lake, are busy chasing crappie jigs and very small power bait worms in a variety of colors. Crappie and blue gills should be in five feet of water or less.

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Local fishing is catching on as water temperatures in the lakes and streams warm up.

"It just keeps getting better and better," said Steve Holweg of Cabela's. "I'd hit all the lakes you can get onto."

For trout, Holweg recommends fishing with wedding rings and nightcrawlers or small spoons such as Triple Teasers, Super Dupers and Needle Fish.

"Tip those with a nightcrawler or maggot," Holweg said.

Also, try floating either Berkley PowerBait or prepared baits off the bottom with an 18-inch leader.

For panfish, use a small jig tipped with a worm or Berkley PowerBait.

"Try various depths under a bobber or try jigging right off the bottom," Holweg said.

Chinook fishing on Lake Coeur d'Alene is heating up as well, Holweg said.

"One boat caught at least three last week on the southern end of the lake on Rapalas," he said. "I'd troll all the standard chinook gear."

Holweg said anglers should be careful when boating, especially on Lake Coeur d'Alene, as debris and logs come down from the runoff.

"There's a lot of junk on the lake and the dam (at Post Falls) is open," he said.

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Chinook are being snagged all over Lake Coeur d'Alene, according to Dale Odenbaugh.

Most fishermen are using herring and plugs and deep diving huskey jerks, he added.

"They're generally fishing from the surface to 20 feet deep," advised Odenbaugh, with Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

Pike are biting well on all the bays in Lake Coeur d'Alene, he added, as well as on the Chain Lakes.

"Anyplace there's pike," he said.

Most are being caught with smelt or herring, he said, or plastic swim baits and huskey jerks.

"You've just got to work that stuff slowly. The water is still cold," he said.

Pan fish are chomping in all the small lakes, he said.

He suggested using jigs and maggots.

Newly stocked trouts in local lakes usually bite on nightcrawlers and marshmellows, he said.

"Trout are a little bit more active in cold water, " he said.

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On local rivers near Coeur d'Alene, fly-casters are catching trout on nymph rigs, streamers and dry flies, according to Mike Beard of Orvis Northwest Outfitters.

"The fishing has been good," he said. "You still need to be careful because the water is still so high. It's starting to pick up. Over the weekend there were a few boats on the Coeur d'Alene, and same with the Joe."

The current is too dangerous for wading, but floating and bank fishing have been productive. Anglers should probe the lower reaches of the Coeur d'Alene or sections of the St. Joe below Avery, Beard advised.

More adventurous fishermen can drive up to Shoshone Base Camp and check out remote waters. The road isn't plowed past SBC, but "there is some good fishing up in that stretch," Beard said.

When tributaries are blown out, he added, it's often a good idea to head farther upstream and find cleaner water.

Later in the day, cutthroats and rainbows are hitting dry flies. Cast a Shwala stonefly, size 8 or 10, or a March Brown mayfly. Big attractor patterns like rubber-legs will also bring fish to the surface.

"Now, in the afternoon, you can even put a smaller nymph under your dry fly," Beard said.

When the dries aren't working, tandem nymph rigs are still a good strategy - princes, rubber legs, stone flies and pheasant tails. Use an indicator for sub-surface fishing.

Anglers who don't mind a long drive can check out the Clark Fork, too. The big Montana river has been running level this year, which makes for good fishing, Beard said.

Elsewhere, Coffeepot and Amber lakes, both in eastern Washington, are yielding fish. Closer to home, pike, bass and panfish are starting to bite on North Idaho lakes.

Beard suggested wooly buggers, leeches and nymphs for still-water fishing.

Considering the long-term forecast, the guide said the fishing window might close soon. As the weather warms up, the rivers will likely run high and dirty.

"I think this weekend could be a good one for guys that are looking to get out before the big runoff hits," Beard said.