The ice on several bays on area lakes is tapering, opening up the areas for spring fishing, said Johnny Booey, fishing lead at Cabela's.

"We've heard about people targeting pike with smelt and bobbers," said Booey, adding that he heard Cougar Bay is among those open. "A lot of people are gearing up for pike."

Booey calls it a "transition time" with ice holding on at some lakes.

"The ice may be safe, but if it warms up, a 40-degree day (turns conditions) really fast," he said. "People need to be very careful this time of year. Do not fish alone if you're ice fishing."

Stream fishing continues to be suspect with runoff.

"All streams this time of year are pumping a lot of mud," Booey said.

Booey said Lake Roosevelt continues to be a popular choice as anglers look for rainbow trout and walleye.

"Nightcrawlers and power bait works for rainbow and people are trolling with flies and wedding rings," he said.

Washington's special early fishing opener starts March 1 on some lakes. The regular opener is the last week of April.

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According to staff at Black Sheep Sporting Goods, ice fishing on Cocolalla Lake, south of Sandpoint, and Hauser Lake are good bets right now.

Even catching kokanee on Spirit Lake is good fishing right now, using glow hooks and ice jigs, like black colored Swedish pimple. Trout and perch are also chasing the bait, with a six-inch leader off a bead chain.

But on Cocolalla Lake, trout and crappies have been chasing the same set up, with chrome or copper colored Swedish pimple, size two or four. Add a chunk of worm or maggot for the best result. Use more maggot than worm going after the crappies.

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Fishermen should still look north for ice fishing.

For snagging perch, the best bets are Lower Twin, Cocolalla and Gamble Lakes, according to Jeff Smith of Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

"(The fish) are pretty decent sized at all of 'em," Smith said.

He suggested using either Ratsos or Ratfinkes, but almost anything else will work too, he said.

"Basically you've just got to go where they (the fish) are at," he said. "If you've got a jig and a maggot and you go to the bottom and you're not getting anything, just move. It's not what you have on, but where you're at."

Fernan Lake also has decent perch, he said, but he advised waiting for colder weather to firm up the ice.

Many are dropping lines through the ice for kokanee at Mirror Lake, Smith added, and others are heading to Upper Twin Lakes and the north end of Hayden Lake for pike.

Glow hooks and maggots should hook the kokanee, he said.

And smelt or herring are the top choices for pike.

Coeur d'Alene River is the best option for open water fishing, Smith said.

"It's just catch and release for trout," he said. "You can fly fish it, or spin fish it or whatever you want, but it's all catch and release. I'd recommend pinching your barbs, even if it's not required."

The limit is 25 for whitefish, though, he said, which are proving easy catches.

He suggested a bead headed nymph, he said, and bait with maggots.

Or folks could use a glow hook and maggot, he added.

"When you get into schools, you catch them real fast," he said.

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On local rivers near Coeur d'Alene, recent good weather cracked open a brief window, said Pat Way of Orvis Northwest Outfitters.

"Last week, actually, the warm weather afforded for some good trout fishing," he said.

Some anglers on the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers took advantage of the opportunity. Nymphs and even dry flies attracted fish, Way said. Colder temperatures this week should cool off the fishing, though.

"With the upcoming forecast, I suspect it's going to be a couple days before that starts again," Way said.

If conditions become favorable again, he suggested big stone flies followed by San Juan worms. Fish slow and deep, Way advised.

The coming weather will probably hinder steelhead fishing down south. Ice flows won't help matters, either.

"And the water fluctuation has been so much over the last week it's made fishing really tough," Way said. "The Snake can fluctuate easily 10,000 CFS a day."

The South Fork of the Clearwater is pretty crowded, he added, but the North Fork is better. Nymphing is still the best choice these days.