Fishing heats up in North Idaho

Spring fishing is heating up on area lakes and streams.

"The crappie and bass bite are on and the rivers are dropping," said Bud Frasca of North West Classic Tackle in Hayden. "We're getting into spring mode, and the fishing is getting good."

Frasca said the crappie are in 10 to 15 feet of water. Try a crappie jig or leach.

Smallmouth bass are also 10 to 15 feet and near the banks.

A rubber tube, rubber jigs or a 4-inch rubber worm should do the trick.

"Anything like that that gets to the bottom," Frasca said.

Frasca said the lakes are clean now so he recommends a light line.

"Spinning rod with a 6-pound test," he said. "I don't like to have anything much heavier than that because the water is clear, but that could change with runoff."

With river fishing, streamers and nymphs should work.

"We're starting to see dryfly activity," Frasca said.

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Steve Holweg of Cabela's said anglers report good pike fishing in Cougar Bay on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

"That's a dead bait bite - smelter or herring," Holweg said.

He said there's a mud line in the bay caused by the winds in shallow water by weeds.

"Fish cruise that mud line looking for something to eat," he said.

For bluegill and crappie fishing, Holweg recommends small jigs tipped with maggots or worms.

Anglers may want to work around docks or fallen trees.

"Work plastics slow," he said.

Chinook salmon fishing on Lake Coeur d'Alene is also coming on.

"Fish 30 feet and up, but it doesn't hurt trolling one line deep," Holweg said.

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Jordan Smith, from Fins and Feathers, said the salmon fishing is still pretty strong on the south end of Lake Coeur d'Alene near English Point. Anglers are reporting success trolling herring with helmets.

Smith said the majority of the fish caught during the salmon derby last weekend were in the 20- to 24-inch range.

"They are starting to spread out a little bit now," he said. "They are catching them between 10 and 40 feet."

Panfish are also hitting hard on Fernan Lake. The best baits are crappie jigs with a maggot. Smith said the hot color right now is chartruse, but glow baits and pearl colored jigs are doing pretty well too.

"They're having the best luck on the far end of Fernan, and they are starting to have some luck on Hayden Lake as well," he said.

Smith said a lot of anglers are gearing up for the spring northern pike tournament on April 27-28. Most people are having luck with Rapala Husky Jerk plugs, and some anglers are beginning to see some luck with spinner baits and spoons as well.