August 21, 2026

Coeur d'Alene River fishing report

Map, access and gauges for Coeur d'Alene River

Flow

285 cfs

Trend

Steady

Observed

7d ago

Hatch Status

Caddis hatches still strong in afternoons to dark

Conditions

The Coeur d'Alene is running very low at 285 cfs near Cataldo as of August 26, but still fishable if you time it right. Early mornings upriver offer your best chance, where water runs coldest and fish are most active; midday is slow. Caddis hatches come on strong in the afternoon and evening, with Tricos also worth watching for. Plan on small attractors and terrestrials—hoppers, beetles, and ants work well along the edges—but don't skip hatch-matching options like X-Caddis, Goddard Caddis, or soft hackle droppers when the bugs are up.

Gauges

Techniques

  • X-Caddis, Goddard or Elk Hair Caddis with soft hackle dropper perfect for afternoons, skitter or twitch down and across current
  • Smaller hoppers with small beadhead dropper or ant or beetle trailing behind is a great all-day rig
  • Basic foam beetle behind your hopper can be deadly, keep them moving with occasional twitches
  • Try small tandem nymph rigs or smaller streamers in fast water during heat of day

Recommended flies

small hopperbeadhead dropperantbeetleX-CaddisGoddard CaddisElk Hair Caddissoft hackle dropperfoam beetle