Flow
285 cfs
Trend
Steady
Observed
7d ago
Hatch Status
Caddis hatches still strong late in the day
Conditions
The Coeur d'Alene is running very low and warm as of August 26, with flows at 285 cfs at Cataldo—conditions that stress fish and make spotty fishing the norm on the main stem. Get on the water early when it's coolest, target late-day caddis hatches alongside PMDs, hoppers, beetles, and ants, then head out by mid-morning before heat sets in. Consider heavier line and bigger attractors along the edges as flows settle.
Gauges
Techniques
- Early mornings or evenings run dry line and topwater popper for smallmouth bass with great results
- Tandem smaller nymph rigs will do very well, or attractor like PMX, Stimmie, or Chubby with small tungsten dropper in shallower water
- Look for isolated mud clouds light tan to aqua color indicating carp feeding. Drop fly close to feeding zone
- Hoppers, beetles, ants, PMDs, caddis are the main players
- Streamer fishing with smaller streamers in faster pocket water will produce bigger fish
- Full-sink or sink-tip fished near shorelines or deeper in 10-12 feet with crayfish or flashy baitfish pattern for smallmouth bass
- Focus on getting on early and off early on freestone trout streams. By mid-day fishing gets pretty tough and is hard on fish
- Small black leeches and crayfish patterns have been fishing well for carp
- Right before dark try tandem soft hackles swung in riffles or strip them quickly
- Smaller #16 X-Caddis, Goddard, or Elk hair Caddis with soft hackle emerger will do very well for caddis late day
Recommended flies
hoppersbeetlesantsPMDscaddisX-CaddisGoddardElk Hair Caddissoft hackle emergersstreamersPMXStimmieChubby