Alan Liere's hunting and fishing report for June 11
Fly fishing
Silver Bow Fly Shop guides said the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River system is fishing well, although some of the small tributaries may be getting a bit low for finding quality fish.
Recent cooler weather and light rain could be great for the mayfly hatches. Green and Gray Drakes, PMDs and BWOs would all be good choices. It is not too early to be thinking about terrestrials, ants in particular. Usually, the warmer days will get them crawling around. Dry-dropper rigs will remain a great prospecting tactic when fish aren't rising.
The sections of the Spokane River above Latah Creek and out in Spokane Valley have been fishing well. Caddis hatches have been great overall.
Some great smallmouth fishing was reported on the lower Grande Ronde last week. Streamers and poppers were both on the menu.
Trout and kokanee
Lake Coeur d'Alene kokanee fishermen are catching fish running 12 to 15 inches. Not everyone is taking home a limit, but somewhere around 15 fish per boat is typical. The fish are spread out all over the lake at depths between 15 and 40 feet. Anglers should try trolling at 1 1/2 mph, but they will have to experiment different presentations until they find them.
Steelhead and salmon
Lake Coeur d'Alene chinook fishing was good last week and quite a few keepers (24 inches and better) were netted. The fish are hanging consistently at a depth of 80 feet. A Mini-Squid and flasher accounted for the best action at a trolling speed of 2 mph.
"Tough chinook year for everyone" has become the mantra of this season's fishery on the Clearwater River, said Clearwater Regional Fish Manager Joe Thiessen.
Clearwater spring chinook fisheries, as well as those in the Lower Salmon, Little Salmon and Hells Canyon, are now closed, but the Lochsa River will remain open for summer chinook. The South Fork Salmon River and Upper Salmon River will open for chinook fishing on June 18.
Last year, the forecast for sockeye to Lake Wenatchee was 94,000, but only 64,000 showed up. This year the forecast is for 85,000 to the lake, which is plenty of fish to open the season if they appear even close to this number. About 24,000 sockeye must pass over Tumwater Dam for escapement.
Spiny ray
A friend who fishes a lot on Long Lake said the weeds are up and the use of blade baits for walleye is near-impossible. He says he has taken a few "decent" crappie, but the perch fishing is very good.
Grande Ronde River smallmouth bass fishing is excellent. Grubs, minnows, or even topwater have been producing lots of action.
A guided float is a great, action-packed trip with some of the best scenery in southwest Washington. For more information, contact Reel Time Fishing in Clarkston at 208-790-2128.
Anglers are encountering more walleye in the Snake River from Lewiston to Hells Canyon Dam in the past couple of years, which is bad news for salmon and steelhead smolts.
Most walleye were caught by people fishing for smallmouth bass with swimbaits, jigs, and crankbaits.
Anglers who are targeting walleye do very well bouncing or trolling worms on the bottom or dragging big crankbaits near the bottom.
Removing walleye and providing some tasty fillets in the process, try fishing around the rocky islands or point bars that drop off into slower, deeper water. Walleye have been caught at a variety of depths, so anglers should work their way down until they find them. There is no size or bag limit of walleye in the Clearwater Region.
Other species
Jeff Smith, at Fins and Feathers in Coeur d'Alene, said pike fishing has been pretty good. He has been catching fish up to 11 pounds in the shallows and in deeper water. He says spoons, like the Johnson Silver Minnow, have been working best shallow and jerk baits in the deeper water.
Shad continue to pour over Bonneville Dam. Nearly 698,000 were counted on Tuesday, and on the same day, over 93,000 passed over McNary.
Some huge channel catfish are coming out of the Palouse River and Potholes Reservoir. The Palouse bite is good during the day, but the Potholes bite is best at night.
Hunting
Per Washington state law, anyone born after Jan. 1, 1972 must complete a hunter education course before buying a hunting license The WDFW urges prospective new hunters to complete hunter education this summer so they are ready to participate in upcoming seasons.
Hunter education classes fill up fast in the fall, so getting the required coursework done early would be a good idea. To learn about hunter education requirements and find an upcoming course near you, visit the WDFW hunter education webpage.
The new deadline to exchange general season Idaho deer and elk tags is July 31. No exchanges will be processed after that date.
This includes exchanging a general season deer or elk tag for controlled hunt tags, landowner appreciation program tags, extra tags and unlimited tags. The deadline to claim a deer or elk controlled hunt tag is Aug. 1, and all tags not claimed by that date will be forfeited. However, if you are exchanging a regular season tag for a controlled hunt tag, you must still meet the July 31 exchange deadline.
The 2026-27 Idaho Migratory Game Bird seasons and rules booklets are now available online. Printed booklets are expected to arrive at Fish and Game offices and license vendors in early July.
Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com.
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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 8:08 AM.