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Holiday fishing fun in North Idaho |
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June 28, 2017 |
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By Phil Cooper
IDFG Wildlife Conservation Educator
The Fourth of July holiday is a day of great
celebration in the U.S. Fireworks, family and
fishing are all great choices for activities
during the Fourth of July holiday! And, because
of the Idaho Fish and Game Price Lock program,
buying your 2017 fishing license means the price
of your next year’s license won’t go up!
The Idaho panhandle offers outdoor opportunities
in abundance. The weather forecast looks great
for outdoor fun, so taking off Monday, July 3
and expanding the holiday fun is something to
seriously consider.
Fishing is fun, close, and inexpensive. If you
are not sure where to start, I suggest taking
advantage of the Idaho Department of Fish and
Game (IDFG) website. Search for Idaho Fish and
Game, or
fishandgame.idaho.gov.
Once on the website, click on the fishing tab.
On the drop down, go to Fishing Planner.
I doubt there is a state in the country that
makes it as easy to find fishing information.
And the “Family Fishing Waters” section lists
many great choices on places to go, and what
fish are present in each water. The “Family
Fishing Waters” section lists 18 places in the
Panhandle that are good spots for fishing fun on
the Independence Day holiday weekend. There are
suggestions for other parts of the state as
well, and each region has a tab to get fishing
information.
Waters with the Family Fishing designation have
been identified as fishing spots close to home
that are geared toward family fishing and the
high likelihood of catching fish. The fishing
regulations are uniform on Family Fishing Waters
and are easy to understand, even if you don’t
fish often.
Of course, one rule applies to all waters in the
state. Everyone 14 years old and older is
required to have a fishing license. Licenses are
available at many retail stores and you can even
buy them online. Licenses purchased online can
be stored on your mobile phone! As long as you
carry your phone, you have your license with
you.
Buying your 2017 fish license guarantees the
price of your 2018 license won’t go up, thanks
to the Price Lock program. That’s true for each
of the next five years, provided you continue to
buy your annual license. If you don’t buy a
license during one of those years and then buy
in a later year, the price will go up to reflect
the new fee schedule adopted by the Idaho
Legislature. Save money by buying a license and
going fishing this year!
The following are some suggestions for holiday
fishing in the Panhandle:
Fernan Lake sits just outside of the city of
Coeur d’Alene. For many, it is in walking or
biking distance. Fernan is highly productive and
holds just about every species of fish found in
northern Idaho. Although it is one of the most
highly used waters in the state, there are lots
of places for anglers to spread out. The lake
covers 423 acres. There are numerous pull outs
and shore access along Fernan Lake Road on the
North side of the lake. Fernan Lake is a “Family
Fishing Water.”
Please keep in mind that camping, fires and
fireworks are not permitted along Fernan lake
Road. The banks are steep in some areas, so be
careful where you pull off the road to fish.
Great fishing choices in the Post Falls/Rathdrum
area include Hauser Lake and Post Falls Park
Pond.
Hauser has great access, with new docks
developed and installed this spring by Kootenai
County Parks and Waterways. The dock system is
huge and provides a lot of room to fish this
highly productive lake. There is a large parking
lot, several picnic tables, a playground and
well maintained restrooms. If you have a boat,
there is a boat launch available.
Hauser Lake is 550 acres in size and holds a
wide variety of fish species. Many can be caught
right from the dock. If fishing from a boat,
fishing can be excellent throughout the lake.
Post Falls Park Pond is planted with catchable
rainbow trout. A playground is available if the
kids want to take a break from fishing. You can
also walk a short trail to look at the spillway
of Post Falls Dam.
In the St. Maries area, try Spicer Pond. This
small (one acre) lake just SE of St Maries is
stocked with rainbow trout and is right on the
St Maries River. There are restrooms, some
picnic tables and a large parking area.
In the Silver Valley, Rose Lake is a 370 acre
picturesque lake that has newly renovated boat
launch, improved parking facilities and very
fishable docks. Steamboat Pond along the Coeur
d’Alene River between Kingston and Pritchard is
a three acre lake with good parking, easy access
and a well-placed fishing dock. Steamboat is
planted with catchable sized rainbow trout.
In the Bonners Ferry area, Brush Lake, Robinson
Lake, Dawson Lake and Smith Lake are good places
to try for a wide variety of fish species.
Round Lake at Round Lake State Park produces
some large brook trout and rainbow trout fairly
close to Sandpoint.
Making a choice on where to go may be the
hardest part of the process. And, we haven’t
even mentioned the larger lakes such as Pend
Oreille, Coeur d’Alene, Priest and Hayden. All
are fishable from shore but boat anglers are the
most successful on these large lakes.
If floating and fly fishing are more your style,
the St Joe River is at great floating levels now
and the water is clear. The same is true of the
Coeur d’Alene River. If you aren’t sure where to
put in or take out, the US Forest Service has
excellent publications listing various floats on
these rivers with access points for floaters.
If you want to experience the great outdoors of
Idaho, fishing is a great way to do it. Check
out the website and give fishing a try for
inexpensive family fun for the Fourth of July
holiday! |
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