Summer Steelhead & Trout Hotspots | Spokane News

Cooler waters mean big fishing action on the St. Joe River—morning anglers are crushing it with small chubbies and purple haze parachutes, while hoppers and pink patterns dominate as temps rise. Over on the Spokane River, low flows and chilly water favor stealthy foam dries. Twin Lakes delivers trophy rainbows and brook trout, but largemouth bass are stealing the show with giants reported. South of Spokane, Badger, Williams, and Clear lakes remain hotspots, while Colville Reservation offers pristine trout fishing with zero pressure. Buffalo Lake’s deep kokanee are lurking at 40 feet or more. Steelhead season just opened in Idaho—with a new three-chinook limit (one unclipped) and Nez Perce Tribe releasing more hatchery females starting Sunday. Thermal barriers could impact chinook runs upstream. For spiny ray hunters, Pend Oreille River and Banks Lake are top-tier for smallmouth bass and topwater action, while Spokane River Arm of Lake Roosevelt is heating up for walleye and bass in the 2-3 pound range. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f9da2da8e0e31026