Lake Coeur D’Alene Kokanee and Chinook
We were up and rolling around 6:00 AM. After a quick cup of coffee, we headed over to the boat locker in Athol. Since we had prepped the boat the night before, it didn’t take long to hitch up and get underway toward Higgins Point on Lake Coeur d’Alene.
Our mission for the day was to track down some of the kokanee we’d been hearing about. Rumor had it they were running unusually large this season, and we were eager to see for ourselves.
After launching, we made our way northwest and began fishing the small bay near Tony’s Supper Club. A southwest wind of 8–10 mph was blowing directly into the shoreline, creating more rough water than we would have preferred. No sooner had we deployed the gear than we hooked our first fish. It immediately launched itself into the air and threw the hook, but it was an encouraging start.
The action continued steadily through the morning. By the time the bite slowed, we had hooked nine fish and boated six. The fish were impressive—thick-bodied kokanee ranging from roughly 14 to 16 inches, among the largest average-sized kokanee I’ve seen in North Idaho.
Around midday we decided to broaden the search and made a 25-minute run south through moderately choppy water. The Stealth Weld handled the conditions with ease. We worked the area around Powderhorn Bay but found very little activity. From there we crossed over toward the point near Windy Bay, where we marked quite a few fish but couldn’t generate any bites.
Our final salmon effort took place near Rockford Bay. We put in a solid hour pulling herring behind the salmon rods but came up empty. With no success there, we returned to the productive water from the morning and made one last half-hearted pass before calling it a day.
In the end, six chunky kokanee came home with us. If this year’s fish are representative of what’s ahead, the kokanee fishery on Coeur d’Alene has a bright future. The average size was exceptional.
Jake piloted the boat back to Higgins Point, where we loaded up without incident. Before long, the boat was tucked safely back into its locker and we were headed to Twin Lakes for dinner and some much-needed rest.
Tonight’s meal was a simple one. We grilled the rainbow trout we had caught on Lake Pend Oreille two days earlier along with a pair of today’s kokanee. Both were excellent table fare, but we unanimously gave a slight edge to the kokanee. Their rich flavor and texture were hard to beat.
After cleaning up the dishes, we settled in for the evening. Tomorrow brings another adventure as Austin and Shane join us for our trip to Gamble Sands in Brewster, Washington.
Another fine day in North Idaho.
