Coeur d’Alene Chain Lakes, ID
By Tim Blount
A purple Dahlberg Diver disappeared through a gaping void in the water. This wasn’t the slashing strike I was expecting from a pike. Rather it was as if someone had suddenly pulled the drain stopper in that very spot. When I finally realized what had happened, I raised my rod tip and set the hook. The void in the water erupted, and I knew I had severely irritated something big. I was fishing Medicine Lake, one of more than a dozen lakes in a chain along the Coeur d’Alene River in northern Idaho. The most popular of these lakes are Anderson, Thompson, Blue, Swan, Cave, Medicine, Killarney, and Rose. They provide a plethora of fly-fishing opportunities for adventurous anglers.
I was in a float tube, and as sometimes happens when I hook a big fish while tubing, I was feeling a bit vulnerable. Sometimes the tube just doesn’t feel big enough. After the unseen fish towed me around for a few minutes, it decided to try an airborne strategy and launched itself skyward. A huge largemouth, my Dahlberg firmly planted in
the side of its wide-open maw, cannonballed back into the water. After a few more tugs and jumps, I was able to “lip” the 6-pound bass. I was feeling pretty impressed with myself until I found out that a 6-pound fish doesn’t even raise eyebrows with Chain Lakes regulars. In fact, a 10-pound, 5-ounce largemouth, the Idaho state record, came out of Anderson Lake.
Northern pike and largemouth bass are the main attraction on these waters. During spring runoff, the Coeur d’Alene River pushes water into these lakes, flooding the weedy edges and providing excellent habitat for these fish. These shallows warm quickly, and big fish invade the submerged weedbeds in search of prey—smaller fish, frogs and tadpoles, and even hapless ducklings. Crappie and perch also abound in these lakes.
Finesse is generally not an issue when fishing for pike and bass in the weedbeds. Indeed, a sloppy, noisy presentation can be the key to attracting them (and I certainly excel at sloppy, noisy presentations). Seven- to 9-weight rods are appropriate for horsing large fish out of the weeds. Heavy leaders and large flies are required. Floating frog patterns, along with subsurface saltwater streamers and baitfish-imitating pike flies, are effective. They should be dressed with weed guards.
Spring is by far the most popular time on the Chain Lakes. This is when pike and bass spawn, and they are extremely aggressive during this time of year. The action centers around weedbeds. Float tubes work, but a pontoon boat or another small craft that enables you to sit high enough to peer down into the water offers an advantage. Most of the lakes are served by good launch sites and ample parking. Special regulations apply to Anderson Lake, where fishing is catch-and-release until
July 1; Blue Lake has limit restrictions. Check the current angling regulations at fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/fish/rules.
To reach the Chain Lakes, head east from the city of Coeur d’Alene on Interstate 90 to Idaho Highway 3. Head south on Highway 3, and after crossing Fourth of July Creek, you arrive at Rose Lake, the first of the Chain Lakes. The highway provides access to most of the major lakes in the chain.
A purple Dahlberg Diver disappeared through a gaping void in the water. This wasn’t the slashing strike I was expecting from a pike. Rather it was as if someone had suddenly pulled the drain stopper in that very spot. When I finally realized what had happened, I raised my rod tip and set the hook. The void in the water erupted, and I knew I had severely irritated something big. I was fishing Medicine Lake, one of more than a dozen lakes in a chain along the Coeur d’Alene River in northern Idaho. The most popular of these lakes are Anderson, Thompson, Blue, Swan, Cave, Medicine, Killarney, and Rose. They provide a plethora of fly-fishing opportunities for adventurous anglers.
I was in a float tube, and as sometimes happens when I hook a big fish while tubing, I was feeling a bit vulnerable. Sometimes the tube just doesn’t feel big enough. After the unseen fish towed me around for a few minutes, it decided to try an airborne strategy and launched itself skyward. A huge largemouth, my Dahlberg firmly planted in
the side of its wide-open maw, cannonballed back into the water. After a few more tugs and jumps, I was able to “lip” the 6-pound bass. I was feeling pretty impressed with myself until I found out that a 6-pound fish doesn’t even raise eyebrows with Chain Lakes regulars. In fact, a 10-pound, 5-ounce largemouth, the Idaho state record, came out of Anderson Lake.
Northern pike and largemouth bass are the main attraction on these waters. During spring runoff, the Coeur d’Alene River pushes water into these lakes, flooding the weedy edges and providing excellent habitat for these fish. These shallows warm quickly, and big fish invade the submerged weedbeds in search of prey—smaller fish, frogs and tadpoles, and even hapless ducklings. Crappie and perch also abound in these lakes.
Finesse is generally not an issue when fishing for pike and bass in the weedbeds. Indeed, a sloppy, noisy presentation can be the key to attracting them (and I certainly excel at sloppy, noisy presentations). Seven- to 9-weight rods are appropriate for horsing large fish out of the weeds. Heavy leaders and large flies are required. Floating frog patterns, along with subsurface saltwater streamers and baitfish-imitating pike flies, are effective. They should be dressed with weed guards.
Spring is by far the most popular time on the Chain Lakes. This is when pike and bass spawn, and they are extremely aggressive during this time of year. The action centers around weedbeds. Float tubes work, but a pontoon boat or another small craft that enables you to sit high enough to peer down into the water offers an advantage. Most of the lakes are served by good launch sites and ample parking. Special regulations apply to Anderson Lake, where fishing is catch-and-release until
July 1; Blue Lake has limit restrictions. Check the current angling regulations at fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/fish/rules.
To reach the Chain Lakes, head east from the city of Coeur d’Alene on Interstate 90 to Idaho Highway 3. Head south on Highway 3, and after crossing Fourth of July Creek, you arrive at Rose Lake, the first of the Chain Lakes. The highway provides access to most of the major lakes in the chain.
