Fishing in Sandpoint and surrounding areas

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Fishing Sandpoint, Idaho

Do you like to fish? If so, plan on staying around Sandpoint and its surrounding waters for a while, because you could spend a lifetime learning the ins and outs of Sandpoint's fishing. The word "trout" is pretty much synonymous with Idaho, but in the case of Sandpoint's Lake Pend Oreille, you'd want to make that "big" trout.

Fishing charters are available throughout the season to fish for Pend Oreille's legendary rainbow and lake trout. The huge lake was first stocked with lake trout in 1925, and with Kamloops rainbow trout (known also as Gerrard rainbows) from British Columbia's Kootenay Lake in 1941. Accelerated growth of all Lake Pend Oreille trout can be attributed to their plentiful food base, Kokanee - a land-locked sockeye salmon subspecies. How big do Lake Pend Oreille's trout get? The world record rainbow trout, 37 pounds, was taken from the lake in 1947. A world record 32-pound bull trout (referred to at the time as a Dolly Varden) was taken from Pend Oreille in 1949. And a 43-pound lake trout was recorded in 1994.

Here in Sandpoint we have lots of lakes, slews, ponds, and waterways to choose from, but the best part is some of them hold trophy cool water game fish such as Northern Pike and Tiger Muskie. Finding the "Big Ones" is seldom difficult here, with the Northerns and Tiger Muskie exceeding 40'' in length.

northern pike fishing in north idaho

Northern Pike are usually landed best around early spring when the water level rises and they begin to spawn. Pike are enticed by the movement of dare devils, spoons, spinner baits, and smelt.

tiger muskie fishing in north idaho

Fishing for tiger muskie is not easy, but sunset, deep weeds, and your favorite top water bait are a deadly combination.

Warm Water Fishing

Ponds, lilly pads, weed beds and shallow bays provide excellent habitat for perch, crappie, channel cats, bluegill, bullhead, large and sometimes small mouth bass, and other spiny ray species. During late spring and summer, fishing for the above species is very good.

perch fishing in north idaho

Perch will usually take jigs, a occasional worm, or hooks tipped with corn. You will have lots of fun catching these guys just about any where.

Crappie fishing in north idaho

Crappie usually like to hit jigs early in the morning and again as the sun starts to set. A good place to find these fish is in weed beds or under any cover type such as downed trees or under docks.

bass fishing in north idaho lakes

Large Mouth Bass are taken quite frequently up here around the neighborhood of 6+lbs. You can use everything from the old classics to the new high tech bass baits to land these lunkers. Look for these guys to be lurking in the weed beds, lilly pads, and under structures. The peak time to hit is in mid to late June when the water warms and the "big boys" move in to spawn.