Alan Liere's hunting and fishing report for July 9, 2026

The July 9, 2026 fishing report highlights changing conditions across the Inland Northwest, with caddis hatches becoming sparse on the Spokane River. It recommends using caddis pupa or soft hackle flies throughout summer, along with a dry/dropper approach featuring attractors and nymph patterns such as chubby and a caddis pupa. Warmer days call for morning or very late-evening fishing, while the St. Joe is reported to be in better shape than the North Fork Coeur d’Alene, which is described as getting “skinny.” The report also notes improved access on the North Fork Clearwater and Kelly Creek after landslides cleared, and points to Long Lake near Republic in Ferry County for cutthroat trout. For larger waters, it cites deep-water tactics for bass on multispecies lakes and kokanee/trout opportunities at North and South Skookum. Steelhead and salmon returns are framed by a Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife forecast of about 651,000 fall chinook and over 511,000 coho to the Columbia River this season.