Fishing Report For Hayden Lake, ID

Current Report: Good To Very Good

Kokanee enjoy the cool depths of Hayden Lake, and are being caught primarily by anglers trolling with downriggers. Jigging and trolling with leaded line will work, but are far less productive. Kokanee school up and hang out over deep water, usually relating to some type of structure below. Their ideal water temperature is mid to low 50's.

WINTER. Now, and when ice fishing later in Winter, kokanee are typically caught from 30 to 40 feet deep. If ice permits, the north end near Sportsman Park, with public access, is the most practical area to fish. Schools often suspend under the ice, otherwise they hang in, or just below, the thermocline. On occasion they move deeper. Ice jigs, spoons, PowerBait, ShrimpZ, shoepeg corn and maggots are popular ice fishing baits here.

SPRING. During late Spring kokanee typically move closer to the surface where phytoplankton blooms become more abundant, providing a rich food source. Kokanee will feed heavily on this plankton in 10 to 20 feet of water, until surface temperatures reach the high 50's. Kokanee stage around 30 to 35 feet deep, in tributary mouths, upper river arms, and warmer, food-rich pockets as they begin to move toward spawning reaches. The Hayden Creek channel, and the main basin channel are usually hot spots in Spring. Casting or trolling spinners, spoons, or kokanee rigs works well during this period.

SUMMER. Downriggers or leaded line are the two primary methods for catching kokanee here, while trolling. Kokanee school up and hang out in 70 to 85 feet deep, sometimes over even deeper water, usually above some form of structure. The ideal water temperature is mid to low 50's. Identify the depth for that temperature range, and the kokanee will be hanging out in that depth range. In Summer, good numbers of kokanee come from the area just east of English Point, and from the area around Sportsman Park. They are often caught in shallower water, early mornings and evenings around flats and points. Worm harnesses and wedding ring spinner setups are popular when trolled behind a 4" dodger. Locals are tipping these baits with shoepeg white corn, PowerBait, Z-Man Scented ShrimpZ, or live nightcrawlers to helps attract bites. 15 to 30 feet deep is the ideal depth to work in these warmer months. Trolling these baits between 1.2 mph and 1.8 mph is a good speed for these kokes.

FALL. In early Fall, kokanee gather around shallow shorelines or any inlet stream. These are preferred spawning grounds, and they hold here to spawn sometime in August or September. In the weeks prior to the spawn, they gathered in sizeable schools near the mouths of these inflows. Kokanee fishing is good in the shallows. Casting spinners, spoons, or kokanee rigs works well during the spawn. Once late Fall arrives, these schools will move out to deeper structure in the basin, where they are caught in 20 to 30 feet of water, often suspending above structure.

Current Report: Fair To Good

While kokanee get a lot of attention here, there is also some pretty good bass fishing to be had. The clear water requires stealth presentations, but anglers catch bass year round, except during ice over.

WINTER. The cold of Winter has isolated largemouth around deeper structure, flats, points and creek channels. Water temperatures are currently in the low 40's, and bass can be found from 6 to 18 feet deep, around main-lake channel edges, rock piles, stump fields, brush piles, and around docks like those in docks on the Hayden Creek. Often, some of the larger bass will isolate from the group in 5 to 10 feet deeper water. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring. Slow presentations with drop shots, jigs or finesse worms are often the key to getting bites. On warmer days, especially during late afternoons, bass may move a bit shallower to feed.

SPRING. Once water temperatures rise into the low 60's, largemouth will move from deep wintering holes, to shallower water nearby spawning areas. Anglers report good topwater action from mid Spring through Summer, especially early in the morning, and on cloudy days. Vibrating jigs, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits typically get bites just away from the shoreline. At this time they are feeding aggressively in about 8 to 15 feet of water, and preparing for the spawn. Once water warms into the mid to high 60's, they will move into 2 to 8 feet of water, and create nests, then lay their eggs. Immediately afterwards, females move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move to slightly deeper water, around 10 to 15 feet deep. Deep-diving crankbaits, vibrating jigs, plastic worms, jigs, spoons, and swimbaits catch bass during this period.

SUMMER. Water temperatures will warm considerably in Summer. Bass will feed shallow, early and late in the day, where they will be caught in 4 to 20 feet of water, on topwater lures, square-bill crankbaits, spinnerbaits and a variety of other lures. Wacky-rigged stick worms always catch finicky bass when the bite is slow. During Summer, keep an eye on the thermocline to determine the maximum depth to fish, as there is very little oxygen below the thermocline. Largemouth bass here feed on American Shad, small sunfish and crawfish. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, channel edges, and ledges 15 to 20 feet deep. Some of the best reports seem to be from anglers fishing around deeper edges of coves, submerged timber, weedbeds, and under shaded docks.

FALL. When Fall arrives, bass here will follow schools of baitfish into coves and shallow bays where crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits have been successful in prior years. In early Fall, anglers typically have success in 6 to 18 feet of water, around points and shallow flats leading to deeper water. As deeper water cools, bait and bass move out to ledges, channel edges, points and humps where flutter spoons are often the ideal bait. Some of the larger bass will seclude themselves from the school, in 5 to 10 feet deeper water.

Current Report: Fair To Good

The Idaho state record northern pike, weighing over 40 pounds, was caught here in March of 2023. Hayden Lake has plenty of prey for these predators, so they eat often and grow quickly.

American Shad

WINTER. Pike remain active in Winter, often congregating in or near remaining weedbeds, especially along the edges. Other structure options include long points, reefs, ledge drop-offs, and rocky humps, ideally nearby deeper water. Look for them in 4 to 12 feet of water before ice over. Ice fishing was good here last winter, and should be again this year. At times, when oxygen is depleted in deeper water, northerns suspend directly under the ice, where maximum oxygen is available. Other times they hold on structure in 10 to 12 feet of water, sometimes deeper.

SPRING. Once the ice melts, anglers report catching northern pike in the shallows on flashy lures. For many decades the Johnson Spoon has been a deadly bait for northerns, especially when tipped with a white, or bright colored trailer. Jerkbaits, big spinners, swimbaits are all catching northerns here. As the water warms, noisy topwater baits like the Whopper Flopper are a good choice. Once water temperatures reach around 40 degrees, they move into even shallower areas with vegetation, to spawn. Ideal depths range from 2 to 10 feet. Big pike stage on points, shallow flats and inside coves, especially in Honeysuckle Bay pockets, and the inlet at the top of Hayden Creek. After spawning they linger in the shallow bays for a short period. Once water temperatures rise into the 50's, they move to deeper weedbeds and shallow structures adjacent to even deeper water.

SUMMER. Northern pike scatter all around the lake, rather than gather in groups. This makes them difficult to locate. During the day they are holding shallow around weed beds, or up to 20 feet deep on ledges, reefs, rock piles, islands and channel edges. Some of the larger specimens are suspending in open water, just outside shallow feeding areas. Trolling or drift fishing produces some nice catches, using spoons, big spinners, cut bait, and deep diving crankbaits. Early and late in the day, they move shallow to feed and can be caught around most weedy shorelines, in 4 to 8 feet of water. Good options include weedbeds near Sportsman Park and Honeysuckle Bay. Spinnerbaits, noisy topwater lures, and Johnson spoons with curly-tail grubs, are catching nice pike shallow.

FALL. As the weather starts turning cold, water temperatures cool fastest in the shallows. This brings schools of shad into shallower water, and northerns follow this food source. They hang around weedbed edges, main-lake points, reefs, and rocky shorelines to ambush prey in 3 to 15 feet of water. This is a prime feeding time, as they prepare for winter. It is also a good time to catch a trophy pike.