North 40 Fly Shop eMagazine October 2017 | Page 69

and drinks at Castles IGA, which is the local
grocery and liquor store. There are a few other
services, including a hotel, two small cafes, and
a few gas stations. The boat launch is located
about a mile upstream from Superior. To get
there from town cross over the Clark Fork and
take a right at the T. From there you go up a
slight hill and just after the hill you can see the
boat launch on the right. This access offers a
good ramp (not paved) and a straight shot into
the river. When I guided, I spent a bunch of time
floating downstream from Superior, either five
or six miles to Dry Creek, or even farther down-
stream to Sloway, which is only four miles be-
yond the Dry Creek access.
The reach between Superior and Dry Creek
offers a great water and lots of trout, but it par-
allels the highway. If you don’t like the noise of
an interstate, don’t float here. The Dry Creek
launch is a good one and is located just off of,
and visible, from the freeway. It has a good ramp
with pavers.
Despite the traffic noise, I floated from Su-
perior downstream a bunch. I like the option of
doing a fairly short float from Superior to Dry
Creek or spreading it out downstream to Slo-
way. Another bonus is that Sloway has a Forest
Service campground with lots of spaces and it’s
usually clean and quiet. It doesn’t offer power or
hookups, but it does have fresh water.
The launch is located about a quarter mile
from the campground and it offers slightly chal-
lenging conditions. The area is very rocky and
not really improved. At high water, you need to
pay attention as you can blow by the takeout
very quickly. At higher flows, I usually stop up-
stream 10 yards of the ramp and walk my boat
down. During mid-summer and fall you can get
in and out pretty easy, but four-wheel-drive ca-
pabilities are always a good idea here. Because
the float from Dry Creek to Sloway is only four
miles long, you can do this one in a few hours if
needed. So, when you’re short on time, and you
want to fish some very good water, try this one.
Another great lower river float extends from
St. Regis (which is where you first reach the Clark
Fork when traveling from Coeur d’ Alene) to 14
Mile (Bridge), which is also called Ferry Landing.
The St. Regis access is located about a mile
north from the four-way stop in town, just off of
Highway 135. This is a good access and, again,
the one you would use if you wanted to fish the
first available access from Coeur d’ Alene. The
St. Regis River dumps in upstream from here and
injects nice, cool water into the Clark Fork, which
is especially important during summer and early
fall when water temperatures run high. This can
be a go-to stretch in late July, August and early
September, as that cooler water makes the fish
happier than they might be upstream or down-
stream where the water is often warmer.
From St. Regis to 14 Mile is a long float, but
well worth the time. Through that stretch you’ll
find diverse water and lots of nice trout. There
is a series of bridges you go under near the end
of the float—the takeout is just past t he third,
on river right. It is a decent ramp, but can be
very sandy in the spring, which means you don’t
want to back your truck too far in.
After the 14-mile takeout, you’ll enjoy more
great trout fishing downstream to Quinn’s Hot
Springs. Quinn’s is a cool little hot springs re-
sort that has been there for a long time. It has
been recently updated, is clean, and offers
many cabins to stay in. You’ll enjoy killer food
any time you’re there—be sure not to miss Sun-
day brunch.
The takeout here is ok, not great, but doable
with four-wheel drive. Another consideration be-
fore doing this stretch is a set of rapids you’ll
have to negotiate. They are not horrible, but you
have to pay attention and be on your toes. Scout-
ing these from the road, before you take them on
is always a good idea. This rapids’ wave-train can
get larger as water levels drop, so don’t take it for
granted even during summer flows.
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