Brent Beller, a Fisheries Technician with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, has the steelhead report for Upper Salmon River right here:
Steelhead fishing on the upper Salmon River remained good this past week. The majority of anglers were found downstream of North Fork in location code 15, but angler effort did increase upstream of the East Fork in location code 19. Interviewed anglers in location code 14, downstream of the Middle Fork, averaged 13 hours per Steelhead caught and 49 hours per Steelhead kept. Upstream in location code 15, interviewed anglers averaged 9 hours per Steelhead caught and 19 hours per Steelhead kept. In location code 16, between North Fork and the mouth of the Lemhi River, interviewed anglers averaged 4 hours per Steelhead caught and 8 hours per Steelhead kept. This area also received the highest amount of boat effort from anglers. Upstream in location code 17, angler effort was lower but the catch rates were on par with those observed downstream. Interviewed anglers in location code 17 averaged 4 hours per Steelhead caught and 8 hours per Steelhead kept. Upstream, in location code 18, interviewed anglers did well and averaged 7 hours per Steelhead caught and 14 hours per Steelhead kept. Above the East Fork, in location code 19, interviewed anglers averaged 6 hours per Steelhead caught and 9 hours per Steelhead kept. A small number of anglers were observed fishing just downstream of the Sawtooth Hatchery, but the majority were found downstream of Stanley, ID.
The water conditions on the upper Salmon River are currently very favorable for Steelhead fishing. Visibility is good and water temperatures have been ranging in the mid to upper 30s. As the week came to an end, colder overnight lows did cause the water temperatures to drop and early morning water temperatures in location code 19 were near 32 degrees with slush ice that cleared by mid-day. Flows have remained relatively stable for the past week. Currently, the Salmon River is flowing at approximately 1,150 cfs which is 106% of average for today’s date. The upcoming week’s weather forecast is similar to the one for the past week, but anglers should remember that river conditions this time of year can change rapidly. For an up to date condition report anglers are advised to call the Idaho Fish and Game Salmon Regional office at (208) 756-2271.
Brent Beller
Fisheries Technician * Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
Idaho Department of Fish and Game – Region 7
