Steelhead angler effort and total catch declined during the past week on the upper Salmon River. High winds and precipitation on Saturday likely contributed to the drop in angler effort. Angler effort remained highest downstream of North Fork in location codes 14 and 15. Anglers interviewed downstream of the Middle Fork in location code 14 averaged 15 hours per steelhead caught, and anglers interviewed downstream of North Fork in location code 15 averaged 56 hours per steelhead caught. Anglers interviewed downstream of the Lemhi River in location code 16 averaged 64 hours per steelhead caught. Angler effort downstream of the Pahsimeroi River in location code 17 was very low, and anglers interviewed in this area did not report catching a steelhead.

River conditions were good throughout the week. On Sunday, the river had slightly cloudy visibility downstream of the Lemhi River, and water temperatures were in the upper 30s. Currently, the Salmon River is flowing at 1,250 cfs through the town of Salmon, ID which is 95 percent of average for today’s date.

Brent Beller | Idaho Fish and Game