Fall Fishing - The Bite is On!
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Amy Sinclair of Exodus Wilderness Adventures with a nice fall chinook she caught last week in Hells Canyon.[/caption]
The calendar has flipped into October, and that means fall steelhead fishing is coming right up on the Clearwater, Snake and Salmon rivers in Idaho. Do you have your trip booked yet?
"We had three ladies with us on Sept. 27th on a day trip from Pittsburg Landing to the Salmon River confluence, and they caught six steelhead and three salmon," says Heather Killgore, co-owner of Killgore Adventures. "They've never caught steelhead before. They were quite excited!"
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A happy guest with Wapiti River Guides caught a beautiful steelhead near Spring Bar.[/caption]
Fish are biting on the Clearwater River as well, says Evelyn Kaide, owner of Clearwater Drifters and Guide Shop in Orofino. "Our guys are doing fine - they're catching fish. Everyone has been really happy," she says.
Steelhead are just starting to move upriver from Lewiston, Kaide says, and once they get to Orofino, there will be competition for guided trips and hotel rooms as is often typical in the fall. "We've got a lot of trips booked well into November, " she said.
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Here's a fall chinook passing through Lower Granite Dam, courtesy IDFG[/caption]
A big bonus on the Snake River this year is that 30,000 adult fall chinook have passed through Lower Granite Dam, and they're heading upriver in Hells Canyon, the deepest gorge in North America. Fall chinook are big hogs - they can run up to 30-40 pounds apiece. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has set a bag limit of six fish per day for adults, and no limit on Jacks.
Fall is a premium time for cast-and-blast trips on the Lower Salmon and Hells Canyon. These are super-fun outings where you can fish as you float downriver, and then when you hear chukar partridges sounding off on the river bank, you stop and pursue chukars. Anecdotal reports indicate that chukar numbers are robust on the banks of Hells Canyon and the Salmon River.
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Fall cast-and-blast trips combine the sporting challenge of chukar hunting with catching steelhead, fall chinook, trout and bass on the Salmon and Snake Rivers.[/caption]
Amy Sinclair, owner of Exodus Wilderness Adventures, just completed a private trip with some friends in lower Hells Canyon. They were catching lots of fall chinook and limiting out on chukars every day. "It's kind of exciting that the fall chinook fishery is coming back," she says. "We've got a pretty big run this year."
Exodus offers steelhead fishing trips near Riggins via drift boat or jet boat, and they also offer two-, four-or five-day cast-and-blast trips on the Lower Salmon River, and two-day fishing or cast-and-blast trips with an overnight stay at a guest lodge on the Main Salmon River. Sinclair says people are excited to go fishing, and bookings are strong for the core steelhead season from mid-October to late November. "Some weekends are totally booked already," she said.
Another possibility is to go on a multi-day steelhead fishing trip on the Main Salmon River with Salmon River Tours, owners of China Bar Lodge. Guests can go fishing and/or chukar hunting during the day, and then return to China Bar Lodge for a hot meal and comfy sleeping quarters.
Owner Mike McLain has been watching the steelhead counts at Lower Granite Dam, and he's pleased to see that the fish are on the move. "I think the fish are going to come, but because we've got low water, they may be a little late," he says. "I think we'll have a good season. We may not have as many fish this year as in the last couple years, but there will be plenty of opportunity. As my fishermen say, the fishing trip is worth the price of admission, and catching fish is a bonus."
If you live near Twin Falls, Pocatello or Idaho Falls, you may want to fish the Upper Salmon River near Salmon since it's closer to home. Bill Bernt, owner of Aggipah River Trips, says he is gearing up for a productive steelhead fishing season. "My fishing is often dependent on gas prices, and even though we have fairly high gas prices, we've got a significant part of the fall season booked up," he says. "I think people are excited to go fishing."
For more information on fall fishing, see the IOGA salmon and steelhead fishing pages, including outfitter listings by river. https://ioga.org/
Have fun!
Amy Sinclair of Exodus Wilderness Adventures with a nice fall chinook she caught last week in Hells Canyon.[/caption]
The calendar has flipped into October, and that means fall steelhead fishing is coming right up on the Clearwater, Snake and Salmon rivers in Idaho. Do you have your trip booked yet?
"We had three ladies with us on Sept. 27th on a day trip from Pittsburg Landing to the Salmon River confluence, and they caught six steelhead and three salmon," says Heather Killgore, co-owner of Killgore Adventures. "They've never caught steelhead before. They were quite excited!"
[caption id="attachment_14" align="alignnone" width="300"]
A happy guest with Wapiti River Guides caught a beautiful steelhead near Spring Bar.[/caption]
Fish are biting on the Clearwater River as well, says Evelyn Kaide, owner of Clearwater Drifters and Guide Shop in Orofino. "Our guys are doing fine - they're catching fish. Everyone has been really happy," she says.
Steelhead are just starting to move upriver from Lewiston, Kaide says, and once they get to Orofino, there will be competition for guided trips and hotel rooms as is often typical in the fall. "We've got a lot of trips booked well into November, " she said.
[caption id="attachment_15" align="alignnone" width="300"]
Here's a fall chinook passing through Lower Granite Dam, courtesy IDFG[/caption]
A big bonus on the Snake River this year is that 30,000 adult fall chinook have passed through Lower Granite Dam, and they're heading upriver in Hells Canyon, the deepest gorge in North America. Fall chinook are big hogs - they can run up to 30-40 pounds apiece. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has set a bag limit of six fish per day for adults, and no limit on Jacks.
Fall is a premium time for cast-and-blast trips on the Lower Salmon and Hells Canyon. These are super-fun outings where you can fish as you float downriver, and then when you hear chukar partridges sounding off on the river bank, you stop and pursue chukars. Anecdotal reports indicate that chukar numbers are robust on the banks of Hells Canyon and the Salmon River.
[caption id="attachment_16" align="alignnone" width="300"]
Fall cast-and-blast trips combine the sporting challenge of chukar hunting with catching steelhead, fall chinook, trout and bass on the Salmon and Snake Rivers.[/caption]
Amy Sinclair, owner of Exodus Wilderness Adventures, just completed a private trip with some friends in lower Hells Canyon. They were catching lots of fall chinook and limiting out on chukars every day. "It's kind of exciting that the fall chinook fishery is coming back," she says. "We've got a pretty big run this year."
Exodus offers steelhead fishing trips near Riggins via drift boat or jet boat, and they also offer two-, four-or five-day cast-and-blast trips on the Lower Salmon River, and two-day fishing or cast-and-blast trips with an overnight stay at a guest lodge on the Main Salmon River. Sinclair says people are excited to go fishing, and bookings are strong for the core steelhead season from mid-October to late November. "Some weekends are totally booked already," she said.
Another possibility is to go on a multi-day steelhead fishing trip on the Main Salmon River with Salmon River Tours, owners of China Bar Lodge. Guests can go fishing and/or chukar hunting during the day, and then return to China Bar Lodge for a hot meal and comfy sleeping quarters.
Owner Mike McLain has been watching the steelhead counts at Lower Granite Dam, and he's pleased to see that the fish are on the move. "I think the fish are going to come, but because we've got low water, they may be a little late," he says. "I think we'll have a good season. We may not have as many fish this year as in the last couple years, but there will be plenty of opportunity. As my fishermen say, the fishing trip is worth the price of admission, and catching fish is a bonus."
If you live near Twin Falls, Pocatello or Idaho Falls, you may want to fish the Upper Salmon River near Salmon since it's closer to home. Bill Bernt, owner of Aggipah River Trips, says he is gearing up for a productive steelhead fishing season. "My fishing is often dependent on gas prices, and even though we have fairly high gas prices, we've got a significant part of the fall season booked up," he says. "I think people are excited to go fishing."
For more information on fall fishing, see the IOGA salmon and steelhead fishing pages, including outfitter listings by river. https://ioga.org/
Have fun!