Cold this morning, about 13 degrees (though predicted to be 3). River was 32 degrees at the end of the day. I expect there will be ice tomorrow morning. After this cold snap, the river will probably warm a bit again, and provide some more fishing, but migration is surely over. Day before yesterday I […]

This morning the river was 34 degrees, 40 at the end of the day. I was surprised that the river warmed as much as it did, considering that there wasn’t much sun. The river is very clear. We did pretty well today relative to recent fishing–my boat had a couple of hits, a fish lost […]

Steelhead fishing in the Salmon area continues slow, with a few stories of boats with a decent catch. Yesterday Stephanie landed one, lost two, in her boat, and I did the same. Previous days were similar. Water clarity is good, level is strong average for this time of year, temperature in the low 40s. A […]

Steelhead fishing in the Salmon area remained slow over the weekend. Stephanie was out Sunday with a couple of fishermen for a short day, hooked three, which apparently was typical for the day. There was a rumor of a couple of guides doing very well downstream, though, so hopefully more fish are on the way. […]

Fishing is picking up, though still slow for this time of year. I spent the week of the 14-18 on the Lower Salmon, on the very lowest end of the Salmon River. The river was a little higher than average for this time of year, but was reasonably clear after the high runoff from the […]

This afternoon the Salmon River was 48 degrees, a little color but fishable, a little higher than average after the rains of a week ago. Not hearing of many fish caught here, though I don’t expect much before the third week of October in the Salmon area. I’m off to the Lower Salmon for a […]

Still early for steelhead, don’t expect steelhead in the Salmon area until the third week of October. But they are on their way. River temperature at mid-day is 48 degrees, a little off-color, but fishable. Level is still above average after the rains last week, subsiding slowly. We have a five-day camping steelhead trip scheduled […]

Recent rains have increased river levels dramatically with dirty water a result. Yesterday the river temperature near Salmon was 48 degrees, with the river too off-color to fish. It is still too early for best steelhead fishing in the Salmon area anyway, and hopefully the river will clear by the time fish arrive in a […]

Steelhead usually arrive in the Salmon area in fishable numbers in the third week of October.  Dam counts were low earlier, but now are a strong average.  More important than numbers, in the Salmon area, is water temperature, which affects the migration.  The river is cooling, which will stimulate fish to move upstream.  We have […]

Mid-winter snowpack in the Salmon River basin was above average, but the rest of the winter and spring was dry. By late May the snowpack was less than 50%.  The Middle Fork of the Salmon peaked about the 14th of May, at about 6 1/2 feet, and has been dropping continuously, now in the mid-threes.  […]

Not much fishing activity in the Salmon area, but lots of fishermen upstream near the mouth of the Pahsimeroi.

Today at mid-day at Salmon the river was 47 degrees, visibility about a foot, very little fishing activity. We usually can fish through the first week of April, but lost it this year. For several years there was a hot-spot under the bridge in Salmon at the beginning of April, presumably because smolts had been […]

The river on Tuesday was 38 degrees in the morning, 45 at the end of the day, a little color in the water but certainly fishable. Had two fly fishermen, landed six steelhead. Noticed a couple of redds being formed, saw one steelhead in a shallow redd area.

Last week was cold, with wind, raw days on the river, but with colder weather, snowmelt decreased and the river cleared and cooled. River temperature is in upper 30s, with only a slight amount of color in the river. There are fish around. Yesterday my boat landed three, missed a couple. We probably have a […]

Today in mid-afternoon the river just below Salmon was 44 degrees and clear. Recent cool weather has slowed snowmelt enough that the river clarity has improved. Warmer river temperatures have started some fish moving upstream. Son John was out this afternoon with friends, hooked several on plugs, but netting was less successful.

The Salmon River in the Salmon area has been off-color lately, but has been warming. Water clarity is better upstream from Salmon, above the Lemhi River. Yesterday son John and friend fished for the afternoon above Salmon, in water that was off but fishable, had two on but lost. Below Salmon, visibility was about 10 […]

A historical novel with a Middle Fork setting is again available. ” Murder on the Middle Fork”,2005, by Don Smith, can be ordered from his daughter, Heather Thomas, at hsmiththomas@centurytel.net. Some of you who are familiar with the lore of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River may have read of a murder just upstream […]