Early spring on Salmon River

Spring is early in the Salmon River country.  Plant stages seem to be at least two weeks ahead of average.  Our home elevation is 4500 feet.  The red plums have just blossomed.  Arrowleaf balsamroot is beginning to bloom, along with lupine, yellowbells, prickly pear, and many of the sagebrush flowers.  Snowpack is about 70% of average–down, but way better than much of the west.  The lower snowpack means we will be able to begin trips earlier.  We won’t be worrying much about high water in early June.  The road into Boundary Creek will melt out sooner–undoubtedly by Memorial Day.  We will have to begin flying  Middle Fork trips into Indian Creek earlier, possibly late July, but we can continue to do trips in the lower flows.  A plus for the fisherman in the later, fly-in, trips is that we skip the long shallows and flats above Indian Creek, and begin the trip in more fishable water.

On the Main Salmon, snowpack and river level aren’t big factors for float boats.  The current becomes a little slower in the lower flows, but we can always do trips.  Low flows on the Main do restrict jet boats.  The jet-back trips (float boaters having their trip hauled back upstream in jet boats) diminish or end in low flows–particularly with the relatively new rapid at Black Creek.

We hear a lot of concern about effect of low water on trips, but it is important to keep in mind that there is a window between high water (possibly dangerously high) and low water.  The window is always there.  It just slides one way or the other depending on snowpack.

We still have space available on many of our trips this summer, including June dates.  Give us a call for details.