Steelhead fishing near Salmon, Idaho

Steelhead fishing on the Salmon River near Salmon, Idaho, continues to have good river conditions, but mixed success.  The river has been unseasonably warm all fall, up in the upper 40s and lower 50s until lately.  Yesterday it was 44-45 degrees at the end of a cloudy day–a very good temperature for steelhead fishing, but we expect cooler temperatures by this time.  Level is a bit below average, but creeping up.  Clarity is fine.  Leaves are mostly gone, haven’t been a big issue most days.

Fishing success has been spotty.  There have been some very good days, but some not so good. Yesterday my daughter landed three, lost a couple, from her boat, with two fisherman.  We’ve had similar days lately, but earlier fishing was slower.  I think water temperature has been a factor, with steelhead moving more than usual through the warmer water.  I suspect that more fish have moved through the Salmon area into the upper river this fall.  On the other hand, that also means that more of the steelhead that might have wintered downriver will be in the Salmon area by the time migration winds down.

I usually begin to fret about floating ice after the 10th of November, but this fall we may get a longer period of fishing.  Last night the temperature was predicted to drop to 10 degrees, which would have prevented fishing until things warmed up.  Upcoming nights were predicted to drop to the low teens.  That weather generally would mean ice is coming.  However, the temperature was 28 degrees this morning, which is just fine.