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Report Date 1.23.12

Last week a major winter storm finally made its way into the Clearwater region.  We received very heavy snow fall in some areas and the aftermath is still on the hillsides, but as the roads cleared and we got back to the river plenty of big steelhead were waiting.  Because of the storm river levels bumped up to more normal levels and we got a little bit of color to the water.  Fishing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday was great.  Sunday was our best day of the week as one of our guides managed to bring 10 big Clearwater b runs to the boat.

Fishing over the next few weeks should be very good as continued precipitation in the region should keep river levels up and steelhead on the move.  Currently most of our attention has been on the lower river, but the upper river flows finally came up and it won’t be long until warmer water temps make fishing the upper river our number one game plan.  Now is the time to make your plans to fish the Clearwater!

Our most productive fishing method for gear anglers over the past week was side drifting eggs.  This is our preferred way to fish when we get some color to the water and the fish are moving.  Backtrollers will also continue to do very well, and like most always we suggest that anglers pick their favorite way of fishing and fish hard. 

For fly angers, if you are not scared of colder weather and water temps then there are still fish to be caught swinging flies.  Most success will come to anglers that know the river well and fish sink tips and winter steelhead type patters, but success can be had.  To prove this point one of our guides was fishing on a day off and went 1-2 swinging flies one afternoon.  Also for guys that like to nymph the spring is the best time of year for this tactic and we often have big number days nymphing egg flies from the drift boat.

We often have some of our best fishing of the year during the last two weeks of January into the first two weeks of February, so if you are interested in a trip we suggest you book asap as our best dates are going quickly!

Report Date 1.17.2012

Last week on the Clearwater was a case of the low water blues.  The river fished well all week up until Saturday morning when the combination of a winter storm system and a ton of boat traffic on the lower river combined to make fishing very tough over the weekend.  We still managed to get a few fish over the weekend but we found ourselves really working hard for bites.   As has been the case over the past few weeks back trolling diver and shrimp and side drifting eggs have been the most productive methods for hooking into Clearwater steelhead.  During periods of low clear water it is important for anglers to realize that fish will not move far to take even the most well presented baits, because of this we fish runs very slow and cover the most likely holding water multiple times with the thought that maybe the fish need to see a bait a few times before they will move to take it. 

For the remainder of this week and next week we are going to see a major change in fishing conditions on the Clearwater.  Heavy snowfall is predicted throughout the region through Wednesday, but after mid week the forecast is calling for rain for the foreseeable future.  This hopefully will mean great things for fishing on the Clearwater.  Hopefully the rain/ snow will bring river levels up causing our steelhead to start their spring migration.  If the river comes up, but does not blow out expect really good fishing, throughout the entire river.   If the river does “blow out” it usually is very short lived and the fishing once levels start to drop, can be fantastic.  We seem to get this water flush every year about the middle of January and it often leads to some of our best fishing of the year.  If you are looking to get into some big Clearwater steelhead your best opportunity for the spring season may be during the next few weeks!

Report Date 11/15/11

Last week we experienced our first winter cold front of the season, and as a result fishing was very slow.  Our guides managed a few fish, but to be honest fishing was very tough.  Most fish were caught side drifting large baits and back trolling diver and shrimp.  In our opinion most of the slow fishing was attributed to the rapid change in weather.  We went from decent fall weather to winter rain/snow in a matter of only a few days. 

Success for fly anglers was very limited last week with most of the action coming from guys throwing sink tips and some larger winter type steelhead patterns.  When the water gets cold it seems the fish need a little extra coaxing to get them to move to a fly.  Our favorite patters during the colder late fall flows are big marabou and bunny leach varieties.  Black and pink seem to be two of the most dominate color patterns that produce fish through the colder months. 

For next week we will see continued weather rolling in and out of the area.  I think that this will only improve fishing conditions.  Rain is forecast for the Orofino area for most of the week.  Rain and wet weather mean the river should come up some which will improve fishing.  The biggest key to success during tough fishing conditions is to fish hard and remember that these are steelhead and part of the allure of fishing for steelhead is that they are difficult to catch. 

Report date: 11/7/11

 Fishing slowed slightly during the past week.  Cold clear nights combined with snow falling in the high country dropped water temps into the low 44-39 degree range.  Because water temps fell quickly in the upper river fishing was a little slower than we would have liked over the weekend.  With that in mind our guides were able to make the adjustment to consistently put our clients into fish.  While the fish were a little more reluctant to bite our guide’s knowledge of how the river responds to different water conditions was the key to success.  We slowed things down and fished a little more methodical and were handsomely rewarded with large Clearwater B-Run steelhead. 

 Gear anglers continued to have the most success side drifting bait and back trolling plugs/diver and bait combination.  Like I said above the key to success was to slow things down and methodically work the water we knew held fish.  When water temps begin to cool down steelhead wont move as far to attack a well presented offering, at this point the skill of the angler or guide really comes into play because putting you bait or lure precisely into the steelhead lair is absolutely essential. 

 For fly anglers success was limited.  With the current water temps anglers swinging with sink tips will produce the most fish.  This is not saying that some of the die hard floating line guys wont get a few, but when temps get into the low 40’s its time to bust out the tips.  Angles willing to fish their gear slow and low will consistently put more fish on the bank than the guys insisting on fishing the floating line.  With that said fishing style is dictated most by what makes the individual angler the happiest and not all fishing methods are for everyone, so do what makes your time on the water the most enjoyable to you, and let the steelhead gods decide the rest.

 The weather for next week looks to be quite similar to last week.  As the fish get used to the colder water temps fishing should improve this week.  The end of the week is calling for some rain which might send a new push of fish up the river and improve fishing even more.

Report Date: 11/1/11 

Fishing over the last week remained very good on the Clearwater.  Although for some people fishing was hit or miss our guides consistently put fish in the boat for our clients.  Once again the two most productive methods were back trolling plugs and side drifting bait.  Fishing became a little more difficult toward the end of last week because we were in the middle of weather patterns and had some bright sunny days.  During days when the water was low and the sun was high we had most of our success during the first few hours of fishing and then again during the last few hours of daylight.  When we see these conditions it really pays to fish long hard days searching for the pool that is loaded with fish.

Fly anglers continued to have good success swinging wet flies on the dry line.  During the past week we had most of our hookups on patterns that resemble the many October caddis that hatch this time of year.  It really seemed like patterns that have some copper or a hint of orange produced the best.  Our favorite patters last week were muddler minnow variations with a hint of orange in them.  Still sizes 6-8 seemed to be the best. 

For this week look for fishing to be very good.  We had a really good rain on Sunday night and into Monday morning.  This weather dropped a lot of water and the river came up some and spiked today, Tuesday morning.  This is the pattern we really love!  It seems that every time we get some sort of spike in flows, no matter how small, that it really gets some fish moving and feeling aggressive.  Look for fishing to be very good into this upcoming weekend.  Gear anglers fishing from boats should look for side drifting and back trolling the produce the best results.  Remember that when looking for fish it really pays to know the water well so pick a section and learn it well.  I do not recommend chasing good fishing reports all over the river because by the time that you heard the fishing was good it’s too late.  Bank anglers will have the most success fishing bobber and jig presentations, and once again find water you like and learn it well.  Dedication to your craft will provide great results when you can get a section or hole super dialed in.

Fly angers still have a few good weeks to hook steelhead on a floating line in the Clearwater.  Our water temps have been slowly dropping which tends to keep us swinging on the floater longer into the fall than in years when water temps plummet quickly.  Look for anything that resembles an October caddis to produce well this next week.  As I have said before this is a game of casting and presenting you fly to as many fish as possible, but don’t forget to work the water close to you well.  Don’t be a guy who hucks it toward the middle of the river without working the close water first, as most of us who live here landed many fish with a single hander swinging well before we got into the obsessive spey world. 

Report Date: 10/25/11

Fishing over the past week remained really good.  Our gear guides averaged 5-8 fish landed during the week.  This is really good steelhead fishing.  During the week we saw the water drop and clear significantly, and this led to a few days were we had to work for our fish during parts of the day, but anytime you can go out and land 5-8 fish in a day of steelhead fishing it’s a great day on the water.  Our guides continue to have success side drifting bait as well as back trolling plugs and diver and bait combinations.  This time of year it is really all about picking which method you enjoy fishing the most and just going fishing. 

Fly anglers continued to have good success over the past week.  We have notice that most of our opportunities at fly caught steelhead have been from about noon to dark, this time frame also coincides with water temperatures being at their warmest which tends to make fish a little more active.  Most of our fish have come to our standard array of small (6-8) hair wings, but a pattern has been developing over the past few weeks, we are noticing that when the afternoon October caddis hatch is on the fish are reacting a little better to flies with a hint of orange to them.  Also quite a few fish were hooked last week on muddler minnow varieties in the same small sizes as we fish hair wings.  These muddlers fished just under the surface have a tendency to elicit some really aggressive grabs!

Fishing looks to continue to stay good through this week.  Water levels came up some today which should help get some fish moving.  Every time we see a small bump in flows it is usually followed by some really good fishing.   Side drifting bait and back trolling plugs and/ or diver and bait combinations will likely continue to see some of the best results for the boating anglers.  Bank anglers should stick to the always dependable bobber and jig set up as we have witnessed a few bank anglers picking them up on the jig.

For fly angers this current weather pattern that we are in of cold nights and decently warm days will mean that the best time during the day to swing flies will be from early afternoon until dark.  As water temps start to head toward the mid forties some guys may want to try swinging some light sink tips to help the fish not have to travel so far to take a fly.  With that said we have caught fish on a dry line with water temps in the upper thirties, so don’t get any ideas that dry line season may be nearing its end.  If swinging a dry line is your style then stick to it because you may be rewarded with the fish of a lifetime!

Report Date: 10/18/11

Fishing over the last week continued to be outstanding!  Both fly and gear anglers continue to have good success throughout the river.  This past week marked a turning point for our steelhead season as Saturday was the opening day for catch and kill season on the Clearwater River above Lewiston.  The River was a little more crowded than it had been for the previous few weeks, but that did not slow the fishing down.  Anglers who were mobile and searched a little for their own water were handsomely rewarded with plenty of hard fighting B-Run Steelhead.

For gear anglers back trolling plugs and side drifting bait, such as eggs or shrinp, were the most productive methods for our boats over the past week.  Our guides got clients into some very good fishing during the opening weekend.  This time of year fish are evenly distributed throughout the entire river system so staying mobile is the name of the game.  The next few weeks can get a little crowded, but anglers who truly know the river will have no problem locating plenty of fish. 

Fly anglers continued to do very well over the past week with most of their success coming swinging small wet flies on a floating line.  Like most of the fall our favorite patters continue to be size 6 and 8 Purple Perils and Lady Caroline’s, but any small dark or natural colored patters have been producing well.  While we give our recommendations on what has been working for us, anglers sometimes need to be reminded that there are no rules set in stone when it comes to fly selection for steelhead fishing.  I suggest you tie on a fly that you personally have confidence in and swing it until it gets bit.  Fly anglers should be much more concerned with how their fly is being presented to the fish than on what fly they choose to fish with.

For next week expect fishing to remain good.  The weather looks like it is going to get nice over the next few days, so the implications of clear days means that the best times to be on the river will be during periods of low light early in the morning and then later in the afternoon when the sun is off the water.  Anglers also should remember that sometimes certain places get a little crowded during this time of year, but there are 80 river miles that all have fish in them, so don’t be afraid to go find a new spot.  Plus fishing next to a bunch of people is not really what fishing the Clearwater is all about. 

Report for 10/10/11

Fishing over the past week has been spectacular.  Both fly and gear angers have been having great success.  One of our gear boats had a 20 fish day last week! We are already seeing huge numbers of our large B-Run fish.  Most fish have been averaging 12-16 pounds.  These are incredible fish and this time of year they are fresh and hot.  Long battles with multiple jumps have been the norm. 

Gear anglers have been having the most success back trolling plugs and side drifting yarn rigs.  October steelhead on the Clearwater are very aggressive and grabby and will gladly take most well presented offerings if they get the chance.  Our gear guides have been catching fish in all available holding water types on the river.  Deep holes to shallow glides have all been producing large numbers of big fish.

We have also had continued success swinging wet flies on the spey rods.  Like the week prior the best flies have been small natural patters in size 10-6.  Purple Perils and Lady Caroline’s have been our favorite patterns.  Fly anglers have been averaging about a fish a day, which is absolutely great success considering that steelhead are considered the fish of a thousand casts. 

For next week look for the Clearwater to continue to fish well.  Saturday is opening day of the catch and keep season on the Clearwater and fishing is primed to be very good for the opener. 

Report Date 9/28/11

Fishing over the past few weeks has been great! The Clearwater has finally dropped into its low fall flows meaning all of her beautiful runs are now showing. Both Gear and fly anglers are having consistent success between Orofino and Lewiston.

For Fly anglers the most action has been during the low light hours in the morning and then again in the evening, but on days when we have got some cloud cover the bite has been on all day long. This time of year is our personal favorite because this is the time when you can get the Clearwater’s famous B-Runs to rise to a fly presented on a floating line. We had multiple fish come to a dry fly last week. Most steelhead anglers will agree that bringing a large steelhead near the surface to attack a fly is a thrill that many will never forget, and some will become hopelessly addicted to. If you are up to the challenge of chasing fall steelhead with a fly you need to get in touch with us because we have the experienced guides that can make it happen. We have had great success with smaller sized flies; sizes 10  - 6 have worked well. Size 8 purple perils and Lady Caroline's have been our favorites!!! 

Gear anglers have been having good success back trolling plugs, as well as swinging spinners and spoons. This is a great time of year to chaise fish with the hardware, as early fall steelhead on the Clearwater are fresh and aggressive toward anything shinny. The standard flat blaze orange hotshots have been working great as well as the 2/5 oz. sized spoons. 

Look for fishing to remain good during the next few weeks. Every day now we are seeing more and more of our big Clearwater B-Runs, and we will only have more of them in the river as the days go on. Some of these fish will top the 20 pound mark. There are fish all the way from Orofino to Lewiston. 

Report Date: 9/14/11

Over the past week or so the Lower Clearwater has been fishing very well for both Fly and Gear fisherman.  Fly anglers have been having good success swinging slightly wet fly patters on a dry line.  The best fishing has been from first light until about high noon and then again from around 4 pm until dark.  While most fish have been coming during the above peak times, we have still been picking up a few fish during the middle of the day. 

Gear anglers have been having the most success back trolling plugs and trolling lighted lures after dark.  The most popular fishery for this time of year is trolling lighted plugs.  Anglers need to be reminded that from now until October 15^th it is still catch and release for steelhead above Memorial Bridge in Lewiston.

For the coming week expect steelhead fishing to continually improve in the Clearwater upstream of Lewiston.  We have already seen some B Run fish, and the way fish are pouring over Lower Granit Dam, don’t expect the fishing to slow down anytime soon.  It is already shaping up to be a great year on the Clearwater!  If you are interested in booking a guided steelhead fishing adventure with us don’t wait.  We are starting to fill some of the prime dates solid, so if you are interested book now!  We look forward to seeing you on the water.

Report date:  8/26/11

Finally steelhead season is once again upon us here on the Clearwater!  Over the last week we have been watching some great fish counts come over Lower Granite Dam (the last dam on the Snake before steelhead make it into the Clearwater).  We had multiple days last week where the number of steelhead crossing each day at the dam exceeded 1000 fish.  These are great numbers that are an indication of things to come for the remainder of the 2011/2012 steelhead season. 

During the past two weeks we have also started to see quite a few fish caught in the lower Clearwater.  This can be a great time to fish the Clearwater as fish bound for the Snake, Salmon, and Grande Ronde Rivers tend to pull into the lower Clearwater in search of cold water. 

Fly anglers are having decent success early in the morning and late in the afternoon when the sun is off the water, and gear anglers have been having the most success pulling lighted plugs after dark.  This is such a great time of year!  We finally have good steelhead fishing again after months of waiting!

If you are looking for an exciting early season steelhead fishing trip then get in touch with us so we can show you what it’s like to steelhead fish during shorts and t shirt weather.

Report Date: 2/28/11

Last Week:

During the beginning of the week the Upper Clearwater was fishing great, but by the end of the week unseasonably cold temperatures slowed down the catching substantially.  Monday through Wednesday saw our guide’s consistently catching fish side drifting eggs on the upper river around Kamiah.  The severe winter weather that was predicted for the area seemed to stay just north of the Kamiah area for a few days.   We had really nice warm temperatures and blue sky, but by Thursday our luck ran out.  River temperatures dropped rapidly and the upper river was flowing slush by Saturday Morning.   Cold temps forced us to fish the lower River downstream of Orofino.  Catching was not great, but our guides managed to get multiple fish to the boat on both Saturday and Sunday.  The best bite of the day was between 1pm and dark.  This is often the case during cold weather periods.   

This Week:

Day and nighttime temperatures are forecast to rise over the next week, and along with that we are supposed to get a decent amount of rain.  This warmer weather will clear the upper river of any ice and should once again lead to consistent catches in the upper river.  Fishing over the next week should be good.  Boat anglers should look to side drifting to produce the most consistent catches wile bank anglers should have continued success fishing float and jig/ bait combinations.   

Report Date: 2/21/11

Last Week: 

Fishing remained consistent over the past week with angler’s experiencing good fishing above and below Orofino.  During the middle of the week we had an increase in flows that slowed the fishing for about a day or so, but by Friday and Saturday the river was once again fishing very well.  Flows were above average for this time of year so some holes have been fishing differently than during normal water conditions.  Boat anglers have been the most successful side drifting eggs, but backtrollers have been experiencing success as well.  Bank anglers continue to have the most success with float and Jig combinations.

This Week:

We are forecast to have a cold air mass move through the area over the next week.  Snow is predicted for the first half of the week followed by some cold clear days for the weekend.  Fishing should remain consistent, but anglers may have to switch their focus to the lower river if the upper river starts to flow slush ice.  During cold weather periods the river below Orofino typically fishes better because flows out of Dworshak Dam keep river temperatures more stable downstream from Orofino. 

Please don’t trash this river.  It is a special fishery that has been seeing an increased amount of traffic over the past few years, and it is up to every individual to help make sure that the river stays clean.  Pack out More Than You Pack IN!!

Report Date 2/14/11

Last week:

Fishing remained consistent over the past week, although it was a little slower than the two previous weeks.  During the week river flows continued to drop at a slow pace and the river was clearing.  Fishing remained good in all portions of the Clearwater with most of our guides spending the majority of their time above Orofino, but we heard some great reports from downstream of Orofino.  The North Fork continued to pump out a large volume of water making this section of river difficult to fish from a Drift Boat.  Once again side drifting was the most consistent technique. 

This week:

Look for fishing to remain good over the next week.  The Orofino area is forecast to receive a decent amount of wet weather over the next few days.  This should make fishing even better than it was last week.   Look for the latter part of this week, and next week to fish very well.  Drift boat anglers should focus their efforts on the river above Orofino, while jet boats will have continued success below Orofino. 

North Fork:

We continued to hear good reports coming from the North Fork.  Anglers are having the most success fishing with float and jigs. 

South Fork: 

The South Fork has continued to kick out a decent amount of fish over the last few weeks.  Fish should be spread throughout this system.  Anglers need to remember to pick up after themselves!  Please don’t trash this river.  It is a special fishery that has been seeing an increased amount of traffic over the past few years, and it is up to every individual to help make sure that the river stays clean.  Pack out More Than You Pack IN!!

Report Date 2/7/11

 Last Week:

Fishing over the past week continued to be really good!  Monday and Tuesday fished well on the upper river around Kamiah, but a cold front moved in and drastically dropped water temperatures and the river flowed slush ice on Wednesday, but warmer weather cleared the upper river by Saturday.  These conditions led us to concentrate on the river below the North Fork.  This section of river was on fire during the later part of the week.  We averaged 6 plus fish to the boat for two anglers!  Side drifting eggs was once again the most productive technique during the week.   We are into a great Spring season!

This Week:

Fishing should remain consistent over the coming week.  There are no drastic weather changes in the forecast.  This is the time to be on the river.  Anyone who is waiting for fishing to be good before they head out needs to get here now!  Look for the upper river to produce well for drift boat anglers, and the lower river to continue to produce for the power boat crowd. 

North Fork:

The North Fork produced well for angers over last week and should continue to fish well during the coming week.  The water is high in the North Fork but the fish are there.  We heard some great stories from anglers fishing the North Fork last week.  Most success came from anglers fishing with float and jig combinations.

South Fork: 

The South Fork fished well up until Wednesday of last week when cold temp caused a slush flow.   This week with warmer temps the South Fork should fish well.  Just remember to be courteous to each other and we can all enjoy this fishery.  PLEASE DON’T TRASH THE RIVER!

 

Report Date:  1/30/11

Last Week:  

                Fishing last week was nothing short of great!  Perfect river conditions combined with plenty of willing fish led to some incredible days of catching.  Over the last week our guides averaged about 6 fish landed per boat for two clients.  These are great numbers considering that in the world of steelhead fishing catching fish is never a given.  Most of our fishing took place on the upper river around Kamiah.  This section of river is a favorite for our guides as it is perfect for the drift boat.  We also heard some great reports coming from the lower river around Orofino.  Our guides have been having the best success side drifting bait, but have also had good success fly fishing nymph rigs.  This is shaping up to be a very good spring fishery on the Clearwater. 

Next Week:

                Look to see continued good success.  River levels are predicted to continue to slowly drop over the next week.  Anglers will most likely find the most success in the upper river around Kamiah and near Orofino.  Fish are present in the entire river, but seem to be more concentrated in those areas.   As flows drop to more normal levels expect the entire river to fish well. 

Fishing also picked up last week in the South Fork of the Clearwater.  Anglers need to remember that in this fishery good etiquette is a must, and to report any law violations to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.  Trash along the river is a major problem during this fishery.  It is imperative that angler pick up after themselves.  A few people have been trashing this fishery over the last few years and loss of access to private property has been the direct result.  Please if you enjoy this fishery do you part and clean up.  Pack out more than you pack in!

Report Date:  1/23/11

                Last Week:

After some very unseasonably wet and warm weather a week ago the river has returned to fishable levels and fishing has improved dramatically over the past few days.  Our guides have been having good success on the upper river around Kooskia.  This area is usually the first to start fishing after a major blow out, and the rest of the river follows quickly.  We are very blessed on that the Clearwater drops and clears so quickly.  Currently the river is a little higher than normal, but fishing is good because good water clarity can be found throughout the entire river.  Our guides had success fishing a few different methods, but during high flows back trolling and float and bait/jig combinations are the most productive.   Success was found targeting pockets of slower moving water near river obstructions and banks. 

Upper River: 

The upper river around Kooskia fished well toward the end of the week.  This is very typical after heavy flows as the upper river is the first section to become fishable.  The old saying, “when the water is high fish high in the system, and when the water is low fish low in the system,” holds very true here. 

Lower River:

Not much angling effort was witnessed due to higher than normal flows.  Although the river was fishable mid week many anglers are not used to fishing in high flows for steelhead.  To anyone who is used to fishing the Clearwater during the Spring Chinook season the river would have looked very familiar.  Remember that many of the same areas that produce well for Chinook in the spring will also produce steelhead in times of high river flows.  The biggest factor that influences fishing is river clarity.  If the rive has a few feet of visibility it’s fishable!

Next Week:

We could quite possibly see some of the best fishing of the year next week!  Due to the high water of a week ago fresh fish should be found in all portions of the river.  We are poised to have a great spring season!  Catching should be good throughout the entire river.   This is the time of year when bait anglers start making the switch from fishing with shrimp to fishing eggs.   During the spring season fishing with eggs tends to out produce shrimp, and our guides have started to notice this change already.  And on another note the river is still flowing a little higher than normal for this time of year so anglers may need to make adjustments in the amount of weight used to contact bottom.  Also for the guys out there fishing float and jig/bait set up, you may need to fish a little deeper than you are accustom to in your usual spots.  Trust me on this!  The river may be a little higher but the fish are still there!  Sometimes a little thinking outside the box can result in a very productive outing. 

Report Date 1/11/11

Last Week:

The first week of the New Year has started with some good news and some not so good news.  I’ll start with the not so good:  Currently the entire watershed above Orofino is impacted by major amounts of ice and is not fishable.  The extremely cold temps around the New Year pretty much locked the upper river up into a massive sheet of Ice.  It will take a substantial warming trend and some rain to kick that ice out.  The 10 day forecast is calling for increased daily highs and lows above the freezing mark.  This is a good sign but we will have to wait and see.

The Good News:  The main Clearwater below Orofino has been fishing well.  During prolonged cold spells when the upper river is frozen fish tend to stack up in the lower river.  This makes them targets to gear anglers willing to fish hard.  Most successful anglers have been back trolling diver and bait, and side drifting.  It is important to fish slow and cover holes multiple times.  During these conditions fish will not move far to intercept a bait or lure, but will eagerly bite if you get it in their zone. 

Next Week: 

Report date:  12/20/2010

Last Week: 

This was a classic case of the extremes!  The week started off with the river blowing out on Monday, due to warm temperatures and very wet weather.  The river peaked early Wednesday morning as a dry and very cold air mass settled into the Clearwater region.  Thursday and Friday both fished ok, with most fish coming from downstream of the North Fork although anglers fishing the Slaughterhouse hole,  just upstream of the North Fork, did well.  By the time Saturday morning rolled around the cold temps had caused the river to drop almost 8,000 cfs in three days.   The cold temperatures also caused the upper river to start spitting large amounts of ice and was unfishable by Saturday afternoon.   During these conditions the lower river is the only real option.

Next Week:

Temperatures are forecasted to be warmer next week with highs approaching the 40 degree F mark.  This should stabilize river temperatures, and fishing should improve with improved weather conditions.  Anglers will find the most success using cold water methods.  This means fishing slow and low.  Work through runs slowly and make sure you gear is very near the bottom.  During conditions like this anglers fishing diver and bait tend to have the most success.  There are a ton of fish in the system and anglers that are persistent should have good success.

Report Date: 12-13-2010

This past week:

     The river has rebounded from the cold snap at the beginning of the month and fishing has been really good over the past week.  The seasonably warm and wet weather pattern we are currently in bodes well for continued fishing success.  Most of our low level snow has come off causing a bump up in river levels, while at the same time water temps have hovered around the 40 degree F mark.  What does this mean?  Fish are on the move! And moving fish bite!

     Fish are currently spread all throughout the system, but most of the pressure and success has come from downstream of Orofino.  The river above Orofino has plenty of fish in it, but the river was frozen in many spots until about the beginning of last week.  Upper river water temps remain a little on the cold side and fishing should improve dramatically over the next week as temps continue to warm. 

     Our guides have been having good success side-drifting bait, as well as back trolling plugs and diver and bait.   Currently the key to success has been finding a pod of fish and staying on them. 

     Bank anglers have had good fishing using Float and jig/bait setups in all of the usual bankie zones.

Next week:

     Fishing looks to remain consistent over the next week.  Daytime highs will drop slightly but not enough to have much of an impact on fishing conditions.  The forecast is calling for continued wet weather throughout the foreseeable future.  This is a very good thing for our fishing as it adds a little grit to the river and keeps flows up and fish moving.  During the upcoming week look for fishing to improve in the upper river.  This will give drift boaters the opportunity to get away from the power boat crowd on the lower river.

Report Date: 11-10-2010

Last Week:   

     What another great week out on the water. We had a couple tough days here and there, but overall fishing was GOOD.  

     The river conditions have been awesome and the increases in flows over the past couple weeks have spread fish throughout the entire river system. Our guides have been fishing from Kooskia to Hogg Island! Its been awhile since we've seen fish spread through the system like they are now!

     Focus efforts on the heads and tail outs, the 40 - 20 - 40 rule applies right now on the river. That rule is to spend 40% of your time in the head, 20% in the body and 40% in the tail outs. Fish are moving so they will rest in the tail outs and heads of the runs. Typically a good rule of thumb is if the water is rising the fish are moving. After 2 days of the water dropping or colder water temperatures, the fish will drop down and hold in the body of the run.

     Our Spey clients are still using full floating lines with damp flies. Our gear clients are side-drifting, back-trolling plugs and diver-n-shrimp. All gear techniques will work including spoons and bobber-n-jig.

The Lower River (Downstream of Orofino)

     Pink House, Magill, and Slaughter House saw their average "high" fishing pressure over the weekend. There was a small derby that took place that increased fishing pressure near Lewiston and Orofino. Most sections of the river between Lewiston and Orofino fished great with low pressure. Fish are on the move, so it can be a little hit and miss from day to day. Our guides have been doing 1 1/2 floats and if we find fish on a section, the next day we've been going up river the next day to intercept them. 

The Upper River (Upstream of Orofino)

     The increased flows over the past couple weeks has pulled more fish up above Orofino. The catching is now pretty consistent on the entire upper river. Some of the upper runs don't have a lot of fish in them, so fish efficiently - not to fast, but not to slow. Once you find fish, stay on top of them.    

The NF

     The flows have remained pretty steady. Fishing has been fair to good. Fish are pulling in and being caught. Bobber-n-Jig/shrimp and lighted plugs are the two most common methods of take.

The SF

     Some pushes of fish moved in this last week. The lower section fished pretty good. Depending on the water levels we could see some fair numbers of fish moving in over the next month. Most fish will not "winter" in the SF, but will they will continue to move in and out depending on water level.

This Coming Week:

     We have a pretty good set of weather patterns coming up again. A couple days of overcast skies and then some rain showers for a couple days. It is just what we need to keep the fish moving. The weather is cooling off, and we are starting to see lows in the mid 30's. This will cause the water temperature to drop, but with the volume of water that we have the drop will happen gradually. We'll likely see the lower river water temperatures in the mid to low 40's by the first of next week. Clearwater Steelhead start to put their brakes on once water temperatures drop below 35. So fish will continue to move and be aggressive. However it's time to install the heaters in the boats.

     The catching should continue to be good through the next week. If you are interested in booking a trip, email us. The big derby is starting this next week, so lower-river pressure will increase significantly. 

Lower River: (Downstream of Orofino)

    The flow is currently 5330cfs @ ~7.5 C near Spalding. The NF flows are keeping the lower river slightly warmer than the upper river and is minimizing the daily temperature swing. The flows peaked yesterday and are slowly dropping and the water is slightly off color. All angling methods are working well. There are a lot of aggressive fish in the lower river so back trolling plugs has been working very well. Side-drifting has also been very effective.   

Upper River: (Upstream of Orofino)

    The flow is 3400 cfs @ ~6.6C.  This is a great flow of the upper river. Each section of river handles the lower or higher flows differently. 3,500 cfs fishes well on all sections of the upper river. There are a lot of fish in the upper river and fishing will remain good. Again all angling methods are working well. Divers-n-shrimp are probably the most effective method, but back-trolling plugs and side-drifting are also working well.      

North Fork:

     Fish are going to keep moving in and being caught. Anglers up by the Dam will continue to do well. Since the flows are low, anglers will likely do better at first light and at night.   

South Fork:

    Fish are in the lower sections. If the water drops down too much the fish will go back out to the main river. Fishing will be good as long as the flows stay up.   

Report Date: 11-2-2010

Last Week:   

     I said it in the last report and I'm saying it again..... If there was any doubt on how good the fishing is going to be this year on the Clearwater, these last couple weeks should change anyone's pessimistic attitude. Look at all of our fresh fish pictures. We've been catching fish throughout the entire river EVERY DAY!!!! We are well on our way to having a great season. 

      The river conditions have been awesome and the increases in flows over the past couple weeks have spread fish throughout the entire river system.

The Lower River (Downstream of Orofino)

     The overall fishing pressure has been significantly less. Since there are fish throughout the entire river fishing pressure is also spread out. Fishing has been very good! The pole yard, pipe line\slaughter house, pink house and magill hole still have their standard amount of fishing pressure, but that is because those places are producing fish. The river increased in flows and peak out on 10/26 and again on 11/1. Our Spey clients are still using full floating lines with damp flies. Our gear clients are side-drifting, back-trolling plugs and diver-n-shrimp. All gear techniques will work including spoons and bobber-n-jig.

The Upper River (Upstream of Orofino)

     The upper river has been in great condition and has fish all the way up to Clear Creek. The catching has been a little more sporadic on the upper river and this is most likely due to the fact there are not "a lot" of fish, so they are not constantly jockeying for good holding water. The water temperature has been in the mid-40's which is still good for swinging and all gear fishing techiniques.   

The NF

     They bumped up flows late on the 28th, but other than that the flows have remained pretty steady. Fishing has been fair to good. Fish are pulling in and being caught. Bobber-n-Jig/shrimp and lighted plugs are the two most common methods of take.

The SF

     I drove up the SF the other day and didn't see anyone fishing and no fish any where. The flows looked good, but it still a little too early, there has to be some fish moving in, but not in enough numbers to attract any anglers.

This Coming Week:

     The River is in optimal conditions, the catching is great and we have an awesome set of weather patterns on the way for this week! Wed/Thurs are supposed to be sunny with scattered showers through the weekend. The flows should continue to drop for the next 4 days and then start coming up again by Sunday/Monday. This is just what we want so the fish keep coming in and moving. If river conditions stall for more than 5 days the fish start to become stale and a little harder to catch.

     The catching should continue to be great through the next week. If you are interested in booking a trip, email us.  

Lower River: (Downstream of Orofino)

    The flow is currently 4450cfs @ ~9.2 C near Spalding. The NF flows are keeping the lower river slightly warmer than the upper river and is minimizing the daily temperature swing. The flows are slowly dropping and the clarity is perfect. Overall the lower river is fishing better than the upper and may continue to do so through the next week. All angling methods are working well. There are a lot of aggressive fish in the lower river so back trolling plugs has been working very well. Side-drifting has also been very effective.   

Upper River: (Upstream of Orofino)

    The flow is 2560FS @ ~7.5C.  More and more fish are moving in and the fishing has been getting better and better. There are sill more fish down lower, but the fishing pressure on the upper river is very low. It is nice to do a float with out seeing very many other boats and catch a couple BIG B-RUNS with no one in your hip pocket. Again all angling methods are working well. Divers-n-shrimp are probably the most effective method, but back-trolling plugs and side-drifting are also working well.      

North Fork:

     Fish are going to keep moving in and being caught. Anglers up by the Dam will continue to do well. Since the flows are low, anglers will likely do better at first light and at night.   

South Fork:

    Fish are likely moving in, but not in fishable numbers yet. By the end of this month we should see some good numbers starting to show.  

Report Date: 10-18-2010

Last Week:   

     If there was any doubt on how good the fishing is going to be this year on the Clearwater, this last week should change anyone's pessimistic attitude.

     While the number of Steelhead over Bonneville and Lower Granite are no where near what they were last year, the over-all number of Clearwater B-Run Steelhead are way UPPPP!!!! The Snake\Clearwater Basin hosts runs of Summer Run Steelhead that are broken down into two classifications, A-Run and B-Run (B's are BIGGER). The Clearwater gets most of the B's. Last year's record run of "A-run" steelhead headed up the Snake, leaving the less-than-average Clearwater B-runs in their shadow. It's a new year and don't be fooled by the steelhead counts.... The TAC board re-issued their B-run predictions on 10-8-10 and upgraded the B-run prediction to 71,000. This is way up from last year. 

     What does all this mean???? Awesome fishing on the Clearwater. Clearwater River Company LLC caters to Spey/Fly and Gear anglers. We have a full staff of guides; some of which specialize in Spey/Fly only trips, guides who "do it all" and guides that are "gear" heads. So far this year our Spey/Fly clients have been doing 2 or 3 times better than last year and our gear clients are CRUSHING the fish. We've been having 10+ fish days on gear (2 rods) during the week. This weekend's opener was a little slower with 6+ fish days, due to the increased fishing pressure. Yesterday was probably our slowest day in the last 10-days, however catching was a lot better today, 10-18-10.

     As predicted the river peaked this last week on Tuesday and dropped throughout the week. The increase in flows pulled fish up and spread them throughout the entire river system. Some of the best fishing was from Orofino to Peck, but this was also the area with the highest fishing pressure. Anglers who ventured out and away from the crowds still found fish, but just not as many.

     The river is slowly cooling down too. The river is at it's warmest around 2:30 PM and coolest at 7:00AM depending on where you are on the river.  

The Lower River (Downstream of Orofino)

     Most of our guided trips are still being ran down river of Orofino. Fish are spread throughout the entire lower 40 miles and our guides have found success on all sections of the river. Our Spey clients are still using full floating lines with damp flies. Our gear clients are side-drifting, back-trolling plugs and diver-n-shrimp. All gear techniques will work including spoons and bobber-n-jig.

The Upper River (Upstream of Orofino)

     This last week the upper river peaked at 2,600 CFS and this pulled fish all the way up to Clear Creek. All sections of the upper river have fish, but not in huge numbers like the lower river. As the water dropped and cleared during the week, fish moved into the deeper, more protected water. Spey/Fly anglers found fish in the shallow heads of the runs under the heavy chop, where most gear anglers don't fish.   

The NF

     Flows still remained steady. Fish are pulling in and being caught. Bobber-n-Jig/shrimp and lighted plugs are the two most common methods of take.

The SF

     The SF is a trickle and will not have fish till later in the season.  

This Coming Week:

     With the opening weekend of the retention season behind us, the pressure should normalize over this week. We'll be back to the average amount of fishing pressure until the Lewiston Derby in mid-November. The 10 day forecast is a little dry.... No precipitation is predicted until next Saturday. This means that the river will stay low and clear. As it starts to freeze in the upper tributaries, the conifers will stop sucking up so much water and we will actually see a slight increase in flows (typically less than 200cfs on the lower river), it won't affect the fishing, but anyone wondering why the flows increase with out any rain, know why now....

     With low water and only partly-cloudy skies, the air temperature will effect the water temperature more. Highs will be in the 60's, lows in the 40's to mid-30's. Low water tactics will start to be mandatory. Back-trolling will be more affective in the low-clear water. With the lower water temperatures, Spey/Fly anglers may start to use light sink tips to get down a little and slow their presentations down. 

Lower River: (Downstream of Orofino)

    The flow is currently 3160cfs @ ~10 C near Spalding. The flows should level out around 3,000 cfs. The water will be low and gin clear, so drift boats will have the upper hand at being "sneaky." Since the fish have seen a lot of gear over the past week, anglers using smaller / stealthy tackle will likely have better success. With the added fishing pressure, everyone should make an effort to be courteous of other boat anglers and bank anglers.   

Upper River: (Upstream of Orofino)

    The flow is 1430FS @ ~9.6C. Fish will move into deeper protected water with the lower / colder flows. The water temperature really dropped over the past week, so it will take a couple of days for the fish to adjust. If back-trolling make sure that you're getting down deep enough! Read your plug specs, if you're in 14 foot of water and using a plug that dives to 8 feet, you're not fishing, just wasting time. The upper river is a viable option for drift boaters looking to get away for the power boaters on the lower river.      

North Fork:

     Not much change in the forecast here. As long as the flows stay consistent and the season progresses more and more fish will move in to stage.  

South Fork:

    No fish expected until later in the season.  

Report Date: 10-11-2010

Last Week:   

     What a great week on the water!!! The fishing has been good to great. Nearly every Spey/Fly client caught fish or at least had opportunities. All of our gear clients have had great days on the water. The fishing was pretty consistent through the week, but overcast days produced better than the bright sunny days. We received some precipitation over the past couple days that has bumped the flows up a little and the tributaries are just now starting to peak. The river near Orofino has a little color, but is in good shape. The cooler weather and rain has dropped the water temperature into prime conditions for fishing.

     Thanks for visiting our site and reading the report. We appreciate you comments, reports, pictures and stories.

     Remember when fishing the Clearwater that all hooks must be barbless. It is currently Catch and Release above Memorial Bridge in Lewiston. The river above Memorial Bridge opens to retention this Friday, October 15.

The Lower River (Downstream of Orofino)

     Most of our guided trips are being ran down river of Orofino. Fish are spread throughout the entire lower 40 miles and our guides have found success on all sections of the river. Most of our clients have been Spey/Fly clients who are swinging flies. Standard low water patterns have been working well, sizes 6 - 10. Our gear guides have been doing very good back-trolling plugs, spoons and bobber-n-jig.

The Upper River (Upstream of Orofino)

     There were fish in the upper river early in the week, but as the water temperature rose, the fish hunkered down into the deeper pools and some even move back to the lower river. Our guides have fished as high up as 5 mile.  

The NF

     Flows have remained steady over the past week at 1,700 CFS. The low and clear water is making catching a little tough, but fish are pulling in to cool down. Anglers fishing from the bridge are doing good in the early morning and late evenings/night.

The SF

     The SF is a trickle and will not have fish till later in the season.  

This Coming Week:

     The 10 day forecast is looking good! Highs in the 60's, lows in the 40's and partly cloudy for most of the week. We received a pretty good freshet over the past couple days that will bring the flows up over the next day or two. The changes in flows will keep the fish moving around and keep things going until next week. The Selway and Lochsa peaked out this afternoon and are dropping again. The increase in water level will likely put a little more color and debris in the water, but all in all the river will be in prime shape for the retention opener this next weekend. All methods of catching steelhead will be productive with the current river conditions. 

Lower River: (Downstream of Orofino)

    The flow is currently 3300cfs @ ~12.8 C near Spalding. The flows will likely increase to 4000 cfs over the next day, but will quickly drop down again. With all the fish in the system, the fishing should be great! Hopefully a little color will stay in the water, so fish don't get too spooked by the increased fishing pressure. With the added pressure due to the retention opener, everyone should make an effort to be courteous of other boat anglers and bank anglers.   

Upper River: (Upstream of Orofino)

    The flow is 1600FS @ ~15.5C. Fishing should continue to improve now that fish have started to move in. The temperature is still a little on the warm side, but as the river cools and fish move in the fishing will get better and better. The upper river is a viable option for drift boaters looking to get away for the power boaters on the lower river. There are some fish as high as Kamiah, but not very many. The upper river typically has to get above 2,000 cfs or higher to pull fish into the upper sections of the river.     

North Fork:

     Not much change in the forecast here. As long as the flows stay consistent and the season progresses more and more fish will move in to stage.  

South Fork:

    No fish expected until later in the season.  

Report Date: 10-5-2010

Last Week:   

     We are on the water nearly every day and the catching has been fair to good! Thanks for visiting our site and reading the report. We appreciate you comments, reports, pictures and stories.

     Remember that the Clearwater is barbless hooks only river and it is currently Catch and Release above Memorial Bridge in Lewiston. The main river opens to retention October 15.

     The overall report for this week hasn't changed much since last week, other than we received some rain and have had cooler temperatures over the past week. The rain did bump up the flows a little bit, but more importantly it cooled the river down. There are a lot of fish in the system and they have been on the move. We've been seeing a lot of fish throughout the entire river. There are significantly more fish this year than last. The river flows are still below average for a second year in a row. This will affect the power boaters more than the Spey/Fly walk-n-wade anglers or drift boat anglers. The lower water hasn't been hindering us too much. The river is fair condition, but the catching has been fair to good. We've done pretty good over the past couple days just since the rain.       

     This is the same information that I posted last week, just leaving it up for another week for people to check out. The Technical Advisory Committee pre-season predictions for B-run steelhead over Bonneville were 91,000, that number was adjusted to 52,000. With that said, historically most B-run Steelhead cross Bonneville after August 25 and since that date there have been nearly 70,000 steelhead pass over Bonneville. The number of steelhead crossing has slowed from approximately 1,500 B-run steelhead crossing over Bonneville Dam every day to 750. The run will be somewhere in the middle of the two predicted numbers. None the less, there will be more Clearwater B-runs than last year and the less Snake A-runs. This is the typical trend that we see, year to year. There are a lot of steelhead pouring over Lower Granite, the fish coming over now are a mix of A and B runs. Most of the A runs are going to be headed up the Snake, but the Clearwater does hold a fair share of "strays" early in the season.

     The Lower River (Downstream of Orofino), This report hasn't changed much since last week. There are fish spread throughout the ~40 miles. Due to low flows the temperature is swinging about 2 degrees C (3.75 F) each day. The water is at it's coolest around 10AM and its warmest around 5PM. We've had our best success mid morning to mid-day. Fish have been taken on standard low water patterns. There are more and more fish moving into the system. Some fish are holding in the shallow riffles at the end of long rapids using the broken water for shelter.

     The Upper River (Upstream of Orofino) the rain and cooler weather has improved the upper river conditions. The upper river is starting to have more and more fish. However if it gets too warm they will likely push back down river looking for cooler water temperatures. The water temperature should be 18C/65F or lower before fishing it. 

     The NF flows have been dropped over the past couple weeks and is now flowing at 1,700 CFS. There low and clear water is making catching a little tough, but fish are pulling in to cool down.

     The SF is a trickle and will not have fish till later in the season.  

This Coming Week:

     The 10 day forecast is calling for a cooling trend to continue. We are suppose to receive a mixed bag of weather this week. We'll have a couple sunny days with partly-cloudy and rainy days over the weekend. Last week's rain did bump the river up about 250cfs. If it rains the same amount again, we will probably see a little larger bump in flows. 

Lower River: (Downstream of Orofino)

    The flow is currently 3120cfs @ ~14 C. With the predicted cooler weather and rain river should cool down and the fish will be a little more active. Depending on the fishing pressure on the extreme lower sections of river, we should see a good push of fish move in once the water temperatures drop a few degrees. Fishing should remain fair/good.   

Upper River: (Upstream of Orofino)

    The current flow is 1470CFS @ ~15.9C. Fishing should improve now that some fish have started to move in. The upper river should really start to fish it's best when the the flows increase to 1750 CFS and the temperature drops to 14C.    

North Fork:

     Fishing should continue to improve as the season progresses. The flows are low and it is still a little early, but fish are moving in and out of the NF. Gear anglers have been catching fish off the bridge. 

South Fork:

    No fish expected until later in the season.  

Report Date: 9-30-2010

Last Week:   

     This is the first full report of the season. We'll be issuing full reports at the first of the week on Monday or Tuesday, but sometimes we get behind, because we are on the water nearly every day! Thanks for visiting our site and reading the report. We appreciate you comments, reports, pictures and stories.

     Remember that the Clearwater is a barbless only river and it is currently Catch and Release above Memorial Bridge in Lewiston. The main river opens to retention October 15.

     The Technical Advisory Committee pre-season predictions for B-run steelhead over Bonneville were 91,000, that number was adjusted to 52,000. With that said, historically most B-run Steelhead cross Bonneville after August 25 and since that date there have been nearly 70,000 steelhead pass over Bonneville. There are still approximately 1,500 B-run steelhead crossing over Bonneville Dam every day, so it looks like the run will be somewhere in the middle of the two predicted numbers. None the less, there will be more Clearwater B-runs than last year and the less Snake A-runs. This is the typical trend that we see, year to year. There are a lot of steelhead pouring over Lower Granite, the fish coming over now are a mix of A and B runs. Most of the A runs are going to be headed up the Snake, but the Clearwater does hold a fair share of "strays" early in the season.

     We are seeing 10 to 15 degree higher than average air temperatures for this time of year. This is increasing the water temperature and creating thermal blocks. This will slow the up river migration of fish. The good news is that a cooling trend is on the horizon....

     We are seeing below average river flows again for a second year in a row. This will affect the power boaters more than the Spey/Fly walk-n-wade anglers or drift boat anglers. The lower water hasn't been hindering us too much. The river is fair condition, but the catching has been fair to good.       

     We've been running trips for the past couple weeks and having fair/good success rates. All of our trips have been down stream of Orofino on the lower river and have been primarily Spey / Fly swinging trips.  

     The Lower River (Downstream of Orofino), has fish spread throughout the ~40 miles. Due to low flows the temperature is swinging about 2.5 degrees C (4.5 F) each day. The water is at it's coolest around 10AM and its warmest around 5PM. We've had our best success mid morning to mid-day. Fish have been taken on standard low water patterns.

     The Upper River (Upstream of Orofino) is low and warm. There is a significant temperature difference causing the thermal block which will stop most fish from migrating upstream of the NF. The upper river may have a few fish, but it is so warm that they should not be pursued. The water temperature should be 18C/65F or lower before fishing it. 

     The NF flows have been dropped over the past couple weeks and is now flowing at 1,700 CFS. There low and clear water is making catching a little tough, but fish are pulling in to cool down.

     The SF is a trickle and will not have fish till later in the season.  

This Coming Week:

     This next week is calling for cooler temperatures and a little rain. It is doubtful that the predicted precipitation will raise the river much, unless it dumps on us. The cooler temperatures and over cast skies will improve the fishing and hopefully the catching.

Lower River: (Downstream of Orofino)

    The flow is currently 3000cfs @ ~15 C. With the predicted cooler weather and rain river should cool down and the fish will be a little more active. Depending on the fishing pressure on the extreme lower sections of river, we should see a good push of fish move in once the water temperatures drop a few degrees. Fishing should remain fair/good.   

Upper River: (Upstream of Orofino)

    The current flow is 1300CFS @ ~17C. Fishing will likely be very poor until we get a good rain freshet and the flows increase to 1750 CFS and the temperature drops to 14C.    

North Fork:

     Fishing should continue to improve as the season progresses. The flows are low and it is still a little early, but fish are moving in and out of the NF. Gear anglers have been catching fish off the bridge. 

South Fork:

    No fish expected until later in the season.  

Report Date: 3-23-2010

Last Week:   

     Sorry for not getting reports out for the past two weeks. I've been traveling to Sportsman shows and out of town most of the time. Our guides have been on the water and catching has been good. 

     There are a lot of fish in the system. They are holding in tight pockets, near the heads of the runs. The river flows have been slowly increasing, but are still in great shape. We typically wrap up our Steelhead season March 15, but this year the low water is letting us run until April 1. After April 1 most anglers will be focusing their efforts at the confluences, near smolt release points and on the SF.    

     The Lower River (Downstream of Orofino), had a new push of fish move through and catching has been good. All methods have been producing fish. Guys using micro jigs or boat anglers side-drifting seam to be doing the best. There's virtually no pressure on the lower river since most people stop fishing the main river after mid-March. On most years the lower river doesn't fish very good after the first of March, but the low water has slowed the late-run Steelhead migration down and has stretched out the season. Concentrate efforts at the heads of the runs in 6 to 10ft of water.   

     The Upper River (Upstream of Orofino) has also been fishing good. Most anglers are concentrating their efforts from Clear Creek to Long Camp. The warmer weather has caused a little run off and put some green in the upper river. Side drifting, back trolling divers-n-bait, and of course bobber-n-jig/bait are producing the best results. Fly anglers nymphing has also done very well. The fish are holding in tight pockets. We have been fishing "fast" to find these pockets of fish. 

     The NF flows have been low and clear, making catching a little tough. I haven't heard much from the NF.

     The SF flows have kicked up from run off and fish are moving through the system. The SF is still flowing less than half the normal for this time of year, but it is fishing fair. There isn't the number of fish that we had last year, so the catching won't be as good. 

This Coming Week:

     We're in the final stretch of our guiding season on the Clearwater. We are still seeing some fresh fishing coming up the river, but the overall quality of the fish is starting to fall off. Warm weather and rain will likely bring the river up a bit more and will trigger the last of the fish to bolt up river into the tributaries.

     A quick note regarding the table fair of these fish... They have been in the system for a long time. Any fish harvested should be destined for the smoker. There are still a few decent fish available, but most have past their BBQ prime. Make sure you have a plan for the the fish that you harvest.

Lower River: (Downstream of Orofino)

    The flow is currently 4730cfs @ 5.5 C. With the predicted warm weather and rain the flows will increase. The Cedar Tree, Upper Magill, Pink House, Pole Yard and Slaughter house should continue to fish good while the last of the fish move up river. Micro jigs have been doing good. For the first time this season the catch statistics are better than any where on the Salmon, 2 hours per fish....   

Upper River: (Upstream of Orofino)

    The current flow is 3380CFS @ 5.8C. The hatchery has been recycling left over adults in some of the up river holes, giving anglers another crack at them. Micro jigs, small baits and egg patterns work well during this time of year and water conditions. There is a slight tinge of green in the water making it better for side-drifting. Fish are holding in the heads of the runs. The catching on the Upper River is good and should remain good in the weeks to come. The ID F&G stats reports 5 hours per fish caught. This is really good for this time of year and the Clearwater.   

North Fork:

     I haven't heard anything from the NF in the past week. It is usually poor catching this time of year, but it may see another push of fish with the next batch of rain. 

South Fork:

    The flows are still less than half of normal, but they have increased and fish are pouring in. There is color in the water so the fish are nearly as spooky. I've heard mixed reports from anglers, but all in all it should be good catching. The SF gets a lot of pressure this time of year, be respectful of private property, pick up after yourself and report snaggers.    

Report Date: 3-1-10

Last Week:   

     We've had a lack of rain and snow this year causing the river flows to be well below normal. This makes the river more susceptible to temperature swings. We had a cold snap roll in on the 19th and lasted until the 23rd. This caused the water temperature to plummet and slowed the catching down significantly.

     All of our guides really had to work at getting clients into fish and literally had to camp out on top of them to induce a strike. It was some tough fishing by any measure.

     By Wednesday we were on the mend and even received a couple shots of rain. By the weekend things were back into full swing and catching improved on the entire river.  

      Success on the lower river (Below Orofino) has started to become more sporadic. As the season continues on less and less fish will be available in the lower stretches of river.

     Standard low water tactics are a must, back trolling divers-n-bait, plugs and of course bobber-n-jig/bait are producing the best results. Fly anglers nymphing has also done very well. We had a fly client hook 6 and land 5 on Saturday.... Way to Go Bob!!!!

 This Coming Week:

     Its going to be the same tune that we've been singing all year.... The river is below normal and there isn't too much rain predicted for the week. However on the plus side, the night time lows are staying in the low 40's / high 30's, so we won't see a dip in water temperature like we did last week. There is rain predicted for Wednesday and Thursday and this should cause an up tick in flow for Friday and Saturday and move some fish around.

      The final pushes of fish will be moving through the lower river and those anglers in the right place at the right time could have some awesome fishing.

      We'll be wrapping up our season soon, don't miss out on the last couple weeks. We still have some open days, book now.

     Low water tactics are a must. Micro jigs, small baits and egg patterns work well during this time of year and water conditions. Fish will likely be holding in deeper pocket water. The catching on the Upper River has been good and should remain good in the weeks to come.   

Report Date: 2-22-10

Last Week:   

     The catching has been great over the past two weeks but unfortunately catch rates fell off on Thursday. Last week's rain freshets brought the water up and catching was really good on Monday and Tuesday on the entire river. A high pressure system moved in on Wednesday night and the river started to clear and drop rapidly. Over the past 4 days the lower river has dropped over 1,000 cfs and 2.5 degrees C. 

      We have been experiencing low water conditions for most of the season. The low flows has slowed the up river migration of fish and caused a lot of steelhead to hold in the confluence and the lower river.

     There are fish in the upper river and it was fishing good before the significant drop in level and increased clarity. The upper river is very low and very clear. Low water tactics are a must.

     Back trolling divers-n-bait, plugs and of course bobber-n-jig/bait are producing the best results. Fly anglers nymphing has also done very well.

This Coming Week:

     Rain is predicted for Wednesday through Saturday. The cloud cover will help keep temperatures above freezing and that will be a good start to a rebound from the high pressure system that we are currently experiencing. Depending on the amount of rain, we should see an increase in flows.

     The lower river the best option until we get some rain. The upper river is so low and clear that it is tough to get into fish without spooking them. Extreme cold nights will cause slush flows on the upper river in the early part of the day.   

     Due to the poor snow pack, Dworshak has not been releasing water. This has slowed the upriver migration down and Steelhead are available throughout the entire river. Having the fish spread throughout the entire river has also spread out the fishing pressure and has made it very enjoyable out on the water.

      The entire month of February and the first couple weeks in March are considered the peak of the spring season, book now.

     Low water tactics are a must. Micro jigs, small baits and egg patterns work well during this time of year and water conditions. Fish will likely be holding in deeper pocket water. The catching on the Upper River has been good and should remain good in the weeks to come.   

2-18-10 : I've been guiding every day for the past week. The fishing has been good to great. We're getting fish every day. The increase in flows from recent rains have fish moving. I will issue a full report next Monday.

Report Date: 2-10-10

Last Week:   

     Catching has been great for the past couple weeks, but success fell off a little bit and was sporadic by the weekend. Stable weather conditions and dropping flows made the fish a little stale for the past few days. All of our guides are consistently catching fish, but they've had to change up tactics to find out what is working the best each day.

     All sections of the river have been producing fish from Kooskia to Cherry Lane. The river has continued to drop and clear. The low flows and increased visibility has made catching a little tougher over the past couple of days. Back trolling divers-n-bait, plugs and of course bobber-n-jig/bait have started to out produce side-drifting again. Fresh roe sacks under a float have been doing very well. Anglers backing down divers have done well with cured Coon shrimp and Sand Shrimp.

     The SF flows are low and clear and catching has been hit and miss. Fish are being caught in the deeper slots early and late in the day.  

     The NF has had some move in and the catching has picked up from the prior weeks.  

     The river is below normal flows for this time of year and will likely remain below average for the rest of the season. Be careful boating and if you're unfamiliar with a section of river, scout it out first.

This Coming Week:

     Rain is predicted for Thursday and Friday which should bring the flows back up a little and put some color in the water. An increase in flows will move fish around and improve catching. 

     Due to the poor snow pack, Dworshak has not been releasing water. This has slowed the upriver migration down and Steelhead are available throughout the entire river. Having the fish spread throughout the entire river has also spread out the fishing pressure and has made it very enjoyable out on the water.

      The entire month of February and the first couple weeks in March are considered the peak of the spring season, book now.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently 3270cfs @ 4.3 C. With the predicted rain the flows should pick up and Pink House to Harpers will be a great option. There have been a lot of bank anglers, remember that good river etiquette makes the day out on the water better for everyone. Anglers will continue to do good with floats\jigs and back trolling diver and bait. 

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    This year's flows have been uncommonly low and can make catching tough for anglers that are not sneaky. The current flow is 1950 CFS @ 3.8C. Typically a large difference in temperature between the lower and upper river results in a thermal barrier and the fish will not run up river. Now that the temperatures are very close to each other more we'll see the catching improve on the upper sections of the Clearwater. Low water tactics are a must. Micro jigs, small baits and egg patterns work well during this time of year and water conditions. Fish will likely be holding in deeper pocket water. The catching on the Upper River has been good and should remain good in the weeks to come.   

North Fork:

     The catching on the NF picked up with a new push of fish entering the river last week. Depending on the fishing pressure it could fish pretty good over the next week or two. 

South Fork:

    The forecasted rain should bring more fish into the South Fork. Success on the lower river should be good.  

Report Date: 2-10-10

Last Week:   

     Catching has been great for the past couple weeks, but success fell off a little bit and was sporadic by the weekend. Stable weather conditions and dropping flows made the fish a little stale for the past few days. All of our guides are consistently catching fish, but they've had to change up tactics to find out what is working the best each day.

     All sections of the river have been producing fish from Kooskia to Cherry Lane. The river has continued to drop and clear. The low flows and increased visibility has made catching a little tougher over the past couple of days. Back trolling divers-n-bait, plugs and of course bobber-n-jig/bait have started to out produce side-drifting again. Fresh roe sacks under a float have been doing very well. Anglers backing down divers have done well with cured Coon shrimp and Sand Shrimp.

     The SF flows are low and clear and catching has been hit and miss. Fish are being caught in the deeper slots early and late in the day.  

     The NF has had some move in and the catching has picked up from the prior weeks.  

     The river is below normal flows for this time of year and will likely remain below average for the rest of the season. Be careful boating and if you're unfamiliar with a section of river, scout it out first.

This Coming Week:

     Rain is predicted for Thursday and Friday which should bring the flows back up a little and put some color in the water. An increase in flows will move fish around and improve catching. 

     Due to the poor snow pack, Dworshak has not been releasing water. This has slowed the upriver migration down and Steelhead are available throughout the entire river. Having the fish spread throughout the entire river has also spread out the fishing pressure and has made it very enjoyable out on the water.

      The entire month of February and the first couple weeks in March are considered the peak of the spring season, book now.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently 3270cfs @ 4.3 C. With the predicted rain the flows should pick up and Pink House to Harpers will be a great option. There have been a lot of bank anglers, remember that good river etiquette makes the day out on the water better for everyone. Anglers will continue to do good with floats\jigs and back trolling diver and bait. 

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    This year's flows have been uncommonly low and can make catching tough for anglers that are not sneaky. The current flow is 1950 CFS @ 3.8C. Typically a large difference in temperature between the lower and upper river results in a thermal barrier and the fish will not run up river. Now that the temperatures are very close to each other more we'll see the catching improve on the upper sections of the Clearwater. Low water tactics are a must. Micro jigs, small baits and egg patterns work well during this time of year and water conditions. Fish will likely be holding in deeper pocket water. The catching on the Upper River has been good and should remain good in the weeks to come.   

North Fork:

     The catching on the NF picked up with a new push of fish entering the river last week. Depending on the fishing pressure it could fish pretty good over the next week or two. 

South Fork:

    The forecasted rain should bring more fish into the South Fork. Success on the lower river should be good.  

Report Date: 1-31-10

Last Week:   

     Success was wide spread over the week. The fishing has been good from Gibbs Eddy to Kooskia. Fishing pressure picked up slightly due to favorable weather, water and catching conditions. Most methods are working well. Side-drifting, back trolling divers-n-bait, plugs and of course bobber-n-jig/bait are all producing. Fresh roe sacks under a float have been doing very well and will soon be a staple on the river. If you're planning on fishing the Clearwater this spring, now is the time!

     SF anglers saw sporadic results. Fish are being caught throughout the system, but most are focusing their efforts on the lower section. 

     Our guides continue to experience great catching on the main river. Our available days are quickly filling up, but we still have some availability during the next couple weeks. Contact us now to arrange your trip! 1-866-842-4240 We'll be in Great Falls for the Sportsman show this coming weekend, if you live in the area stop on by and see us!

This Coming Week:

     We couldn't ask for a better series of weather patterns. The river has been slowly dropping, but we are expecting a little rain this next week. The upcoming precipitation should cause a slight increase in flows. These changes in flows are just what we want, it keeps the fishing moving and active. The river will remain in great shape throughout the week.

     Steelhead are going to continue to surge up river and catching will slowly drop off on the lower sections of the river below Cherry Lane. The Upper River is going to continue to improve and will soon be the best option. Side drifting roe and Bobbers with fresh roe sacks will likely produce the best results.

      The entire month of February and the first couple weeks in March are considered the peak of the spring season, book now.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently 3420cfs @ 4 C. The water temperatures are peaking each day around 6pm depending on the weather. Fishing will continue to be good from Orofino to Cherry Lane for another couple weeks. Pink House to Harpers and Harpers to Lenore are the most popular floats on the lower section. Bank anglers should still find good success at the Pole yard and the Magill Hole.

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The flow is 2120 CFS @ 2.5C. The river levels this year have been below normal and it appears like they will remain below normal this spring. Low water tactics are a must. Micro jigs, small baits and egg patterns work well during this time of year and water conditions. Fish will likely be holding in deeper pocket water. The catching on the Upper River has been good and should remain good in the weeks to come.   

North Fork:

     We didn't receive any reports for the NF this past week. Poor fishing for the past 4 weeks leads one to believe that it will not change. The F&G's last report for the NF had 32 hours angling per fish.... OUCH!!!  

South Fork:

    The forecasted rain should bring more fish into the South Fork. Success on the lower river should be good.  

Report Date: 1-26-10

Last Week:   

     The upper river is finally open and fishing has been good. The entire Clearwater is turning back on!!!! The fishing has been good from Kooskia to Gibbs Eddy. Lots of open water, low pressure, moderate temperatures and good fishing has made this past week pretty darn good!!!!

     As predicted, there was a small up tick in flows on Saturday, but the river has been dropping at a slow and steady rate. Flows are slightly below normal and will likely remain below normal for the rest of season. 

     The catching on the lower river has been good over the past couple weeks. The flows from the NF have been consistent and given anglers stable conditions for good catching. We are getting some really nice wild fish coming in and they are giving anglers a thrill with their reel scorching runs. 

     The catching on the NF has remained poor. The catching on the SF has been fair to good, fish are scattered throughout the system. 

     Our guides have been experience some great fishing on the main river and we have some opening during the next couple weeks. Contact us now to arrange your trip! 1-866-842-4240  

This Coming Week:

     We are looking at a few weeks of great fishing in front of us. The weather and river conditions are going to be in prime shape, book now. Fish are going to keep coming in and the Upper River is going to continue to improve. There's a slight chance of rain on a couple days over the next week, but for the most part the conditions are going to be very favorable. The river will keep dropping over the next week.

     Side drifting has started to be more productive and is a very effective way to pursue these animals. Steelhead are keying into eggs more and more. Diver and Shrimp is still working, but it will slowly become less effective as the season continues. When curing eggs remember that Steelhead do not like sulfates. Simple borax, sugar and salt cures work the best. Bank Anglers will continue to do well with bobber and jig or eggs. Fly angler nymphing egg patterns will also experience good results.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently 3820cfs @ 3.6 C. As the water temperature increases, fish will come out of wintering mode and start to move up river. Fishing should continue to be good over the next week. Over the past couple years the flows out of the NF typically start to fluctuate this time of year, but they haven't so far. It's a good idea to keep an eye on those flows. Focus efforts on the body and heads of the runs.

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    Flow is 2030 CFS @ 1.3C. A little below normal, but still in the window of prime conditions. Now that the ice is out we will experience some great fishing over the next couple weeks on the Upper River. An increase in fishing pressure will likely cause some sporadic results, but fish are going to pile into the upper river from Kooskia to Zans. As temperatures and the photo period increases more fish are going to stage in the upper river. Pressure on the upper river typically peaks during February and March, especially at the Miller Hole. Be respectful of each other and when in Roam do as the Romans. Be observant of each other and respectful. We all want to enjoy this resource.  

North Fork:

     No fish are moving in.... Not sure what is going on here.... The catching should have been better and it should get better over the next couple weeks, but who knows???? This could be an indication that more fish are headed towards the upper river hatcheries. The steady clear flows combined with the an open fish ladder may be the reason very few fish are available in the NF. 

South Fork:

    The South Fork has had some spurts of good fishing. Good reports came from the lower section on Sunday. Any time there is an increase in flows fish should move in. 

Report Date: 1-19-10

Last Week:   

     Warmer weather has finished melting the lower elevation snow. The temperatures have been moderate and hovering between 35 and 55. The river has peaked and started to recede. On Thursday and Friday some tributaries were pumping mud, making visibility poor, but the river remained fishable for most of the week. 

     The catching on the lower river picked back up and has been pretty consistent. Pushes of fresh wild fish have given anglers a thrill with their reel scorching runs.  

     The upper river still has some ice, but most of it has gone out. There wasn't enough run off to blow out all the ice. Kamiah to Long Camp is floatable and there are some fish being caught. Check to make sure that the entire section of river is ice-fee before floating.  

This Coming Week:

     The only real chance of precipitation is going to be on 1/21/10, Thursday, but is unlikely to bring the river up much. We may see reduced visibility on Friday and Saturday. The snow pack is below normal and unless we receive a lot of rain the river flows will remain slightly below normal. The remaining ice on the upper river is going to slowly rot out over the next week to 10 days. We didn't get enough run off to blow the ice out last week. Fishing should continue to improve on the upper river as spring rolls in and the ice goes out. Fishing on the lower river has been pretty good and should continue produce.   

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently  4480cfs @ 2.8 C. F&G reports 7 hours of angling per fish. Fresh Steelhead will continue to pour in and anglers are catching them. Fishing should continue to be pretty good over the next week. Flows out of the NF typically start to fluctuate this time of year. It's a good idea to keep an eye on those flows.

     Bank Anglers at the Pole Yard and Magill have been doing well with bobber and jig. Boat anglers using diver and bait will continue to do well. Sand Shrimp, Coon Shrimp and Prawns have been working great, but Steelhead eggs will start to out produce most other baits. When curing eggs remember that Steelhead do not like sulfates. Simple borax, sugar and salt cures work the best.

North Fork:

     Fishing has continued to suck on the NF. Steady clear flows combined with the fact the ladder has been opened there are not a lot of fish "hanging" out. A select few anglers have had success, but most are coming home empty handed. Even though fishing may be poor now, it should start to pick back up. The last week of January and first couple weeks of February are typically pretty good. 

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    Fishing is going to continue to improve as the water temperature increases. Kamiah to Long camp opened up last week and more sections will be fishable by the end of this weekend. 

South Fork:

    The South Fork ice blew out and muddied up last week. There are some fish being caught and as the season goes along more and more fish will continue to poor in. Report Snaggers -

Report Date: 1-11-10

Last Week:   

     Most anglers are still focusing their efforts on the lower river. The fishing has slowed down slightly on the lower river over the past week. Warm temperatures and rain this last week caused a spike in run off which dropped the water temperature. The fishing has been fair/good. The increased flows nearly blew the upper river ice out, but it jammed up in a couple spots and held on. There is enough open water to bank fish a lot of the upper river sections but most sections are still not floatable.

This Coming Week:

     Warmer temperatures and more precipitation are predicted over the next week. The entire river will see an increase in flow and a drop in temperature. The ice on the upper river is jammed up enough in a couple spots that it will take multiple days of 35+ degree weather and rain to break it loose. If the upper river flows get up to 3,500 cfs the ice should blow out. We will continue to be stuck in a state of limbo, playing the wait and see game on if the ice is going to go out. Until then the lower river remains the best option and fishing will continue to be fair to good.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently  4090cfs @ 2.5 C. Patience and persistence is key! F&G reports 8 hours of angling per fish, but from most of the reports that we have received things are a little slower than that. The Pole Yard and the section of river between Ahsahka and Peck are going to be the most productive. Anglers at the Pole Yard have been doing well with bobber and jig.  

     Diver and bait will continue to produce. Sand Shrimp, Coon Shrimp and Prawns have been working great, but Steelhead eggs will start to out produce most other baits. When curing eggs remember that Steelhead do not like sulfates. Simple borax, sugar and salt cures work the best.

North Fork:

     Fishing has remained poor on the NF for the past couple weeks. The ladder is being reopened for late run Steelhead. We need a push of new fish in the NF to get thing rolling. With flows consistent it will likely remain poor for another couple weeks.  

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    There are sections that are open, but most of the winter holding water is frozen over. Bank anglers that are fishing a couple of the open sections of river should continue to catch fish. When all the ice finally goes out it will be good!!!!

South Fork:

    When it opens up focus efforts on the lower sections in the deeper holes. Report Snaggers -

Report Date: 12-31-09 Happy New Year!!!!

Last Week:   

     The cold snap that rolled through early last week solidified things on the upper river just as the ice was about to break free. The freezing temperatures halted all run off and the river dropped nearly 2,000 cfs through the week. The lower elevation snow has melted and the ramps are clear and safe to use. Most of the upper river sections are still iced up and not floatable.

     The best fishing has still been below Orofino. The lower river catch rates have been good. There are pushes of new fish coming in, but the wild vs. hatchery ratio is about 2.5:1. This means that for every 5 fish that are caught, 2 are keepers. It varies day-to-day but this has been the average for the past couple weeks. 

     The North Fork catching fell off this week. Despite the time of year, the fishing has been poor. Flows have been steady other than a 5K spike on Monday afternoon. The flows typically start fluctuating daily starting in mid-January.       

This Coming Week:

     Snow and rain showers are predicted with temperatures hovering right above and around freezing. River flows may increase slightly from the precipitation and slightly warmer weather. The upper river was on the brink of going out before this last little cold snap and is likely to go out soon if things warm up again. The lower river may begin to see major fluctuations in flow due to water being released from the dam.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently  3670cfs @ 2.9 C. The decreasing flows and cold water is definitely making things a little tougher but fish are stacking up. Patience and persistence is definitely key! F&G reports 7 hours of angling per fish, which is good for the Clearwater. Most fish that are being picked up are taking diver and bait when it is put right in their face and held there. During this time of year a lot of fish are held up tight together, so once you find fish stay on them.

     The amount of ice coming down decreased for a couple days, but we will see more coming down since the temperature and water level will increase slightly through the weekend. Bobber and jig fishing is a good option when trying to fish around ice flows. has been the only option. Focus efforts on the deeper runs. When possible, back-troll plugs or diver-n-bait. The lower river remains the best option.

    Sand Shrimp, Coon Shrimp and Prawns have been working great, but Steelhead eggs will start to out produce most other baits. When curing eggs remember that Steelhead do not like sulfates. Simple borax, sugar and salt cures work the best.         

North Fork:

     It's tough to make accurate predictions on the NF since no one knows what the flows will be from day to day. Fishing fell off last week and can only improve.  

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    There are sections that are open, but most of the winter holding water is frozen over. Bank anglers that are fishing a couple of the open sections of river should continue to catch fish. When all the ice finally goes out it will be good!!!!

South Fork:

    When it opens up focus efforts on the lower sections in the deeper holes. Report Snaggers -

Report Date: 12-23-09

Last Week:   

     The lower river has been producing well and fish are being caught from Pink House all the way down to Gibbs Eddy. Despite the ever changing weather this time of year, fishing has been fairly consistent on the lower river. The increase in flows has been breaking off shelf ice causing line hazards and an occasional lost fish.

     The North Fork has been fishing better and anglers had good success throughout the week. Bobber and Jig is the most common method for NF anglers.   

     The upper river froze up solid a couple weeks ago and since then we have seen some warmer weather. Over a week of above freezing temperatures and rain has caused a fair amount of run off. The increased flow is about to blow out the ice on the upper river.      

This Coming Week:

     It's a little earlier than normal for the upper river to break up, but it may happen. We are on the front end of another cold snap, but it may not get cold enough to keep the upper river locked up. The flows have increased to above normal for the first time this year. If the upper river breaks up it will make fishing very difficult for a couple days, but only time will tell. The up side of this is that we typically experience some of the years best catching right after the ice goes out, so we are all watching and waiting with anticipation.   

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently 5160 cfs @ 2.3 C. This is significantly higher and colder than last week. The increase in flow and drop in temperature is attributed to run off. The drop in temperature will likely put some fish off, but fresh "biters" are moving in and they don't care what the temperature is.....

     There has been shelf ice floating down the river and bobber and jig fishing has been the only option. Focus efforts on the deeper runs. When possible, back-troll plugs or diver-n-bait. The lower river remains the best option.         

North Fork:

     Catching has picked up and should continue to do so. We are at that time of year when the NF typically starts to see some it's best fishing. 

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    FROZEN - but on the edge of breaking up - when the ice finally goes out it will be good!!!!

South Fork:

    FROZEN - When it opens up focus efforts on the lower sections in the deeper holes. Report Snaggers -

Report Date: 12-15-09

Last Week:   

     We're coming out of a 10-day cold snap that froze up the upper river and significantly decreased fishing pressure on the lower river. The warmer flows of the North Fork has kept the lower river relatively ice free and very fishable. Some of our crazier guides and clients toughed it out in the cold and still caught fish!!!! 

     The lower river produced fairly well throughout the week for our guides, averaged 2 to 5 hook ups per boat per day. Back trolling plugs and bait have been producing the best results. Fish are holding in the deeper water and in full-blown wintering mode.

     The Clearwater above Ahsahka is frozen over.

This Coming Week:

     It looks like the cold snap is over and things are going to warm up and hover between 30 and 40 degrees. We received a fair amount of snow last night and snow\rain showers are predicted throughout the week. The temperature is suppose to stay above freezing for the next couple days and that will cause some run off. We are already  seeing the upper river level increasing. I don't think the upper river will go out unless we see a week above freezing and a fair amount of rain.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently 3240 cfs @ 4 C. There is a green hue to the water and the fish are really starting to stack up between the North Fork and Cherry Lane. If the weather forecast is accurate the lower river should fish fair throughout the week. It is likely that there will be times during the day when there will be some shelf ice floating down the river and bobber and jig fishing will be the only option. Focus efforts on the deeper runs. When possible, back-troll plugs or diver-n-bait. The lower river remains the best option.         

North Fork:

     Catching has picked up, but it still isn't red hot. Fish have been trickling in and should continue to do so. A lot of fish are starting to stack in the main river below the NF so they should really start to move in over the next couple weeks.

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    FROZEN - but when the ice finally goes out it will be good!!!!

South Fork:

    FROZEN - When it opens up focus efforts on the lower sections in the deeper holes. Report Snaggers -

Report Date: 12-1-09

Last Week:   

     A slightly warmer weather system pushed through and caused a slight run off throughout the week. River flow increased but temperature dropped. The area received enough precipitation on Friday to cause the river to rise and peak on Saturday. These increases in flow pulled in a new batch of fish up and we saw an improvement in activity.  

     Success on the upper river was fair throughout the week. The fishing pressure has been very low due to the poor success the week before. The increase in flows did not affect clarity. The anglers who put in their time and slowly worked the holes are catching fish!

     The lower river produced well throughout the week. Back trolling plugs and bait have been producing the best results.

This Coming Week:

     The river is back on the drop and no precipitation is forecasted until late into the week. River conditions have forced everyone to hone their "low water" tactics. Back-trolling plugs and diver & bait have out produced all other methods. Bobber & jigs/bait are also very productive during periods of low and clear water. Side drifting with 20+ft visibility has been tough.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently 3620 cfs @ 5.7 C. Fishing should remain consistent throughout the week. The first boat down through runs will find fish in the tail outs, but most fish are holding in the belly\body of the runs. Focus efforts on the deeper runs. With the extreme clarity the fish use depth for cover. Fish are spread throughout the entire lower river. The lower river remains the best option.         

North Fork:

     Fish have been trickling in and should continue to do so. Since the flows are stable out of the dam large numbers of fish are not likely to pull into the NF.

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The river is currently running at 1720 cfs @ 3 C. The increase in flow pulled more fish into the upper river. The colder nights that are predicted will drop the water temperature and put the fish into wintering mode. Anglers need to put their presentations right in their face to have any positive results. Patients and persistence is key under these conditions. Focus efforts the deeper slower water near the body of the run. Some fish will be found in the head and tail out of the runs, but are likely to move to deep cover after the first boats of the day run them over.

South Fork:

    There will be some fish moving in and out of the SF, but not too many people pursue fish in this system until the spring. 

Report Date: 11-24-09

Last Week:   

     We experienced some rain showers in the valley, but as predicted the precipitation fell as snow in the mountains. There were two small-short-lived upticks in flows but not enough to add any color to the water. These upticks did pull in some more fish, but positive results were not wide spread. 

     Success on the upper river was fair to poor throughout the week. The fishing pressure has been very low since the water is so low, clear and cold. The anglers who put in their time and slowly worked the holes did find fish!

     The lower river seems to be having a little more consistent results. The water is warmer, has more flow and fishing pressure has dropped significantly over the past week. Those able to adapt and utilize low water tactics still found fish. Back trolling plugs and bait seem to be out performing all other methods!

This Coming Week:

     No big changes in river conditions mean no big changes in the report.....

     Steelhead are still coming over Lower Granite and most of these fish are headed for the Clearwater. We will continue to see fish trickle into the system all the way into January.

     Overcast skies and moderate temperatures are predicted for Orofino. If the weather forecasts are accurate the river conditions will likely hold throughout the week.

    As long as we have the current river conditions, low water tactics are going to be a prerequisite to hooking up. As I like to put it... "Be Sneaky". Back-trolling plugs, diver & bait and Bobber & jigs/bait are likely to be the best producers. Side drifting is usually very productive, but with 20+ft visibility it is hard to get a good presentation down to the fish without spooking them. Free gliding (a form of side drifting) has been productive for drift boats, but it is a delicate dance between fishing and being snagged.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently 3420 cfs @ 6.3 C. This is slightly higher than last week, but will slowly fall throughout the week. The temperature should stay consistent. The entire lower river should offer fair results. The best fishing may be found on the stretches with the least amount of boats since the fish can settle into their lies and will be agitated easier with the slowly back trolled plug. If the NF flows are increased we should see a big push of fish come up from the confluence.     

North Fork:

     Since the flows are stable out of the dam the fish are not likely to pull into the NF. They will be staging in the Pole Yard, Pipe Line, Black Rock, Pink House and Magill.

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The river is currently running at 1680 cfs @ 2.75 C. This is slightly higher, but colder than last week. These are less than ideal conditions, but there are fish in this stretch of the river. Since fishing pressure is light, anglers willing to back trolling plugs, diver & bait and bobber and jig will catch fish. The the low levels and temp have the fish in "wintering" mode and looking for deep water. Anglers need to put their presentations right in their face to have any positive results. Patients and persistence is key under these conditions. Focus efforts the deeper slower water near the body of the run. Some fish will be found in the head and tail out of the runs, but are likely to move to deep cover after the first boats of the day run them over.

South Fork:

    There will be some fish moving in and out of the SF, but not too many people pursue fish in this system until the spring. 

Report Date: 11-16-09

Last Week:   

     The river has peaked over the past couple weeks on November 1st, 7th and 12th. These increases in flows have pulled some fish up through the entire system. There's fish to be had through the entire river! Good numbers of fish were being caught as far up as Kooskia last week.

     Absences of adequate rainfall has had the river on a slow-consistent drop. The river level is below average for this time of year. Cold nights and low day time highs have caused the water temperatures on the upper river to significantly drop. The North Fork's warmer water has kept the lower river a little warmer and consistent.

     The Lewiston Chamber of Commerce Steelhead Derby wrapped up on the 14th. As with all derbies the fishing pressure increased and there were a lot of boats and bank anglers along the Clearwater. The increase in fishing pressure and the gin-clear water forced fish into deeper slots and into the heads of the runs under soft chop.  

      Towards the end of the week the fishing was tough at best, but those able to adapt and utilize low water tactics still found fish.

This Coming Week:

    Rain is predicted for Orofino, but it is very unlikely that it will cause the river to rise much. Since it is mid-November, most of the precipitation will fall as snow in the mountains and only the lower elevations will see rain.

    Low water tactics are going to be a prerequisite to hooking up. As I like to put it... "Be Sneaky". Back-trolling plugs, diver & bait and Bobber & jigs/bait are likely to be the best producers. Side drifting is usually very productive, but with 20+ft visibility it is hard to get a good presentation down to the fish without spooking them. Free gliding (a form of side drifting) has been productive for drift boats, but it is a delicate dance between fishing and being snagged.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently 3300 cfs @ 6.2 C. The flows and temperature will likely be consistent through this coming week. Fish are still coming over Lower Granite and these late fish are destined for the Clearwater. The entire lower river should offer fair results, but the upper holes near Ahsahka are likely to be more consistent.    

North Fork:

     Since the flows are stable out of the dam the fish are not likely to pull into the NF. They will be staging in the Pole Yard, Pipe Line, Black Rock, Pink House and Magill.

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The river is currently running at 1600 cfs @ 3.2 C. Back trolling plugs, diver & bait and bobber and jig are the preferable methods when the water is this low, clear and cold. The the low levels and temp have the fish in "wintering" mode and looking for deep water. Anglers need to put their presentations right in their face to have any positive results. Patients and persistence is key under these conditions. Focus efforts the deeper slower water near the body of the run. Some fish will be found in the head and tail out of the runs, but are likely to move to deep cover after the first boats of the day run them over.

South Fork:

    There will be some fish moving in and out of the SF, but not too many people pursue fish in this system until the spring. 

Report Date: 10-26-09

Last Week:   

     The river was running below typical levels making fishing spotty and very air temperature dependent. Most anglers were focusing their efforts downstream of Slaughter House and Pink House. The Magill hole has been seeing it's usual amount of fishing pressure. Power boaters who know the river were putting the miles on searching for pockets of fish. The upper river had fish spread throughout, but catching seamed to be a little tougher upstream of Orofino.  

     Most fish were being caught in deeper slots and in the heads of the runs. The gin clear water made the fish skittish and looking for depth or chop for cover. 

     Fly angler swinging found success and most of the fish that we saw caught were on smaller low water flies. Gear anglers using Blue Pirate, Bubble Gum Pink and Green Pirates plugs, diver \ shrimp and Bobber \ Jig have been the top producers. Side drifting has also been productive, but only in selective runs. 

     We've been seeing a lot of A-run strays, but the B-runs are finally starting to show in numbers. Our catch rates are finally at a 50/50 mix of As and Bs.  

     On the 23rd we finally received enough rain to bring the river up and we saw an increase in consistency. The river peaked on the 25th but it is raining again.

This Coming Week:

    It rained hard again today and even though the river peaked on the 25th the river will likely be on the rise again. These freshets will pull fresh fish in from the confluence. With more fish, increased volume and a little color in the water the fishing should improve throughout the week as long as the river doesn't go out. More rain is predicted throughout the week and the upper elevation perception will fall as snow. As long as this weather system isn't followed up by a warm and wet weather system the river should be in great shape.     

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently 3420 cfs @ 8.6 C. The lower river has definitely had more fish in it, but the boat traffic has been pretty heavy. The increased flows will allow more power boaters to access more runs and more drift boaters will start to fish above Orofino. This will spread the fishing pressure out and give everyone a little more room. Most power boaters will be side drifting and drift boats will be back trolling plugs or diver and shrimp. When the river is on the rise an effective way to fish is to anchor up in the tail outs and catch fish as they move up river. Just make sure when anchoring you're not impeding other boat traffic. The NF is warming the water a little bit, so swinging full floating lines should be more productive on the lower river versus the upper river, but there are more gear fishermen to compete with.

North Fork:

    The Pole Yard should see a fair number of fish this week. Since the flows are staying consistent out of the dam the fish may not pull into the NF and hang out near the Pole Yard, Black Rock, Pink House and Magill.  

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper river flows are finally up. The river is currently running at about 1750 cfs @ 7.8 C (46F). With the forecasted rain we may see it above 2000 cfs for the first time this season. There will be fish all the way up to Kooskia but the Kamiah to Orofino section of river will likely produce better numbers. Back trolling plugs, side drifting and bobber and jig are all good methods, the water is probably getting too cool for spinners and spoons. If there is color in the water tip your jigs and plugs with shrimp. Side drifting salmon roe and shrimp are preferred baits. With a little color in the water the fish should start to hold in more "classic" holding water, 6 to 8 ft deep runs. While the water temps still hover above 7.2C swinging flies with full floating line is still viable. When it drops below 7.2C sink tips are a good idea. When swinging sink tips we like articulated flies.     

South Fork:

    There will be some fish moving in and out of the SF, but not too many people pursue fish in this system until the spring. 

Report Date: 10-6-09

Report Week: 9-28-2009 - 10-06-2009

Last Week:   

     We've been primarily swinging flies for steelhead, but have a couple of our guides starting gear trips this week.

     We finally got a little rain, but it wasn't enough to bring the river up much. We had a couple batches of fish move through the system early in the week and the fishing was good. A series of weather systems moved through and the fishing over the last couple days has been tough. The water temp dropped rapidly and that may have also contributed to the drop in activity.  

South Fork:

    Probably wont see a fish until late November or December.

North Fork:

    No reports from anyone fishing the NF.

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper river is still SKINNY.... The river is currently running at about 1110 cfs, but has cooled down significantly since the night time lows have been dipping into the mid to low 30's. The river is currently 9.5 C. There are fish in the upper section, but it is so low that they are spooky. Using low water tactics and trying to be stealthy was the only way to get on top of the fish and reap the reward. 

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently 2870 cfs and running at 9.6 C. The lower river definitly has more fish in it, but there is a little more boat traffic. A lot of fish are still holding low in the river. Guys back trolling plugs have been doing pretty good, but also reported that things slowed down over the last couple days.

This Coming Week:

    There is no longer a thermal block between the lower and upper river so fish that are moving up through the system are going to keep moving if the are destined for the upper stretches. There is no rain in the immediate forecast so the river will remain low.  

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper river is very low, so fish are holding in deep water or under heavy chop. We are waiting for a little rain to bring more fish in.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

     The lower river still remains the best option. Gear fishermen and Fly fishermen have their best chances to tie into a steelhead between Pink house and Lewiston.    

Report Date: 9-28-09

Report Week: 9-21-2009 - 9-28-2009

Last Week:   

     We received a lot of positive reports on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The fish are definitely moving up into the Clearwater. The nighttime temps have started to drop and has caused the river to cool down.

     We have been fishing between Pink House to Cherry Lane and doing okay. We have been picking up a lot of Jack Chinook and a 50/50 mix of A-run and B-run steelhead.  

South Fork:

    Probably wont see a fish until late November or December.

North Fork:

    No reports from anyone fishing the NF.

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper river is SKINNY.... The river is currently running at about 1000 cfs and 16.1 C. The flow and temperature is down from last week, but it is still too warm to pull very many fish up into the uppers stretches. We are getting a fish here and there, but nothing consistent. 

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The flow is currently 2780 cfs and running at 12.8 C. The fish are still a bit lethargic due to the warm water, but they are starting to bite.  

    Night fishing down at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater has been productive. The Stink Hole in front of Potlatch also yielded fair to good results.

    Pressure from Orofino to Lewiston has been picking up since the fishing has started to improve. There are fish scattered throughout the system from the North Fork Confluence down to Lewiston.  

This Coming Week:

    The cooling trend that we have been waiting for has finally showed up. We are suppose to have night time lows down in the 40's and the highs will be in the high 60's. There's a chance of some rain this week, so things should really start to change once we get a little water. 

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    Fish will continue to push up into the upper section of the river  now that the river temperature has started to drop. If we get the predicted rain this week a big push of fish should move throughout the entire river system. 

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The lower river is starting to fill up with fish. The entire lower section of the river should continue to improve and should yield fish throughout the week.

    Fish are likely to be holding under heavy chop in water 3 to 8 feet deep. Since the water is warm they will be looking for oxygen rich water.

    It is catch and release in the Main Clearwater. Since the water is warm do not take the fish out of water. The O2 levels are low and depriving them further is likely to kill the fish. 

Report Date: 9-21-09

Report Week: 9-13-2009 - 9-20-2009

Last Week:   

     Dworshak has been shutting down the flows over the past week. This has dropped the river significantly and has caused the water temp to rise. Lack of rain and HOT weather has not been ideal conditions for catching. On the other hand, we are looking at some very impressive numbers of fish. This past week we had about 48,000 steelhead over Lower Granite. We currently have a count of 127,000 steelhead over Lower Granite which is 3 times the 5 year average. Overall the catching has been fair.    

South Fork:

    Probably wont see a fish until late November or December.

North Fork:

    No reports from anyone fishing the NF.

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper river is SKINNY.... The river is currently running at about 1200 cfs and 18.1 C. There are a few fish up in the upper river, but not many. Only 1 or 2 boats out looking for fish.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The lower river is the best option. The flow is currently 3190 cfs and running at 14 C. This is a lower than normal and warmer than normal.

    Night fishing down at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater has been productive. The Stink Hole in front of Potlatch also yielded fair to good results.

    Pressure from Orofino to Lewiston has been low and results have been fair at best. There are fish scattered throughout the system from the North Fork Confluence down to Lewiston.  

This Coming Week:

    Day time highs are still predicted to be in the 80's and 90's, but the night time lows are down in the low 50's. There is a chance of showers next week and hopefully a couple days with some cloud cover.

    We need a shot of rain and some cooler weather. The number of fish crossing over Lower Granite is enough to get any Steelhead fisherman pumped up. This is going to be an amazing season, we just need the river to cool down.

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    Unless we get a burst of rain the upper river will remain a fishy ghost town. (unless your after small mouth bass)

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The number of fish coming into the system have to go somewhere and that will be between the confluence of the Snake and the North Fork.

    Fish are likely to be holding under heavy chop in water 3 to 8 feet deep. Since the water is warm they will be looking for oxygen rich water.

    It is catch and release in the Main Clearwater. Since the water is warm do not take the fish out of water. The O2 levels are low and depriving them further is likely to kill the fish. 

Once the weather cools down, watch out - It'll be FISH ON!

Report Date: 9/6/09 

     The numbers are still climbing. Over 500,000 Steelhead have crossed Bonneville Dam. The big push is on its way to the Clearwater. Lower Granite has seen 25,000 Steelhead already. The peak of the run should cross over Lower Granite September 20 to October 10.

     Early reports are good. A lot of Spey Anglers are finding success in the lower sections of the river.

Report Date: 8/30/09 

     435,868 Steelhead over Bonneville Dam.... that's right 435,868. The five year average has been 189,535. We are looking at a Columbia run that is over 2 times the average. Lower Granite Dam is higher than the average. This could shape up to be a phenomenal year.

      Spey anglers should have some great success since the water is 12 degrees C (53.6 F). We'll have more info once Tracy gets out there swinging flies.

Report Date: 3-2-2009

Report Week: 2-24-2009 - 3-1-2009

Last Week:   

     We finally got the rain that we were waiting for. The deluge of rain doubled the volume and a lot of the tribs were pumping mud for most of the week. We still found success fishing through the mud on the upper river, but we had to really work for 'em. By the end of the week the river was high and slightly off-color. Fishing is picking up again, but more rain is forecasted.  

South Fork:

    The South Fork came back into shape first after the rain and put out HUGE numbers of fish. It was hard to find a parking spot along the river. The harvest report was 4 hours per fish. There's a ton of fish in the system. Report Snaggers!!! 

North Fork:

    The North Fork fishery is pretty much complete. Not much to report here....

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The big push of water sucked the rest of the fish up. When the river came back into shape it fished great and we had pretty good success. Most drift boaters have been concentrating efforts between Clear Creek and Kamiah. We had a huge influx of fisherman over the week anticipating a pick up in the fishing. The harvest report was 7 hours per fish.

BE RESPECTFUL OF BOAT AND BANK ANGLERS!!!!!!!!!!

The Clearwater is typically a low pressure river, with the exception of the upper-river during spring season.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The lower river season is wrapping up, much like the North Fork. The lower river was mudded up all week. I didn't receive any reports for the lower river.

This Coming Week:

    We are suppose to get showers most of the week. It is pouring rain right now and the tribs are back on the rise. Fishing should maintain and even improve as the week goes on as long as the river doesn't blow out.

South Fork:

    Fishing has been great and will remain great through the week. There will be a lot of pressure, be respectful of other anglers. Report snaggers and leave paired-up fish alone. There are fish through-out the system. Don't trespass and ask permission before joining a group of anglers in a run. 

North Fork:

    Leave paired-up fish alone. Report Snaggers!    

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper-river is back up and slightly off-color. As long as the predicted precipitation isn't coming in the form of buckets the river should stay in pretty good shape and fishing should be good with some great days mixed in. The Upper-River will be the best option for those wanting to fish the main stem. When in Rome do as the Romans! If you go into a run and someone is already fishing that run, ask to join them and fish a similar fashion.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    This rain will suck the rest of the lower river fish up. Guys fishing the lower river will find success in tail outs and the heads of the run. The fish will be on the move.

Report Date: 2-24-2009

Report Week: 2-15-2009 - 2-24-2009

Last Week:   

     Warmer weather sparked some snow-melt and an increase in water temperature throughout the week. Fishing was great, but the catching was hit and miss. We seemed to be experiencing a good afternoon bite on most days. Early in the mornings fish were holding in the heads of the run and then the fishing pressure pushed them into the deeper slots. The fish were pretty spooky. We have been waiting for rain and finally received a BIG shot of it on Monday night. The river came up from about 3,000 cfs and is still on the rise at 5,400 cfs. It looks like this shot of rain is just the thing to get our last of the season "Hoo Rah" started.  

South Fork:

    The South Fork was running very low through the week. The river has been putting out fish, but it has been tough! The harvest report was 10 hours per fish, not a lot of change from a couple weeks ago. 

North Fork:

    The North Fork fishery is pretty much complete. Not much to report here....

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The fish have been stale for the past couple weeks. We are still caught fish, but really had to put in our time to find biters. Most drift boaters have been concentrating efforts between Kooskia and Long Camp. We had a huge influx of fisherman over the week anticipating a pick up in the fishing, but success was limited. The harvest report was 12 hours per fish.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The lower river season is wrapping up, much like the North Fork. Upper River fish were still present in the lower river waiting for the shot of rain that occurred on Monday night. The fishing report showed that this section of river was the best producer for effort put in with 9 hours per fish.

This Coming Week:

    This deluge of rain should revive some life into the fish. A lot of fish have been waiting for a rise in the river. The upper river will likely see some great catch rates once the river starts to drop back into shape and get that Steelhead Green ting in it. The South Fork has some color, the Upper River above Orofino has a slight mud tint and the Lower River is mudded up pretty good. The weather forecast calls for rain and cloudy weather all week. As long as it doesn't dump again we should be in great shape by the weekend. Watch the river level reports. I like the upper river between 3,000 - 5,000 cfs. Bait usually out performs during periods of off-color water. Bobber and bait or back-trolling will be good options. Boats anchored in choice positions could have great success. With off-color water work the soft sides of seams.   

South Fork:

    A lot of fish should move in and fishing could be really good. Report snaggers and leave paired-up fish alone. There are fish through-out the system. Don't trespass and ask permission before joining a group of anglers in a run. 

North Fork:

    Leave paired-up fish alone. Report Snaggers!    

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper-river is currently flowing at 5,480 cfs and rising near Orofino. Certain sections do not fish well when high, make sure to pick runs that can handle the increased volume of water. This rain should pull up a TON of fish. The river should be on the drop with-in a day and start to clear a little bit. We are expecting rain, but it hopefully wont be enough to maintain the river level above 4,500 cfs. When in Rome do as the Romans! If you go into a run and someone is already fishing that run, ask to join them and fish a similar fashion.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    This rain will suck the rest of the lower river fish up. Guys fishing the lower river will find success in tail outs and the heads of the run. The fish will be on the move.

Report Date: 2-15-2009

Report Week: 2-9-2009 - 2-15-2009

Last Week:   

    Low gin-clear water and the water temperature falling again made for some tough catching. Catch rates on the entire river fell off a bit due to cooler water and stale fish. Fish are now beginning to hold in the head and tail outs rather than the deep body water. We had our best luck catching fish between 11 am and 5 pm.  

South Fork:

    The South Fork is still putting out fish. As angling pressure has been pretty heavy a lot of the hatchery fish are being culled out. Fish are being caught throughout the system. The harvest report hasn't been updated, but I would assume that angling hours per fish has increased significantly from last week.

North Fork:

    I didn't receive any reports for the North Fork this past week. The flows are staying consistent for the most part, they have still been letting water out once and a while. There is no harvest report available at this time.    

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    Catch rates fell off from last week. We are still taking fish, but we really had to put in our time to find biters. Fish in the upper river are getting stale. The water temperature fell throughout the week and put the fish off. Most drift boaters have been concentrating efforts between Kooskia and Long Camp.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The lower river is past it's prime. That doesn't mean that those that know what they are doing won't get into fish, but overall the lower river season is wrapping up. Boats are spreading out a bit and pressure is being distributed between Cherry Lane and Slaughter House.

This Coming Week:

    The fishing the first part of the next week will remain tough, but we are expecting a little warmer weather and some rain at the end of the week and next. By the look of things it should spark some run-off and get things rolling again. Once the water temp comes back up to 3 C. the fish will start moving. The fish are starting to come out of their "wintering" mode and will be moving in the afternoons. We have starting using the 40-20-40 on most of the holes that we are fishing. BE SNEAKY!!!! These fish are wise, don't crowd on top of them, be quiet and use small presentations. Bobber and Jig/Bait, back trolling diver and baits, back trolling plugs and nymphing will have the best results. Increase leader length, use 8 to 10 lb line and consider Fluorocarbon and use small presentations. The main stem and all tribs are flowing gin clear, use a stealthy approach. 

South Fork:

    Until the river comes up fishing will get tougher and tougher. Hopefully the weather system that is on the way will bring the river up a little and spark new life in the system. Report snaggers and leave paired-up fish alone. There are fish through-out the system. Don't trespass and ask permission before joining a group of anglers in a run. Fishing will likely be best between first light and 2 pm. Fish the more popular holes first thing in the morning and then move onto less pressured runs in the afternoons.  

North Fork:

    This fishery is wrapping up. There will still be a couple more pushes of fish that come into the NF, but judging from the harvest reports the writing is on the wall. Leave paired-up fish alone.    

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper-river is currently flowing at 3,060 cfs near Orofino and gin clear. Fishing will be best between 11 am and 3 pm. The fishing should improve over the next week as temperatures rise. A lot of fish mean a lot of people. When in Rome do as the Romans! If you go into a run and someone is already fishing that run, ask to join them and fish a similar fashion. If in a boat, DO NOT run over their hole. The fish are getting a little skittish. 

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    Much like the NF, the lower river is wrapping up. Most lower river fishing is being done between Ahsahka and Peck. Fish fast, side-drift small baits. Move until you find fish that are on the take.

Report Date: 2-9-2009

Report Week: 2-2-2009 - 2-9-2009

Last Week:   

    Warm temperatures throughout the week kept the upper river flowing ice free. The river level continued to drop throughout the week and the water temperature increased. Catch rates on the entire river improved, however the fish in the high pressure areas are getting a little stale. The increase in water temperature has prompted some steelhead to start moving. Water temperatures are peaking around 11am - 3pm. Fish are now beginning to hold in the head and tail outs rather than the deep body water. 

South Fork:

    The South Fork is putting out good numbers of fish and a result of this is more angling pressure. Fish are being caught throughout the system. According to the harvest report it has taken about 5 hours of angling per fish. With more anglers on the river it will be harder to find solitude runs. Ask before entering a run.

North Fork:

    The North Fork flows are staying consistent for the most part, they have still been letting water out once and a while. According to the harvest report it has taken about 10 hours of angling per fish.   

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper river fishing came back this week. The warmer temperatures made for some productive fishing. The harvest report shows 8 hours of angling per fish. Seasoned Veterans are cutting that time in half or even better. 

    Most drift boaters have been concentrating efforts between Kooskia and Long Camp. The ice broke free on the runs between 5 Mile and Orofino, but fishing was not as productive as the upper stretches.

BE RESPECTFUL OF BOAT AND BANK ANGLERS!!!!!!!!!!

The Clearwater is typically a low pressure river, with the exception of the upper-river during spring season.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    Fishing picked back up on the lower river, but it is still only fair. The harvest report has 11 hours of angling per fish. The lower river is past it's prime. That doesn't mean that those that know what they are doing won't get into fish, but overall the lower river season is wrapping up. Boats are spreading out a bit and pressure is being distributed between Cherry Lane and Slaughter House.

This Coming Week:

    We are expecting some scattered snow and rain showers throughout the week, but nothing too serious. We shouldn't see any major changes in the river. The fish are starting to come out of their "wintering" mode and are moving during the afternoons. We have starting using the 40-20-40 on most of the holes that we are fishing. BE SNEAKY!!!! These fish are wise, don't crowd on top of them, be quiet and use small presentations. Bobber and Jig/Bait, back trolling diver and baits, back trolling plugs and nymphing will have the best results. I can't stress this enough.... As the water continues to drop and clear drop, increase leader length, use 8 to 10 lb line and consider Fluorocarbon and use small presentations. The main stem and all tribs are flowing gin clear, use a stealthy approach. 

South Fork:

    With no measurable precipitation on the way and high angling pressure, the fish are bound to get stale. Report snaggers and leave paired-up fish alone. There are fish through-out the system. Don't trespass and ask permission before joining a group of anglers in a run. Fishing will likely be best between first light and 2 pm. Fish the more popular holes first thing in the morning and then move onto less pressured runs in the afternoons.  

North Fork:

    This fishery is wrapping up. There will still be a couple more pushes of fish that come into the NF, but judging from the harvest reports the writing is on the wall. Leave paired-up fish alone.    

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper-river is currently flowing at 3,400 cfs near Orofino and gin clear. Good numbers of fish are being taken from Kooskia to Long Camp and that will continue. This section of river seems to be producing the best at first light and again between 11 am and 3 pm. A lot of fish mean a lot of people. When in Rome do as the Romans! If you go into a run and someone is already fishing that run, ask to join them and fish a similar fashion. If in a boat, DO NOT run over their hole. With gin-clear water and increasing water temperatures these fish are getting a little skittish. 

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    Much like the NF, the lower river is wrapping up. Catch rates came back from last week, however they will continue to decline from here. Most lower river fishing is being done between Ahsahka and Peck. Fish fast, side-drift small baits. Move until you find fish that are on the take.

Report Date: 2-2-2009

Report Week: 1-26-2009 - 2-2-2009

Last Week:   

    The cold snap at the first of last week put a lot of ice back on the river. Most of the ice was just shelf ice, but some parts of the upper river froze all the way across. The lower river below the North Fork stayed virtually ice free for most of the week. As temperatures increased through the week, ice jams on the Lochsa and Selway broke free causing slush and ice flows on the upper river. The river level came up a little bit due to run off. Catch rates remained fair to good throughout the entire river. Water temperatures are peaking around 11am - 3pm.  

South Fork:

    The pressure on the South Fork dropped a little bit this last week since there were large amounts of shelf ice. The South Fork is flowing low and clear. Fish are being caught throughout the system. According to the harvest report it has taken about 8 hours of angling per fish. This is a little longer from last week, primarily due to the cold temperatures and shelf ice.

North Fork:

    The North Fork flows are fluctuating each night/morning. The North Fork always flows clear and according to the harvest report it has taken about 11 hours of angling per fish.  

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper river fishing fell off this last week. The slush and ice coming down the river made it difficult to pursue our favorite fish. All the ramps are virtually ice free. The harvest report shows 14 hours of angling per fish. This is double the time from last week.    

    Most drift boaters have been concentrating efforts between Kooskia and Long Camp. Shelf ice and complete river freeze ups are keeping people off the Five Mile to Orofino runs.

BE RESPECTFUL OF BOAT AND BANK ANGLERS!!!!!!!!!!

The Clearwater is typically a low pressure river, with the exception of the upper-river during spring season.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    Fishing dropped off slightly on the lower river. The best options are still the Slaughter House, Pipe line, Pole Yard, Black Rock, Pink House and Magill. A nice pod of fish were found in the deeper runs above Cherry Lane. So it may still pay off to fish lower parts of the river.      

This Coming Week:

    Temperatures are starting to warm up and it isn't suppose to drop below freezing this week. We are expecting rain showers on Friday. The fish are still in "wintering" mode so continue to concentrate efforts on the deeper holding water. Fish are still holding in the body and upper tail outs. Bobber and Jig/Bait, back trolling diver and baits, back trolling plugs and nymphing will have the best results. I can't stress this enough.... As the water continues to drop and clear drop, increase leader length, use 8 to 10 lb line and consider Fluorocarbon and use small presentations. Overall the fishing will should improve slightly from last week, but it likely wont be GREAT, not yet anyways.... The main stem and all tribs are flowing gin clear, use a stealthy approach. 

South Fork:

    The South Fork should be almost ice free by mid-week.  There are fish through-out the system. Don't trespass and ask permission before joining a group of anglers in a run. Fishing will likely be best between first light and 2 pm. 

North Fork:

    Flows are fluctuating on the North Fork in the early mornings, watch the gauge station. The North Fork always flows clear and has a consistent temp. Most anglers are using bobber and jig/bait. The fish will continue to move into the North Fork through February.  

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper-river flows are in the window of what I consider "prime" fishing conditions. The river is currently flowing at 3,760 cfs near Orofino and gin clear. Good numbers of fish are being taken from Kooskia to Long Camp and that will continue. This section of river seems to produce best at first light and again between 11 am and 3 pm.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    Now that Ahsahka ramps are now accessible the Slaughter House and Pipe Line will offer the best fishing options. Most lower river fishing is being done between Ahsahka and Peck. Not much of a change since last week.         

Report Date: 1-26-2009

Report Week: 1-19-2009 - 1-25-2009

Last Week:   

    The river dropped back into shape and fishing has been good to great depending on who you talk to. Weather conditions were great through the week until Friday. We had snow and rain showers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. Sunday night was very cold.

South Fork:

    The South Fork has been fishing fair and flowing clear. Fish are being caught throughout the system. According to the harvest report it has taken about 6 hours of angling per fish.

North Fork:

    The North Fork flows are fluctuating each night/morning. The North Fork always flows clear and according to the harvest report it has taken about 10 hours of angling per fish.  

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper river has been fishing good. All the ramps are virtually ice free. The harvest report shows 7 hours of angling per fish. Seasoned Steelheaders are doing better than that.   

    Most drift boaters have been concentrating efforts between Kooskia and Long Camp. Five Mile and Gift Shop to Orofino have also been productive. BE RESPECTFUL OF BOAT AND BANK ANGLERS!!!!!!!!!! The Clearwater is typically a low pressure river, with the exception of the upper-river during spring season.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    Fishing also improved significantly on the lower-river this past week. The best fishing below Orofino has been between Ahsahka (Slaughter House) and Peck. The Slaughter House, Pipe line, Pole Yard, Black Rock, Pink House and Magill have been the best producers. With that said, there has been a few power-boaters fishing around Lenore and Cherry Lane.     

This Coming Week:

    We just experienced another cold snap and there is slush in the river. This cold snap is suppose to be short and sweet and after Tuesday the temperatures will be between 30 - 40 degrees. There will likely be snow and rain showers on Tuesday and Wednesday, but this precipitation should not change the river level. Concentrate efforts on the deeper holding water. Fish are still holding in the body and upper tail outs. Bobber and Jig/Bait, back trolling diver and baits, back trolling plugs and nymphing will have the best results. As the water continues to drop and clear drop, increase leader length, use 8 to 10 lb line and consider Fluorocarbon. 

South Fork:

    The South Fork will continue to fish fair. There are fish through-out the system. Don't trespass and ask permission before joining a group of anglers in a run. Fishing will likely be best between first light and 2 pm. 

North Fork:

    Flows are fluctuating on the North Fork in the early mornings, watch the gauge station. The North Fork always flows clear and has a consistent temp. Most anglers are using bobber and jig/bait. The fish will continue to move into the North Fork through February.  

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper-river flows are in the window of what I consider "prime" fishing conditions. The river is currently flowing at 3,770 cfs near Orofino. With the recent break up fishing should be great for another week or so on all upper-river sections. Good numbers of fish are being taken from Kooskia to Long Camp.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    Now that Ahsahka ramps are now accessible the Slaughter House and Pipe Line will offer the best fishing options. Most lower river fishing is being done between Ahsahka and Peck.         

Report Date: 1-19-2009

Report Week: 1-15-2009 - 1-18-2009

Last Week:   

    The river blew out and the upper-river ice broke free and fishing was shut down from the 8th to the 15th. The Upper-river fishing picked up significantly on Friday and is still putting up great number.

South Fork:

    The South Fork was high and off-color for most of last week. Fishing pressure was light during the week, but saw the most pressure so far this year this past weekend. Fish were being caught throughout the system.

North Fork:

    The North Fork flows are fluctuating each night/morning by 4,000 cfs. I didn't receive any fishing reports for this past week. The creel survey posted on January 11 showed very poor catch rates.

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper river was fishable by Wednesday the 16th but was still high. By Friday flows were down to 6,500 cfs at the Orofino gauge station and clarity was 2 feet.

    Most drift boaters were concentrating efforts between Kooskia and Long Camp. BE RESPECTFUL OF BOAT AND BANK ANGLERS!!!!!!!!!! The Clearwater is typically a low pressure river, with the exception of the upper-river during spring season.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    The best fishing below Orofino was between Ahsahka (Slaughter House) and Peck. The Slaughter House, Pipe line, Pole Yard, Black Rock, Pink House and Magill have been the best producers.     

This Coming Week:

    The weather forecast calls for good weather all the way through the week. Concentrate efforts on the deeper holding water. Fish are still holding in the body and upper tail outs. Bobber and Jig/Bait, back trolling diver and baits, back trolling plugs and nymphing will have the best results.  

South Fork:

    The South Fork has dropped into shape and is filling up with fish. There are fish through-out the system. Fishing should be great through this week. Don't trespass and ask permission before joining a group of anglers in a run.

North Fork:

    Flows are fluctuating on the North Fork in the early mornings, watch the gauge station. The North Fork always flows clear and has a consistent temp. Dworshak Fish Hatchery will be spawning steelhead this week. 

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The upper-river flows are in the window of what I consider "prime" fishing conditions. The river is currently flowing at 4,990 cfs near Orofino with a light steelhead green. With the recent break up fishing should be great for the next week or two on all upper-river sections. Good numbers of fish are being taken from Kooskia to Long Camp.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    Now that Ahsahka ramps are now accessible the Slaughter House and Pipe Line will offer the best fishing options. Most lower river fishing is being done between Ahsahka and Peck. Remember that the Peck ramp will be closing February and to start using the alternate, Harpers.

Report Date: 1-14-2009

Report Week: 1-5-2009 - 1-14-2009

    Sorry for the late report. I had to run down to SE Idaho for a couple days.... Better late than never I guess.

    There has almost been no fishing for the reported dates. There was more rain and warmer weather than predicted. The high temperatures caused a large run off and resulted in a blow out. All the up-river ice jams broke loose and the river peaked on the 9th at about 19,000 cfs at the Peck gauging station.    

    The North Fork was the only option, but the fishing was very tough.

    Prior to the blow out the fishing was fair.  

Forecast:

South Fork:

    The South Fork is still high and has reduced visibility. We are suppose to stay dry and most of the snow has melted. The South Fork should be fishing good by the weekend. Creel surveys were very poor last week and it is still a little early. There are fishing moving into the system, concentrate on the deeper pools.

North Fork:

    They are fluctuating the flow on the North Fork in the early mornings, watch the gauge station. The North Fork always flows clear and has a consistent temp. There are fish in the system, it's just a matter of giving them a presentation that they haven't seen for awhile.

Upper River: (Above Orofino)

    The river is dropping back down into shape and is currently flowing at 7,760 cfs near Orofino. It has been dropping at a rate of 1,000 cfs per day. In my opinion the river fishes best between 2,500 and 5,000 cfs per the Orofino gauging station.

Now that the upper river ice jams are out, all upper river floats are options now. Most of the upper river boat ramps have thick shelf ice making launching and takeouts a bit tough, but it should be worth the hassle (take rope). The main stem above Orofino should fish great by this weekend.

Lower River: (Below Orofino)

    Lolo and Orofino Creek are pumping mud and reducing visibility in the lower river. Most lower river fishing is being done between Pink House and Peck. Remember that the Peck ramp will be closing next month and to start using the alternate, Harpers.

    The weather forecast calls for good weather all the way through the weekend. Concentrate efforts on the deeper holding water. Roe, Shrimp and shrimp-tipped jigs will be the best producers. Guys fishing from boats will likely have the best luck side-drifting the deeper holes and bank anglers should arm themselves with bobber and jigs. High concentration of bank anglers will be found at the Pole Yard at the North Fork and Clearwater confluence, the Magill hole and now that the ice is out Button Beach. Remember that the North Fork Clearwater flow is regulated by Dworshak and is always a viable fishing option.  

Report Date: 1-4-2009

Report Week: 12-28-08 to 1-4-009

    The Clearwater River area had mild weather conditions during the first part of the week, but it didn't last. A good amount of precipitation on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday brought the river up from 4750 cfs to 6600 cfs, peaking early Saturday morning. This rise in the river made fishing a little more difficult due to a lot of shelf ice breaking off and floating down the river. Side-drifting and Bobber and Jig were the only options since ice and back-trolling don't mix well.   

    The Creel surveys reported 8 hours of angling per fish on the Main Stem of the Clearwater and North Fork. Most guide boats are averaging 4 angler hours per fish.

Forecast:

    The river is dropping back down into shape and is currently flowing at 5500 cfs with a steelhead green color. More rain is on the way during the front half of the week which will likely bring the river up a little again. There's still a couple inches of snow (slush) on the ground and with temperatures in the high 30's and low 40's the snow melt will also keep the river level up.

    The forecast calls for good weather (partly sunny) this next Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The river should start to subside by mid week and be in great condition by Saturday. This will be a great time to hit the river and catch a Clearwater River B-Run steelhead.

     Concentrate efforts on the deeper holding water. Roe, Shrimp and shrimp-tipped jigs will be the best producers. Guys fishing from boats will likely have the best luck side-drifting the deeper holes and bank anglers should arm themselves with bobber and jigs. High concentration of bank anglers will be found at the Pole Yard at the North Fork and Clearwater confluence and the Magill hole. Remember that the North Fork Clearwater flow is regulated by Dworshak and is always a viable fishing option.