Salmon River Fishing Report

12 February--The Deadwater ice jam near North Fork, always a landmark for spring steelhead fising in the Salmon area, is between one and two miles long--upper end is a little ways above the Deadwater campground. I would expect it to go out this week. Day temperatures have been in the 30s and low 40s but very little sun--which would warm the river. The head of the jam this year reached only to Kriley Gulch, between Red Bluff and Fourth of July, so all the ramps upstream including Red Bluff, remained ice-free. Ramps downstream have not had ice knocked out even though the river is open well below North Fork.

Boats are out, fish are being caught, though weather is cool enough that getting an early start isn't a lot of fun. There have been some very pleasant afternoons.

30 January 2012

We had February in January this year. There were many days of slush ice in the river in December and January in the Salmon area, but the Deadwater ice jam (so far) did not extend upstream from Kriley Gulch, just below the Red Bluff access. In the Salmon area, the boat ramps are clear down through Red Bluff, and the river is clear of ice bridges from the Pahsimeroi to Red Bluff. Today the river was open below 4th July access, but the ramp was blocked with ice. The ice canyon begins at Kriley Gulch. There are days with slush ice, but also days without. Locals are catching some fish. Scheduling a trip this time of year would depend mostly on the overnight low temperature. If the low is in the 20s in the Salmon area, there probably won't be ice flowing.

There was a change in fishing regulations, to allow trout fishing on the Middle Fork of the Salmon in the spring, before the traditional Memorial opener. Since the Middle Fork is catch-and-release anyway, this change was an obvious correction--though it took a long time.

Last year the chukar season opener was delayed to 1 October, but this year the F&G commission has returned to the traditional 3rd Saturday in September opener--which this year is 15 September. We have a trip starting on the Middle Fork on 23 September, which allows chukar hunting along with trout fishing. On the Lower Salmon, we prefer to wait until after the first of October for better steelhead fishing.

Ice flows down the river most days, so fishing is on hold. Usually we get some winter days that are ice-free, but we haven't had many this winter. Temperatures have not been bitter cold, but still have been cold enough to keep the ice coming. There was an ice jam on the north edge of Salmon that blocked floating from Salmon to Carmen, but that cut out, so on a moderate, ice-free day that section could be accessed, as well as the next couple of sections downstream. The head of the Deadwater ice jam is still below Tower Creek.

8 November 2011: cloudy overnight, morning air temperature in upper 20s, river temperature 37 degrees. Yesterday had two fishermen, landed two, lost three steelhead. The night had been clear, air temperature in teens, river at 32 in am, warming to 36 in pm. Calm, sunny day, comfortable on the river, but in the shadows of evening, air temp below freezing, anchor rope freezing up, etc. Overnight cloud cover held air and river temperature up. Forecast for the next few days is for night temps in the 20s, which means we should have a few more days of fishing. Clear nights at this time of year will probably bring slush ice floating down the river.

3 November 2011: river 35 degrees in am, 38 in pm, clear, may have dropped slightly. Yesterday was a cold morning, in the teens, but air temperature in the mid-20s this morning. Two fishermen, mostly plugs, landed two steelhead, lost another, and missed another bite. Nice fish, both 29-30 inches. Nice day, mostly sunny, and the forecasted wind did not appear. Not many people on the river, as is usual in mid-week. Still some leaves on the trees, but not a problem with leaves in the river today. Not a lot more time before ice comes.

31 October: Two fishermen today, some wind and a raw afternoon. Hooked seven steelhead, only got one in the boat, couldn't seem to hang on to them. River 42 degrees in am, 43 in afternoon, river clear, some leaves in the river, not as many as a couple days ago.

Two fishermen landed five steelhead, lost a couple, 2-3 other hits. Morning cool, 20 degrees, clear, river 40 degrees in am, 42 in pm.

river 42 degrees in am, 46 in afternoon, clear, has dropped a little in the last few day. Cottonwoods have peaked in color, leaves loosening, light breeze putting some leaves in river, making a nuisance. Two fishermen landed two steelhead, lost three, with 3-4 more probable bites.

River 45 degrees in am, 49 at end of day, slightly higher and darker from Sunday's rain, but not to amount to anything. Two fishermen, Salmon area,using plugs, total of a dozen hits,four fish landed, four more on the rod but lost. Largest landed about 28 inches. Beautiful, clear, day, cottonwoods starting to turn yellow, some snow on the peaks.

Two fishermen today, landed two, lost four, all in the morning. The afternoon was dead. River 48 degrees in the morning, 52 in the afternoon. After last summer's high water, many runs have changed, gravel bars shifted. Not many fishermen on the river.