Steelhead Fishing Guides

angler with steelhead
fisherman holding a steelhead
steelhead caught in clearwarter river

A Steelhead Fishing Experience You Won’t Forget

You may even see 20 or more strikes in just one day.

If you’re looking to challenge yourself with a high-stakes steelhead fishing experience, then look no further than the Clearwater River! Known for its massive 10-20lb fish, this river is one of the best on Earth. Our experienced guides will help navigate your way through 40 miles of rocky structures and gravel bars–so be prepared for some serious action!

You may even see 20 or more strikes in just one day—who knows what kind of record might be broken!? With Reel Time Fishing’s six full-time local guides from Lewiston to Orofino Idaho, we have every type of tackle so that nobody misses out on any early season surprises. Get ready for an epic adventure worthy legend status!!

The Clearwater are a relatively shallow river with rocky structure and gravel bars making drifting bait the primary method of fishing here. It is not uncommon for our guides to put your group onto 20 or more Steelhead in a day!!

Our six full-time guides will cover a 40-mile section of the river beginning in Lewiston, Idaho, and extending into the town of Orofino, Idaho. Reel Time Fishing is one of the few outfitters whose guides will fish every inch of the 40 miles of river, allowing us to follow the fish around and have a strategic advantage in the early season when the fish are spread throughout the river system. Winding through Idaho’s backcountry we also fish the entrance to Hell’s Canyon on the Snake River for Fall and Winter Steelhead.

Book Your Steelhead Trip Today!

It’s hard to describe the feeling when you land the biggest steelhead of your life.

Drop a line in the beautiful Heller Bar on the Snake River and get ready for an action packed day! These steelhead are not to be reckoned with – they’ll put on quite a show as you chase their long, screaming runs. An average of 5-8lbs makes them deceptively strong and there’s always that chance of landing one 10+ pounder. Thankfully your fishing guide at Reel Time Fishing knows every piece of this river like the back of his hand so he can help increase those odds even further. Plus, all gear is provided, along with an awesome BBQ lunch and filleting services after, sounds pretty sweet right?

Steelhead season begins in August. The A-run (4 to 10lb fish) is running strong, the weather is nice, the water is warm and the fish are scrappy.  This time of year you will experience the best fight a steelhead has to offer.  In early October the B-run (10 lb. plus fish) begin to trickle in and will grow in numbers all through the winter.

Tens of thousands of fish migrate each year to the Snake River, Clearwater, Salmon, Grande Ronde rivers and many other small tributaries.  This is our busy time of year as we run up to six boats and spend most of our time fishing the lower Clearwater and the Snake River near Heller Bar.  We are blessed to have the largest concentration of Steelhead in the world.  April signifies the end of the Steelhead season.

Our Amazing Fishing Guide Reviews

Based on 93 reviews
Kimberly Kempton
Kimberly Kempton
January 27, 2023
I had the best time steelhead fishing on the Clearwater with Captain Jim from Reel Time Fishing. He put us on the fish and we were able to bring in all that we caught. He was very professional and accommodating in every way. He made us a great hot lunch each day. We back trolled and side drifted and had so much fun bringing in all those beautiful fish. We stayed at the Lenore Lodge which was 3 mins from the launch. The lodge had 10 beds and an awesome game room. It was very clean and comfortable. I do suggest Reel Time Fishing for an epic trip and I will definitely return for more fishing.
J RAND LOTHSPEICH
J RAND LOTHSPEICH
January 27, 2023
Just spent the last two days fishing with Jim our guide- fantastic time!!! I have caught in the neighbourhood of 40 steelhead in my life time and I caught the two biggest on this trip 37” 14lbs- perfect boat great equipment- we also stayed at the lodge in Lenore perfect
Michael Pickren
Michael Pickren
October 18, 2022
I highly recommend Jeff at Real Time Guides who put us on some outstanding fish both days we were here.
Ashleigh Schultz
Ashleigh Schultz
October 10, 2022
Great time with Jim Carter, Again! fantastic day on the river!
Larry Meier
Larry Meier
September 27, 2022
They treat you well and provide alot and share secret spots
Ken Gutowski
Ken Gutowski
September 20, 2022
Great trip,Travis worked super hard to get our salmon!
Jason Person
Jason Person
August 27, 2022
We fished a half day for Sturgeon with Jeff and had a great trip. Caught 3 Sturgeon and one was really nice (7'6"). Boat and equipment were top notch. Definitely would book with Reel Time again. Don't be afraid to book with them, the price is right and the guides know what they are doing. Thanks for the great trip.
Monica Jaeger
Monica Jaeger
July 15, 2022
Had an amazing time with Shane! Very experienced and knew exactly where to go. Well worth the time and money. If we lived closer we would book again!
Colton Malone
Colton Malone
June 16, 2022
Great time with great people! The Clearwater was high and supposedly blown out but our guide, Jeff, still put us on some great fish and we tagged out in 3 hours! Definitely coming back.

Frequently Asked Questions about our fishing trips

HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN I BRING ON MY TRIP?

The legal max boatload is six anglers, but with six full time guides available we are able to accommodate large groups of more than six people.

IS LUNCH/DRINKS PROVIDED ON MY TRIPS?

We do provide a BBQ lunch and drinks on all Clearwater, Snake, and Dworshak trips. Lunch and drinks ARE NOT provided on any of our Columbia River or Grande Ronde river trips.

HOW MANY HOURS ARE WE ON THE WATER?

Look forward to at least 8 hours of fishing unless you book a half day trip, then look forward to 4 hours of fishing

DO YOU PROVIDE ALL THE GEAR WE NEED TO FISH?

Yes, each guide is fully equipped with top-notch rods, reels and bait to ensure success on your trip.

DO I NEED TO PRE-PAY OR PLACE A DEPOSIT DOWN TO HOLD MY SPOT?

We require a 50% deposit at the time of booking, final payment must be made in full 10 days prior to your trip. We do not offer refunds for cancellations or head-count changes made inside 10 days of your trip.

DO YOU CLEAN AND FILLET OUR CATCH?

Yes, all of our guides will clean and fillet your catch unless otherwise specified.