Steelhead Fishing Report

Steelhead Fishing on the Grande Ronde River

An Unforgettable Fishing Adventure

Set out on an extraordinary float down the remote Grande Ronde River in search of Steelhead—a bucket-list experience for anglers and adventure seekers alike. This scenic stretch of river offers stunning views, with rolling hills teeming with wildlife like deer, elk, and wild turkeys.

From Cougar Creek to Boggan’s Oasis, this section of the river boasts some of the best Steelhead fishing opportunities around. Known for its high catch rates, the route even passes by the Cottonwood Creek Hatchery, a well-known hotspot for anglers.

Whether you’re drawn to the thrill of the catch or the serene beauty of the landscape, this trip promises an adventure you’ll never forget.

2024 Hatchery Steelhead Return in the Clearwater River Basin

Data from the Clearwater River basin indicates a promising return of hatchery steelhead this year, potentially the largest since PIT tags were first introduced. With the run currently estimated to be only 14% complete, projections suggest it could reach around 47,000 fish.

To illustrate how this year’s steelhead return compares to previous years, the IDFG has created the following chart. This chart has been provided by Joe Dupont from the IDFG, and is based on PIT tag detections at Bonneville Dam over the past 13 years. In the chart, the solid red line represents the number of fish that have passed Bonneville Dam to date (as of August 27), while the dotted red line shows the projected number of fish expected to cross the dam (assuming 75% of the run is complete).

According to the data, over 21,000 hatchery steelhead destined for the upper Salmon, Little Salmon, and Snake rivers have passed over Bonneville Dam as of August 27, 2024, with the total run projected to reach around 30,000 fish. If this projection holds true, it would mark the best return since 2016, surpassing the returns of the past seven years.

Clearwater River Fishing Report Predictions for 2024

Snake River Fall Chinook Season

Mark your calendars for August 18th through October 14th, when the Snake River Fall Chinook season kicks off! Anglers can anticipate thrilling fishing with a generous limit of three adult Chinook, whether clipped or unclipped. Don’t miss your chance to reel in these magnificent giants!

Catch & Keep Steelhead Adventures | Snake and Clearwater River

Starting September 1st, immerse yourself in our Catch & Keep Steelhead excursions on the lower Clearwater and Snake Rivers, especially around the confluence. If you’re more inclined towards catch & release, join us on the Clearwater River upstream during August and early September. Steelhead harvesting on the main Clearwater River opens on September 10th and continues until October 14th, with a reopening on November 10th. For catch & release enthusiasts, the three-week closure period offers exceptional angling opportunities with the formidable B-runs!

Exceptional Steelhead Counts for 2024

This year, Steelhead counts at Bonneville Dam have reached impressive highs not seen in years! A-run figures have nearly doubled compared to last year, and the B-run forecast is more robust than we’ve witnessed in a long time, with an anticipated 32,200 B-run Steelhead. Such remarkable numbers promise fantastic fishing experiences on our cherished Clearwater River.

Clearwater River Fishing Report Predictions for 2024

Over the past month, we have been consistently catching an average of 6 Steelhead per day, with an even split between hatchery and wild fish.

There have been a few exceptional days where we’ve caught double digits. It appears that there are abundant fish in the system, and we are eagerly awaiting the ideal conditions to prompt a more active bite.

Last year, this occurred around the beginning of January and continued for several weeks, resulting in double digit catches daily. Currently, we are primarily side drifting, but we are incorporating trolling when necessary.

Fishing Remains Stellar on the Clearwater River

We have experienced one of the best steelhead seasons in 20 years. River temps are currently on the rise as we are experiencing a warming trend causing a bit of snow to melt.

This is usually a signal for the steelhead to move into the Clearwater and make their way towards Orofino Idaho and Dworshak national fish hatchery. February is poised to be possibly our best month for fish catch rates.

We provide poles, bait, and tackle and look forward to 8 hours of fishing.

17 Steelhead Landed Between 2 Reel Time boats.

Fishing on the Clearwater River has continued to be great. We are picking up a lot of fish in the lower and middle sections of the river which is a good sign for what is to come in January & February.

There seems to be a lot of fish willing to play, we have started to slowly transfer over to drifting with great results. The river is incredibly quiet and should remain that way until after the 1st of the year. January & February are going to be excellent catching!

October Provided Some Epic Steelhead Fishing

October provided some epic catching, some of the best our guides have been a part of in more than 5 years. The catch & release season provided all our guests with opportunities to land some chunky B-run’s. Many days with catch rates into the teens and some into the 20’s.

As we continue to fish during the harvest season which opened Oct 15th, catch rates have dropped some due to increased traffic and currently we are working through our first cold snap that has dropped the water temps 4-5 degrees this week. We are still seeing 5-12 hook ups a day. A warming trend is in the forecast and we expect the fish to become more active again in the coming week. The entire river is full of fish as all our guides have noted “rollers” in almost every fishing hole. Traffic generally calms around the holidays, which makes for better opportunities to get in while the river is a little quieter.

The fish this year are beefier and fatter than what we’ve seen in years past. We have measured some 38″ that scaled out at 20 pounds. Usually, Steelhead don’t hit the 20-pound mark until they are at least 40″ long.

Grab some buddies or family and come on down to the Clearwater River near Lewiston to get in on this great steelhead season. Click the button below to book:

Steelhead Fishing Report on the Clearwater River

Big & bright Clearwater River Steelhead on the bite right now!

Our fleet has been fishing the Clearwater River exclusively the past couple of weeks for this year’s great run of B-run Steelhead. During the harvest season which ended Oct 14th, the river was crowded, and we were very busy, however our guides were managing to put our guests on some nice fish. Now that we have fallen into our new Catch & Release season, traffic on the river has diminished substantially and Steelhead have continued to pour into the river. The past few days our boats have hooked into 10+ Steelhead each every day. We have been seeing some absolute brutes this year!!

Don’t miss out on this great time of year. The catch & release season always provides us with the best action of the year. If you are wanting to harvest, we still have room after the harvest season reopens Nov. 10th.