Upper Salmon River Fall 2024 Steelhead Fishing Update (9-30-2024)

Hi everyone, October is nearly here, which means that steelhead fishing will soon start to pick up on the Upper Salmon River. Based on the number of phone calls we’ve already received, there is more excitement around this year’s steelhead run then we’ve had in quite a few years, so we thought now would be a good time to update anglers on how the steelhead return to the Upper Salmon River is shaping up. 

USR Steelhead Run

Based on PIT-tag estimates at Bonneville Dam, the number of adipose-clipped steelhead returning to Upper Salmon River will be the most since Fall 2015 (see figure below). The run is almost complete at Bonneville Dam for the Pahsimeroi and Sawtooth hatchery groups, and we’re currently estimating that 5,959 Pahsimeroi and 14,797 Sawtooth adipose-clipped steelhead have passed Bonneville Dam so far. There’s also an estimated 1,922 adipose-clipped B-run steelhead from the Yankee Fork Salmon River. When you add those groups together, there are an estimated 22,678 adipose-clipped steelhead currently headed towards the Upper Salmon River. How many of these steelhead make it up here will depend on how well they survive (or convert) between Bonneville and Lower Granite dams. During the most recent five years, approximately 82% of USR adipose-clipped steelhead estimated at Bonneville Dam make it upstream of Lower Granite Dam, so hopefully we will see a similar rate this year. 

Another aspect of this year’s steelhead run that should excite anglers is that the average size will be larger. This year’s run consists of ~80% two-ocean steelhead and 20% one-ocean steelhead. When this has happened in previous years, we observed a significant increase in the average size of steelhead.

The last thing we wanted to mention about this year’s steelhead return is the run timing. So far, passage timing at Lower Granite Dam is similar to last year which should translate into an average fall on the USR as far as run timing goes. For those that do not have much experience fishing the USR, during an average year we typically start to hear of some steelhead being caught by mid to late September, and the fishery really starts to kick-in by mid-October. Once we get into November, it’s the weather that limits the fishery more than anything. If temperatures remain above freezing and the river stays ice free through November, then the fishing typically keeps improving as more steelhead arrive to the USR. It’s a gamble to wait too long though and risk the weather turning, so we always recommend that anglers at least get their first trip in before mid-November.

New Rapid below Owl Creek

If you are an angler that likes to fish downstream of Panther Creek, then we want to make you aware of some significant changes that took place this summer along the river. In mid-July, several gulches blew out between Owl Creek and Colson Creek during a large thunderstorm. The river road was quickly repaired, but the blowout at Skull Gulch (~1.1 miles downstream of Owl Creek) created a new rapid in an area that was never difficult to float before (pictures below). We recommend that anglers scout this rapid before floating downstream of Owl Creek. Since this rapid is new, it will likely continue to change as river flows fluctuate throughout the fall. 

That’s all we have for this week’s update. Creel personnel will start interviewing anglers this coming weekend, so hopefully we will have more information next week. In the meantime, if you have questions or would like additional information then please give the Salmon Regional Office a call at (208) 756-2271.