Steelhead angler effort dropped considerably on the upper Salmon River over the last week as colder weather moved into the area, but average catch rates remained good. The majority of angler effort was once again observed downstream of North Fork in location codes 14 and 15. Anglers iterviewed downstream of the Middle Fork in location code 14 averaged 27 hours per steelhead caught and 127 hours per steelhead kept. Interviewed anglers downstream of North Fork in location code 15 averaged 16 hours per steelhead caught and 26 hours per steelhead kept. Upstream of North Fork in location code 16, interviewed anglers averaged 15 hours per steelhead caught and 16 hours per steelhead kept. Angler effort upstream of the Lemhi River in location code 17 was low, and anglers in this area averaged 6 hours per steelhead caught or kept.
Currently the Salmon River is flowing at 1,540 cfs through the town of Salmon, ID which is 120% of average for today’s date. Water temperatures on Sunday were in the mid to upper 30s, and the river’s visibility was clear. - Brent Beller, Salmon Region Fisheries Technician