Steelhead fishing on the Clearwater River has remained good over the past week. Catch rates from the mouth to Orofino Bridge (Section 3) and in the North Fork Clearwater River (Section 5) have remained below 10 hrs/fish caught. As we’ve said before, anytime those catch rates are below 10 hrs/fish it’s good steelhead fishing. Most shoreline anglers are using bobber and jig techniques while boat anglers are using a variety of techniques including side drifting, bobber and jig, and back trolling.
Conditions on the mainstem Clearwater River above Orofino have remained tough for fishing. Sections of the river are open but large shelf ice is lining the shore. In addition, other locations have significant ice buildup on the river. So the best fishing opportunities are still in the mainstem below the North Fork Clearwater or in the North Fork Clearwater.