Ask Fish & Game: Salmon River Steelhead

Q: When can I expect to start seeing some steelhead showing up in the Salmon River? A: There are likely some steelhead trickling into the Salmon River right now, and from here, numbers should slowly rise. During the last week of August, the number of steelhead passing Lower Granite Dam near Lewiston was consistently around 170 per day. On Monday September 1, more than 700 steelhead were counted at Lower Granite. Very few anglers get excited about fishing the Salmon River for steelhead until October, but some die-hard steelhead fanatics start fishing the lower Salmon in September, and have limited success. By November, anglers from Riggins to Salmon will be busy pursuing steelhead.