Salmon Region Fishing Outlook

Impressively high water levels late this spring put a bit of a damper on the beginning of the fishing season. High, fast water carrying debris from sticks to large trees has made fishing in area rivers and tributaries downright dangerous. But anglers anxious to do some fishing, especially families with children are encouraged to spend some time fishing area ponds. Hayden, Hyde, and Kid's Creek ponds near Salmon and Blue Mountain Pond in Challis all offer great fishing opportunities. Each pond is stocked regularly with catchable rainbow trout making them ideal locations for young anglers to try their luck. Add a picnic lunch and some lawn chairs and families have an ideal weekend outing. More adventurous anglers or those with older children might want to try fishing at William's Lake. Over the past few years the water quality in the lake has been stable. This has allowed for good survival and growth of the native rainbow trout in the lake. Ice fishermen caught nice plump trout in the 13 - 20 inch range this winter and springtime anglers have reported similar-sized or even larger fish being caught. Fishing conditions are expected to continue to be good until the mid-summer heat causes water temperatures to rise. High mountain lakes always offer great fishing opportunities. The Salmon Region has many of these lakes, some accessible by vehicle and others requiring some hiking to reach. Currently, most of our high mountain lakes are still inaccessible due to snow. Anglers should check with their local Forest Service office to find out about lake access. Once river levels begin to recede, anglers can begin to check out fishing conditions in area rivers and tributaries. Fishing in both the Lemhi and Pahsimeroi rivers is expected to be slower than usual as the effects of the lengthy drought impact native fish. Fisheries biologists hope that this year's high water in the Lemhi and Pahsimeroi will improve conditions for native fish. This summer, anglers should try fishing when the water temperatures are cooler and the fish more active such as early morning and in the evening. Access to both of these rivers can be difficult so anglers need to remember to ask for landowner permission for access across private land. However, fishing access along the Pahsimeroi River will get easier with Fish and Game's acquisition of the nearly 200-acre Pahsimeroi River Wildlife Management Area (formerly the Moen Ranch). This area will protect an extensive river habitat corridor and provide river access to anglers in the near future. Signage will soon be placed to mark the property boundaries. Anglers venturing into the Middle Fork of the Salmon River for catch-and-release fishing for cutthroat trout should have ideal fishing conditions once high water has subsided. The above-average runoff is expected to leave good to excellent conditions for fishing. Fishermen on the main Salmon River between the East Fork of the Salmon River and the Pahsimeroi River may find some good catch-and-release fishing for cutthroat and wild rainbow trout when water conditions improve. This river section generally supports good fishing overall, especially during the earlier parts of the season before water temperatures increase in mid-to-late summer. Closer to the Stanley Basin, anglers can try their luck on hatchery rainbow trout in the deeper pools and runs along Highway 75. All anglers need to remember that only adipose fin-clipped hatchery rainbow trout may be kept in the main Salmon River. Before heading out for a day's fishing, anglers should carefully read the fishing regulations pertaining to the area in which they want to fish to determine any special regulations or restrictions. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Salmon Regional Fish and Game office 756-2271. As they say, "a bad day's fishing is better than a good day at work" so why not get out this summer and take advantage of some of our region's great fishing opportunities.