I was told by one of your Pahsimeroi Hatchery employees that steelhead do not run up the Salmon River (Salmon, Challis, Stanley area) in the Fall. So don't bother fishing for them. Is that so?
Answer:
Steelhead do run to the Pahsimerio/Challis/Salmon area in the late fall. Typically, we start to receive reports of steelhead being caught in the upper Salmon in late October/early November. Most people fish the lower Salmon River in the fall (October in Riggins is my favorite fishing time) and the upper Salmon in the spring.
River conditions do play a large part on when they arrive in the upper Salmon country. If the water cools in the Snake River early in the year, then the fish will move up the Snake and Salmon and arrive in October. If the water remains warm into September, the fish will not enter the Snake River and their migration is delayed.
Answered on:
Wednesday, August 6, 2014 - 8:18 PM MDT