Clearwater Region Fishing Information

Winter Fishing Report Please see General Regional Information - Winter 2010 below. Weekly reports will return in the spring. Check out our Family Fishing Waters section with family-oriented fishing opportunities and simplified rules. Anglers must have a valid 2010 license and are reminded to check the fishing rules brochure for any restrictions and limits.

General Regional Information - Winter 2010

Just because it's winter and the weather is cold doesn't mean you have to put your steelhead gear away. In fact, some of the best catch rates of the year come in the winter as fish stop migrating and swim for deeper, slower water. Winter steelheading also means less fishing pressure as fair weather anglers hang it up until spring.

The Snake, Salmon, and the Clearwater rivers can all provide excellent winter steeheading. The diversity of opportunities is outstanding, ranging from drifting a bobber from the levees in downtown Lewiston to backcountry jet boating to a secret hole in the heart of the Salmon River Canyon.

All Idaho steelhead are summer run fish, which means they leave the ocean in the late summer. The bulk of these fish arrive in Idaho by early fall. They will then spend the winter in the Snake, Salmon and Clearwater Rivers, and spawn the following spring.

Fish managers have broadly grouped Idaho steelhead into two run types, which we have termed A-run, and B- run. A-run steelhead originate mainly from the Snake and Salmon rivers and typically spend one year in the ocean, returning as 5 to 10 pound adults. B-run fish originate primarily from the Clearwater River, and typically spend two to three years in the ocean, returning as 10 to 20 pound adults.

Steelhead run records were broken last year with 312,000 steelhead counted at Lower Granite Dam, the first downriver dam on the Snake River below Lewiston. This number was double the average for the last ten years and easily broke the modern-day record of 262,000 fish counted in 2001.

The only negative for 2010, is that the run is predominately the smaller, A-run fish bound for the Snake, Salmon, and Little Salmon rivers. The B-run, bound mostly for the Clearwater River, is down considerably from last year. Estimates are that the B-run numbers will be about half of the previous ten year's average of 30,000 fish. However, we have seen excellent winter and spring fishing in years with similar counts so don't let those numbers keep you indoors. A lot of these big fish overwinter in the Snake and Clearwater rivers in and around Lewiston, and can provide great fishing right in town through March.

By late December, steelhead are distributed throughout the region: in the Clearwater from Lewiston upstream to Kooskia, the Snake upstream to Hell's Canyon Dam, and throughout the Salmon River. Winter steelhead fishing usually means deep water, slow presentation, and small lures. This time of year you will find most anglers drifting eggs or shrimp, jigs and bobbers, and slowly backtrolling plugs.

If you decide to give winter steelheading a try, please remember to dress for the weather and be mindful of slippery rocks and slippery boat decks. Wearing a life jacket is also a good idea, even for bank anglers. And remember, an unexpected fall into near freezing water can quickly become a life-threatening experience.

Because of the very large A-run this year, the daily bag limit for steelhead has been raised to 5, (with the stipulation that only 3 can be greater than 32-inches) on the Snake, Salmon and Little Salmon rivers. The reason for the 32-inch rule is that most B-run steelhead are longer than 32 inches. On the Clearwater, the limit will remain unchanged at 3 per day for the spring season which began January 1, 2010. The statewide season limit has also been raised to 40 fish for the fall 2009 season, with the stipulation that only 20 of those fish can come from the Clearwater.

Before you go, take a look at the steelhead regulations and especially remember the "Big Three":

• Pinch your barbs down on all hooks you use
• Immediately release any steelhead you catch with an unclipped adipose fin
• Immediately validate your steelhead permit upon retaining a legal steelhead.

Please call the Clearwater Regional Office at 208-799-5010 to get the most up to date information, or if you have any further questions about steelhead fishing.

Winter fishing at our lowland lakes usually means ice fishing. Waha and Mann Lakes are the exception and frequently remain ice free for most of the winter. Most lakes receive generous fall plants of catchable rainbow trout that can lead to some outstanding fishing through the ice. Please be very careful and double check ice conditions before venturing out.

Below is a list of regional waters and some the fish you might expect to encounter at each:

• Deer Creek Reservoir - Near Pierce, Idaho. It is the state's newest fishing water. The reservoir is open all year to fishing, but because of wildlife related road restrictions, the access road will be open to motorized vehicles May 20-September 30 annually. Outside of those dates, anglers and other lake users will need to make a hike of about half a mile to reach the lake.
• Elk Creek Reservoir - Near Elk River, Idaho. Good populations of largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill, brook trout, and stocked rainbow trout. The brook trout here can grow up to 16 inches. All brook trout must be counted in the 6 fish trout limit.
• Mann Lake - Near Lewiston, Idaho. Mann Lake is an irrigation reservoir and is usually drawn down in the winter, but fishing can still be good. Good populations of largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, and stocked rainbow trout.
• Moose Creek Reservoir - Near Bovill, Idaho. Good populations of largemouth bass, bluegill, and stocked rainbow trout.
• Soldier's Meadow Reservoir - 20 miles south of Lewiston. Soldier's Meadow is an irrigation reservoir and is usually drawn down by late summer. Good populations of black crappie and stocked rainbow trout.
• Spring Valley Reservoir - Near Troy, Idaho. Good populations of largemouth bass, bluegill, and stocked rainbow trout.
• Tolo Lake - Near Grangeville, Idaho. It is a fairly turbid natural lake but has been stocked with white crappie, largemouth bass, bluegill, and channel catfish.
• Waha Lake - South of Lewiston, Idaho. Waha is a natural lake and has fair populations of smallmouth bass and stocked rainbow trout.
• Winchester Lake - Near Winchester, Idaho. It has excellent populations of largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish, and stocked rainbow trout. Visitors to Winchester Lake will notice numerous floating structures on the lake. These are part of an experimental project to improve water quality and fishing by oxygenating the deeper portions of the lake.
• Dworshak Reservoir - Near Orofino, Idaho. Dworshak Reservoir is usually drawn down to minimum pool in the winter (about 80 feet down) as federal fish managers tap the reservoir's cool water in the summer to help juvenile salmon migrate to the ocean and make room for flood control for the next year's runoff. Kokanee fishing is usually slow in the winter but trout fishing can be very good. Look for the best trout action in the lower portion of the reservoir and at mouths of tributary streams. The reservoir above Grandad Bridge is closed to fishing from November 30 to the following Memorial Day weekend. Anglers may incidentally catch a bull trout in Dworshak Reservoir and are reminded that Bull Trout are closed to harvest, so it pays to know how to identify your fish. IDFG's fishing regulations have a great fish identification key on pages 16-19. Boat ramps at Canyon Creek and Grandad are unusable during the winter, but boaters can still launch at Bruce's Eddy, Dent, and Dworshak State Park. Please use extreme caution when launching your boat in the winter, as ice can form on the steep ramps. A good set of tire chains is a must when launching during periods of sub-freezing temperatures.

The general stream season ended on November 30, but the winter stream season continues on most regional streams from December 1 through March 31. During the winter stream season, all trout, except brook trout, must be released, and all gear restrictions that apply during the general season still apply. An exception to the gear restrictions is that insects and insect larvae can be used for bait in the Selway River below the Selway Falls cable car, the Lochsa River below the Wilderness Gateway Bridge, and the North Fork Clearwater River above Dworshak Reservoir during the winter stream season. Kelly Creek, Crooked Fork Creek, the Lochsa River above Wilderness Gateway Bridge, and the Selway River above the Selway Falls Bridge do not have winter stream seasons.

The underappreciated whitefish is very common in most regional streams and can grow to over 20 inches long. They are active all winter and can provide excellent cold-weather fishing. The Clearwater River below Kooskia, the lower Selway and Lochsa are the best places to try your luck for this sporty fish. Most anglers fish with small wet flies just off the bottom in riffle areas for the best results. In those waters where bait is allowed, many anglers tip their flies with a maggot or piece of nightcrawler to add a little additional enticement.

The Snake and lower Salmon Rivers both have excellent smallmouth bass populations. Winter fishing for them can be slow, although a few die-hard bass anglers catch some winter fish. Deep water and slow presentations are the way to go for winter bass. Smallmouths in these rivers usually average about 10-12", but fish up to 5 lbs are caught every year.

Both the Snake and lower Salmon rivers offer one of the most unique freshwater fishing experiences you can have anywhere - fishing for white sturgeon. Sturgeon can be caught all year but the action usually slows down when the water temps fall below 40 degrees.

The Clearwater Region has one of the strongest populations of white sturgeon in Idaho, mainly in the 105 miles of free-flowing Snake River from Lewiston upstream to Hell's Canyon Dam. The most recent studies estimated that there are from 3000 to 6000 sturgeon between 2 and 11 feet long in this area. Over half of the fish are less than three feet long, indicating good reproduction in this river stretch. Smaller numbers of sturgeon are also found in the lower Salmon River.

White sturgeon can live to be over 80 years old and grow very slowly. Because of this, since 1970 the sturgeon fishery has been managed under a strict catch and release regulation. Any sturgeon caught may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately unharmed. Barbless hooks are also required when fishing for sturgeon.

The popularity of sturgeon fishing continues to grow in Idaho every year. As the number of anglers increase, so does the importance of minimizing impact to both the fish and their environment. This includes using the right gear, rigging it properly and leaving the river free of discarded line and broken off gear. Just as importantly, anglers need to make certain they treat hooked fish properly to insure their survival.

So when you try this exciting sport, please use the following guide to ensure you practice "low-impact" sturgeon techniques and treat these ancient fish with the respect they deserve:

Hook 'Em Right: - Keep the fish from swallowing the hook

• Use non-offset circle hooks-sizes 7/0 to 13/0. Non-offset circle hooks offer three big advantages over traditional J-hooks for sturgeon fishing:
• Fish are almost never hooked deeply with non-offset circle hooks because their unique shape rarely lets the hook point imbed until it catches on the corner of the fish's mouth.
• Once solidly hooked, fish rarely become unhooked.
• Circle hooks are much less likely to snag on rocky river bottoms.
• Circle hooks are very different than J-hooks and require an angler to employ a few different techniques for them to work properly:
• First, make sure the hook point is exposed and not covered up with the bait.
• Second, when a fish starts to bite, let it mouth the bait a few seconds longer than you would with a J-hook.
• Lastly, don't set the hook. Instead, simply start reeling until you come tight on the fish. The hook will catch on the corner of the mouth as you smoothly tighten the line.
• For those not yet ready to make the switch to circle hooks, remember that when using a regular "J" hook, it is especially critical to stay attentive to the rod and hook the fish quickly before it has a chance to swallow the bait.
• Pinch the Barb - (It's the law!). Pinch the barb down on your hook to ease hook removal and minimize the damage to a sturgeon's fleshy mouth.
• Rig it right. Tie your sinker to a dropper line on a sliding device, using at least ten pound test lighter line than your main line. This will minimize the chances of leaving a baited hook snagged to the bottom if you break off. We are finding an alarming number of dead or emaciated fish with broken off fishing gear in them. We all need to do our part to keep hooks from accumulating in these old fish.

Play 'Em Fast: - Avoid overstressing the fish during the fight

• 50 lb test monofilament lines or 130 lb test superbraid line should be considered the minimum size to use. Monofilament has advantages in that it has higher abrasion resistance and its stretch makes it much more forgiving when fighting large fish.
• Use heavy gear properly sized to fight powerful fish weighing up to 400 pounds and land the fish as quickly as possible. Lactic acid can build up in the fish's muscles during long fights. A good sturgeon reel needs to be very well built, have a very smooth drag, and hold at least 250 yards of the proper line.
• Choose your fishing spot carefully. Be realistic about the chances of landing a large sturgeon when choosing a fishing hole, especially when fishing without a boat. Ask yourself if you will be able to follow the fish if it leaves the hole. Try to avoid having to tell the story of being spooled, leaving 200 yards or more of expensive line hooked to a fish.

Release 'Em Easy: - Ensure the fish will survive to fight another day

• Keep the fish in the water - (It's the law!). Don't pull the fish up on the shore for a photo. Pulling the fish on the rocks will remove the fish's layer of protective mucous and often will open cuts in the fish's skin, which can lead the way to an infection. The best way to get a great sturgeon photo is to get in the water with the fish. In cold weather, this usually means having some waders handy. Keep water flowing over the gills at all times when removing the hook or snapping a picture.
• Don't tie the fish by the tail. A tail-roped fish can easily be injured, especially if it starts thrashing.
• Revive a played-out fish by holding its mouth open in the current so water flows over its gills until it wants to swim away. A tired sturgeon will almost always remain calm when you hold them by the mouth upside down in the water. Keep your hands out of their gills at all times.