Upper Salmon steelhead catch rates improve as anglers return after the rain

Steelhead fishing on Idaho's Upper Salmon River picked up in the last week of October. Idaho Fish and Game's report for Oct. 26–Nov. 1, by Brent Beller, says angler effort rose sharply, though it's still below recent fall seasons. Catch rates upstream of the Middle Fork improved once the river cleared after rain, and the best days were Tuesday through Friday.

Anglers below North Fork (location code 15) averaged about 25 hours per steelhead. Between North Fork and the Lemhi (code 16) it was about 17 hours. Above the Lemhi (code 17), anglers averaged about 9 hours per fish, though the agency interviewed only a few anglers there.

Flow at Salmon was about 1,280 cfs, and water temperatures were in the mid-40s.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Idaho Fish and Game Upper Salmon River steelhead report, via Montana Outdoor (Nov. 4, 2026).