Fall Steelhead Anglers Report Success

If your freezer is well stocked with Idaho steelhead you are not alone.

A better-than-average return of the ocean-going rainbow trout resulted in moderate to high success among steelhead anglers during the 2004 fall season. Creel census results show thousands of anglers caught thousands of steelhead from the three main Idaho rivers where the fish start showing up every fall.

Those surveyed on the Snake River downstream from the mouth of the Salmon achieved the highest average rate of success during the fall of 2004. According to census results, anglers there caught an average of one steelhead every seven hours. While that may not sound like red hot fishing, experienced steelheaders know seven hours per fish is exceptional. No survey results were available for the section of the Snake River below Hells Canyon dam.

Anglers pursuing steelhead on the Clearwater River averaged 12 hours per fish according to creel census data from that region. The Clearwater attracts many more anglers than the Snake, with much more opportunity to fish from the bank. The Clearwater is also well known among steelheaders for big fish. A large percentage of steelhead returning to the Clearwater are "B-run" or "two ocean" fish, meaning they've spent an extra year eating and growing in the Pacific Ocean. "B-run" steelhead are typically twice as big on average as "A-run" steelhead, and can weigh more than twenty pounds.

More steelhead anglers fish the Salmon River than any other in Idaho, and the fall of 2004 was no exception. Fish and Game employees surveyed more than 8,000 anglers along the Salmon during the fall census- more than twice as many as on the Snake and Clearwater combined. Anglers on the Middle Salmon (from Riggins to North Fork) reported the highest rate of success, averaging twelve hours per fish.

City dwellers also enjoyed an urban fishery for steelhead on the Boise River. Hatchery managers transported more than 1,000 surplus fish from the Oxbow Hatchery in Hells Canyon to the capital city as part of Idaho Power's anadromous fisheries mitigation program. Steelhead and salmon migrated naturally between the Boise River and the Pacific Ocean prior to construction of the Hells Canyon complex of hydro-electric dams. No creel data is available from anglers fishing the Boise River in the fall of 2004.

As the days reluctantly grow longer, the hardiest steelheaders are getting the itch. February and March should prove to be good months for "spring" steelhead fishing. The number of steelhead in Idaho is not quite what it was in the last two years but is still well above the 10-year average. Between June 1 and December 31, more than 146,000 steelhead passed Lower Granite Dam, the final obstacle on their way upstream into Idaho. The 10-year average is fewer than 122,000.
   
Anglers fishing for steelhead must purchase a steelhead permit in addition to a regular fishing license. Barbless hooks are required except on the Boise River. For additional regulations check the Fish and Game website under "Steelhead Seasons, Rules and Information." With limits set at three per day, six in possession and 20 per season, this spring should be a great time to stock up on Idaho steelhead.
 

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