Clearwater River Fishing Report 9.28.2017

—North 40 Lewiston

A little more than 10,000 steelhead have made it past Lower Granite Dam since July 1, but more than 6,000 did so last week alone. Fishing hasn’t been the hottest, by any stretch, but I’m hearing that fish are being caught and I’ve had a few hookups this season, too. Don’t expect numbers when you head out—even when times are good steelhead are steelhead and can be tough to find. A customer said that he has caught fish as far upstream as Peck, so the fish are spreading out a bit and some should reach, if they haven’t already, Orofino soon. Seeing that the Clearwater has a low prediction of B-runs, most fish are going to be the smaller A-runners. Those fish hold in the classic runs of the lower river, but stray upriver, too—so, if a run looks fishy, fish it. The river is running low, so sparsely tied flies should work. But don’t stray away from the classics, such as the purple Skunk, Green Butt Skunk, Nightdancer, and Streetwalker.

Snake and Grande Ronde rivers

The Snake River has cooled, so I imagine fish are skirting up it to hit the other systems in the area. I haven’t heard of anyone catching any fish on the Snake or the Grande Ronde, but temperatures are cooling and it’s time. You probably have a chance of finding fish on the Ronde if you want to hit it.

Spey Clave

Remember, if you fish the Clearwater this weekend you’ll likely have company. That’s because the 13th annual Clearwater Spey Clave takes place on Saturday and Sunday. Don’t shy away from the clave or the river this weekend, because this gathering brings some of the greatest spey casters and steelhead minds together. You can learn a lot by participating and you’ll show your interest in the future of the this great river and its amazing fish.