The Steelhead Angler

Steelhead fishing on the Salmon River has been excellent reports are good up and down on the Salmon River. Currently the North Fork of the Salmon River is the hot spot. Last weekend according to the Idaho Fish and Game there were over 1000 fish caught and over half of those were released back into the river.

The lower section of river seems to be more of a hit and miss stage right now it just depends on who you talk to. On Monday March 17th  I went down to Riggins and was able to hook into four Steelhead, three of them were in the 5 to 6 lb. range however I did get one that would have gone 12 to 13 lbs. I did talk with several other fisherman and they said that between the four of them they had only hooked into two steelhead so I guess I must have hit a hole where there were several fish holding.

Steelhead trout caught by anglers in the streams typically average 25″ long and weigh 5-6 pounds on occasion you will pick up some nice B-Run fish which are 10-20 lbs.  Of course you can always go and fish the Clearwater which is known for it’s big fish where the average size there is in the 10 lb range with several caught each year that will go over 20 lbs.

Steelhead trout are silver sided chrome bullets that can be caught here in Idaho from September through early may.  Steelheads are really just sea-run rainbow trout; Think of them as rainbow trout on steroids.  Steelhead do not feed once they enter the river systems, they just react they; can see color and are easily spooked keep this in mind when fishing.  Steelhead are without a doubt the most sought after fish in the rivers of the Pacific Northwest and one of the top fighting fish you can hook into.

Steelhead fishing on the Salmon River remains productive and while only improve over the next several weeks as the rivers start to rise.  Steelhead fishing will remain good through mid April and you can pick up some steelhead through the middle of May.

By: RR Smith
Steelhead, Salmon and Trout Fishing has been a passion of mine since I was a young boy. Most of my free time was spent on lakes and streams here in the northwest, and I have picked up on some interesting facts about fishing for these species over the last 45 years. I would like to share them with you through articles and at my websites I hope you find them helpful and enjoyable. So please stop by check out some information or just stock up on your fishing gear. Hope to see you on the river!
RR Smith
Steelhead Gear.Com for all your fishing needs!

http://www.steelhead-gear.com