It is time to use streamers here and will remain that way for months to come. Evenings and early AMs will be the best time to be on the river. Have light colored and dark colored streamers in your fly box, a sink tip line, and stout leader on your reel. With the river dropping walk in locations are plentiful. Come into the shop to learn the best of these. Also, we can advise which sections to float at a given time.
During the recent cloudy days BWOs hatches made for good PM fishing on the river around Idaho Falls and Shelley. But the big attraction now is that brown trout are migrating throughout the river. That means streamer fishing is the best way to encounter a big brown. Again, low light conditions will offer best chance to meet that big guy. Have dark colored and light colored streamers in your fly box. In light colors streamers featuring yellow or chartreuse seem to have an edge with respect to effectiveness. Strip ’em or drift ’em using a sink tip line. Try tops and bottoms of holes and runs. As light dims, try riffles and runs with a sink tip line, but a floating line may also get your fly deep enough to moving fish. Look for streamer fishing to be at its peak here in a few weeks and last through November.
Evening caddisfly emergences on the river can be dense enough to breath in at places. Where this happens expect better fishing elsewhere. With October a few days away, tie up a good supply of streamer patterns because these will be your “go to” flies in months to come almost everywhere along the river. If you prefer top water fishing, BWOs can make for good evening fishing at locations such as below Gem Lake Dam and riffles near the Shelley interstate connector.
Flows in the river are slightly below normal in locations between Menan and American Falls Reservoir. It’s time to present streamers during evening and early morning hours, and there are several locations to walk in and enjoy do this. Come in and see us so we can point some out to you. If you prefer fishing dry flies there are many locations for doing so. Evening caddisflies and PM BWO activities are ongoing.
Here’s a piece of good news: the “old dog pound” access on West River Road just above Idaho Falls has been re-opened to trespass by the city. The city had closed it for undisclosed reasons, but now with the signs down and berms leveled, one can drive over to fish the banks or launch pontoon or drift boats to fish the great waters that extend upstream to the city power dam.
Now is the time of year when this river is as good as any other locally. Flows are at or near average. There are great walk in wade locations (contact us to learn some) and excellent boating locations (again, we can help you choose some). Cooler weather brings on afternoon BWO activity, evening caddis hatches continue, and as with the South Fork; chernobyl and terrestrial patterns presented towards vegetated banks are sure to bring action. But the cooler weather brings on what the river is best known for: streamer fishing. Evenings are best times to enjoy this, but with sunrise now around 7 AM, do not overlook early mornings for some good streamer fishing.
Streamer fishing, especially during evenings is coming on up & down the river. Boating is the best way to enjoy the currently great bank fishing with terrestrial patterns. Look for snowflake duns hatching on the river and responding trout from around Blackfoot on downstream.
We lost the old dog pound access on the Snake River off West River Road just upstream of Idaho Falls. The area is airport property and is now posted and access roads bermed. Too bad: it was a good take-out location for those floating from the power dam upstream. Some very large browns & bows reside in this part of the river and they attract anglers. Let’s hope that access here can be identified.
With flows on the river close to normal, good walk-in and float fishing prevail. As we said in the last report, evenings are best for pitching streamers and for enjoying the caddis hatch. Look for snowflake duns to begin hatching on the river below Blackfoot in a week or two.
The best time to fish the river is approaching. For sure float fishing is the best method, but with dropping flows walk-in locations abound. Caddis are active in evenings. Terrestrial insect are abundant and because of increased agricultural activities will be on the move. Fishing streamers at twilight makes for a great chance at large fish. So consider putting the river on your “must try” list. We can help you choose a location.
A great place to try the river now is around Blackfoot and the Tilden Bridge areas. The flow here is around 2200 cfs meaning that wading is a safe option. Evenings are the best time to be on the river as trout will be chasing the caddis hatch and large trout will chase baitfish in the shallows along sheltered areas. Some action can also be found during early AM spinner falls. At the Shelley Interstate-15 connector flows are still around 4500 cfs, but some walk-in fishing is possible especially about a mile below the connector downstream to Cook’s Diversion. Grassy banks and undercuts will be the best places to find fish looking for terrestrial patterns. No doubt the best way to enjoy the river, however, is through a float trip. Get in touch with us; we can help you choose a section to try.
The river is coming on strong as flows drop. Walk-in places abound from Menan to the McTucker area just above American Falls Reservoir. Get in touch with us to select one that fits your schedule and location. Several sections of the river offer great float trips, and we can help you select one of these. Even though it is late in the season , the river offers some mayfly hatches as well as fishing through caddisflies, sallys, and terrestrials. But the river is best known for streamer fishing, especially during the late and early hours.