Salmon River Fishing Report
1 September 09
Steelhead fishing
Steelhead arrive in fishable numbers in the Salmon area usually in the third week of October. Dam counts are very good this year. Click on our fishing report for current conditions as we begin fishing.
Whitewater Rafting Trips
Our whitewater season is nearly over. In September we still offer a four-day long weekend trip on the Lower Salmon. September is the best time to be on that section of river, after the summer heat has moderated in that low-elevation country. September is still summer there, and more pleasant than July or August. Small mouth bass fishing is good. Few people are on the river at this time of the year, after the traditional summer vacation period. These trips are especially attractive for people within a few hours drive of the Lewiston area, since they are scheduled to be extended weekend trips, without a major vacation commitment. You can drive to the area after work on Thursday, float Friday-Saturday-Sunday-Monday, and return home in time for work on Tuesday. We do have some flexibility on dates there, if other dates match your schedule better.
We begin to get interest in the following summer about this time of year. Dates for 2010 on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon will be the same. On the Lower Salmon, September trips start on Fridays to maximize use of the weekend, and the October fishing trips start on Monday to minimize competition with weekenders. Rates may be adjusted for inflation (or not), but trips deposited by the first of the year will lock in 09 rates.
I'll be happy to send a brochure describing our trips, or go over details about our trips by phone, day, evening, or weekend. There was an article about our drift boat fishing on the Middle Fork last winter in BoatUS magazine that you can link to (see home page).
I'll send a copy of our newsletter reviewing the 08 season if you send an address. I prepare the 09 season summary the end of the year, and mail it in mid-winter.
At this time of year, we obviously have no idea of snowpack, and ensuing river flow next summer. Early-season snowfall is important to river flows the following summer. The fall snow seems to pack down, freeze hard, and last better. Late winter snow may bring the snowpack average up, but it doesn’t seem to last--at least, that’s my notion formed over the last 35 years. Late season snow, even if it doesn’t add to the snow pack, does build the ground water, and helps the summer's river level.
Snowpack doesn’t mean much for Main Salmon trips, which aren’t affected much by low water, but does have more impact on Middle Fork trips. A high snowpack means higher flows during peak run-off, and increased risk at that time, but allows a longer season before we have to start flying trips into a back-country airstrip to start. A low snowpack allows earlier trips in June, but also means earlier fly-in trips.
Last winter (2009) the snowpack in the Salmon River drainage was slightly below average, with a late spring--very similar to the previous winter and spring. March and early April were unusually cool, delaying snowmelt, preserving the snow we had. Our spring steelhead season continued a week and a half longer than usual, with river temperatures staying in the high 30s and 40s until mid-April. We had some slush ice flowing in the Salmon area just before the middle of March. Spring flowers were one to two weeks behind usual flowering time. June was wet, which greatly reduce yellowjackets and fires in August. The snowmelt was moderate, without an extremely high peak, but a relatively high, even, flow for about three weeks. A higher spike would have flushed some rapids out, which would have been a good thing.
Overall, it was an easy season--decent water, no fire concern, little rain to deal with--we were between trips during the one serious rain. River traffic seemed less, as to be expected with the economy as it is. We saw a similar slump in the early 80s during that recession. The 07 fires left an imprint on the upper Middle Fork, but visual impact was not as severe as we had been concerned about. Grasses and shrubs bounce back quickly. Yes, there are dead tree skeletons, but that is part of natural processes. The single fire that I was aware of in the river corridor was suppressed within hours--a major change in approach from two years ago.
In the last few years, there have been several changes to the rapids of the Middle Fork, mostly as a result of hard, localized rains in areas that had been recently burned. The Lake Creek rapid just above Pistol Creek has formed and washed out five times as a result of mud slides from the creek, though it has not been a major concern other than producing logs for the Pistol Creek jam until the spring of 07. It was nasty that year. Last year it became easier, and remained so this year--though the approach to Pistol Creek Rapid became a little more difficult in 08, and tightened up even more this year. Last year a hard rain and mudslide totally changed the Tappan III rapid, but this high water opened it up enough that it wasn't a problem. Tappan II just above it remains flooded out. A slide at House of Rocks on the lower river blocked the usual route through the rapid, but the new route is not a problem--as long as a boatman is aware of the change.
The Orelano rapid near Pungo has slid about three times, but has washed out enough to not be a big deal, and hasn't change for several years. Just above Loon Creek a blow-out several years ago created a new, minor, rapid, which has mostly opened up. A couple of years ago Bernard Creek blew out at the bottom of Haystack Rapid, flooding most of it. The river has now cut through the slide, and Haystack Rapid is similar to the old Haystack rapid. Immediately below Haystack, though, is the debris from the Bernard Creek blowout, which is a new rapid. The Cramer Creek rapid just above the Middle Fork take-out, which became a major rapid after a blow-out in August 03, and was nasty in 04, began to ease in 05, and was more fun than worry the last couple of years.
Also among the variety of trips we offer is a trip on the Main Salmon using lodges instead of camping, either in the summer or during fall steelhead season. Sometimes instead of a complete lodge trip, people will choose to spend one or two nights of a trip at a lodge to break up the camping. We can also arrange to drop people at Shepp Ranch on the Main Salmon after five days on the river, for a few days of riding, fishing, and lodge stay.
We can also do a couple of nights at lodges on the Middle Fork. We have always had access to the Flying B, but now the facility at Loon Creek has begun accepting overnight stays, too. We arrange the horse-back/float combinations with these people.
New Book: I usually try to list regional histories that have recently been published, but this has been a slow year. I did just come across "Tales of the Breaks" by Bob Painter, self-published, available at retniapbob@q.com, with stories about old timers along the river like Injun Rice, Bill Jackson, an account of the Whitebird battle of the Nez Perce war, and generally a flavor of early Salmon River.
Give us a call day, evening, or weekend to discuss any details about our trips. If you get our recorder, be sure to leave a message, and we will return the call as soon as we can.
Bill Bernt
208-756-4167
