CLEARWATER & SNAKE RIVER FISHING REPORT
July 9th, 2026
Lewiston, ID
Fisheries This Week
Our rivers continue to drop into beautiful summer shape, and trout fishing is about as good as it gets. Water levels are falling across the region, creating excellent conditions for dry-fly fishing, but with the hot, dry weather settling in, now is the time to take advantage of these fisheries before we get into the dog days of summer.
Yellow Sallies and caddis are showing up in force and continue to produce some fantastic dry-fly action throughout the region. If you enjoy watching trout eat on top, this is one of the best windows of the season to get out.
While forecasts still call for a chance of scattered showers later in the weekend, any precipitation will be welcomed. If localized rain bumps flows or adds a little color to the water, simply switch over to nymphs or streamers until fish begin looking up again.
Lochsa River
2,070 cfs at Lowell
The Lochsa continues to drop steadily and is settling into prime summer conditions. Fishing should be excellent heading into the weekend as trout become increasingly comfortable holding in classic summer water.
Yellow Sallies and caddis are producing consistent dry-fly action throughout the day, and anglers should expect plenty of fish looking up.
Focus on softer seams, tailouts, pocket water, and protected edges where trout are feeding confidently on the surface.
Dry flies should be your first choice, but keep a nymph or streamer ready if passing showers temporarily slow surface activity.
Selway River
3,020 cfs at Lowell
The Selway continues its steady downward trend and is shaping up beautifully for the weekend. As flows continue to fall, trout are spreading back into riffles, seams, and classic feeding lanes.
Yellow Sallies and caddis remain the primary hatches, providing excellent opportunities for anglers fishing dry flies throughout the day.
Surface fishing should continue improving throughout the weekend. If afternoon showers add a little color to the water, don't hesitate to switch to subsurface tactics until fish return to the surface.
North Fork Clearwater River
1,960 cfs at Canyon Ranger Station
The North Fork continues to drop into outstanding condition. Excellent water clarity and increasing bug activity should make for some fantastic fishing this weekend.
Yellow Sallies and caddis are providing dependable dry-fly opportunities, and fish are becoming increasingly willing to move for well-presented flies.
Focus on riffle transitions, current seams, and softer water where trout are actively feeding during hatch windows.
Dry-fly fishing should remain the primary game, but keep nymphs and streamers nearby if changing weather slows the surface bite.
St. Joe River
971 cfs at St. Maries
The St. Joe continues to be one of the premier trout fisheries in the Northwest. Flows have dropped into excellent shape, water clarity is outstanding, and the river should fish exceptionally well this weekend.
Green drakes are still providing exciting opportunities in some stretches, while Yellow Sallies and caddis continue to offer outstanding dry-fly fishing throughout the river.
Fish are actively feeding throughout riffles, seams, and softer banks. Staying mobile and matching the hatch should reward anglers with consistent action.
This is peak dry-fly season on the Joe. Keep your eyes on rising fish, but don't be afraid to switch to nymphs or streamers if passing weather temporarily changes conditions.
Warm Water
Snake River
24,500 cfs at Anatone
The Snake is still running a bit high and carrying some color, but flows are on the drop heading into the weekend. Conditions should continue improving for anglers looking to sight cast to carp as visibility gets better each day.
Smallmouth bass are firmly in their post-spawn feeding mode and continue spending much of the day looking toward the surface. Early mornings and evenings remain prime time for throwing poppers and large terrestrial patterns around shallow rock, current seams, weed edges, and shoreline structure.
Once fish stop committing on top, switch over to streamers and continue downsizing your flies. Smaller baitfish patterns continue to outperform the larger offerings that produced earlier in the season.
Intermediate lines and light sink-tips remain excellent choices for efficiently covering water around rocky banks, current seams, and shallow shelves.
Grande Ronde River
788 cfs at Troy
The Grande Ronde continues to fish very well, and the coming weeks should only get better as summer patterns settle in.
Smallmouth are spending more time feeding on the surface. Early mornings and evenings continue to provide some of the best topwater opportunities of the year.
Target softer banks, current breaks, shallow shelves, and rocky structure with poppers and large terrestrial patterns. Once the surface action slows, switch to smaller baitfish streamers and work current seams and transition water thoroughly.
A 6, 7, or 8-weight with an intermediate line or light sink-tip remain the ideal setups for covering water efficiently below the surface.
Summer bass fishing has officially arrived, and this weekend should provide some outstanding opportunities for anglers willing to get on the water early and stay late.
Gearing Up
If you're gearing up for bass or carp this weekend, stop by the shop and check out our growing selection of warmwater flies, including our unique small-batch tyers collection where you can fish flies that are tied by the person who actually created the pattern. These are supremely tied flies that fool the trickiest fish and will last as long as you can throw them. Whether you're looking to stock up on proven patterns or build your very first warmwater fly-fishing setup, we're here to help get you dialed in.
--Drew
Question of The Day
"What flies do carp eat?"
Carp feed on a variety of forage. So having everything from small craw patterns, clam patterns, nymphs, mulberry patters and even in some cases cottonwood seed flies. So, it’s essential to carry a wide variety of flies in your box. It all depends on your fishery and where the fish are when they are actively feeding. My preference is to fish for carp on flats.