WATER TEMP: LOW 50S TO MID 50S

CDA FLOW: 239 CFS @ CATALDO

ST JOE FLOW: 339 CFS @ CALDER

CLARKFORK MT: 2,440 CFS @ ST REGIS

SPOKANE: 498 CFS @ POST FALLS

CLEARWATER: 10,100 CFS @ SPALDING

Finally!!!!  Like a light switch, fall seems to have shown up overnight.  Clouds have rolled in; high temps are looking like they’ll land in the 60s with some lows into the 40s!  Such welcome weather from how dry and hot it was this summer.  Hopefully we get tons of rain and it looks like we may in the next week.  This will do wonders for all of our fishing,  from our trout streams, to our lakes, and to our steelhead making their way up the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Lots of good reports from the last few days from local trout guys and gals.  Seems like the fish are already responding to the change in the weather. Water flows are still very low, but water temps are becoming much more favorable.  With the cloud cover, the dry-fly fishing will be much better this coming week.  I'd be on the lookout for good blue wing olive hatches when it rains.  The fall BWO's are pretty small, more in the #20-22 sizes, so this will be more challenging. 5X tippet will be your heaviest option.  I'd start keeping some mahoganie duns in your box too.  Probably a little early for them but close.  The October caddis are getting ready to hatch too.  Lots of cased caddis nymphs are hugging the edges now, which is a good indicator that they are ready to hatch soon. Streamer fishing has been very good lately and should continue with the cold weather coming up.  We will have moments of warmer weather from here to October, so terrestrials are not done yet.  Specifically, ants and beetles.  I've mentioned the very small parasitic wasp that comes off this time of year.  I've had several folks say they have been seeing them already. These little guys are a bigger player than many local anglers know.  A very small bug but the trout absolutely key in on them when they are out.  Think of a flying ant in sizes #20-22.  A good technique is to run one as a dropper behind a small caddis or your mahogany.  They are very hard to see on the water and running them as a dropper helps track your setup.

Time to think longer, finer leaders and more technical trout fishing.  With how low the water is the trout will be holding in some of the slower slack water and this will test your abilities with you casting and accuracy.  Our cutthroat are usually very agreeable for most of the year.  But come fall they can get very challenging.  They will become more active throughout the day with the colder weather. September, October . . .  even to the beginning of November can be some of the best trout fishing of the season.

Steelhead season is underway.  The Clearwater is starting to see a few fish showing up, mostly on the lower river.  They have lowered the flows out of Dworshak Reservoir a bit.  Sitting at 10,400 cfs today.  With the upcoming rain the fish should be on the move out of the Columbia where the water is warmer.  The Clearwater should be a great place to be this year especially early in the season due to the colder water coming out of Dworshak. This has been such a dry and hot summer, I think many of the steelhead that have been holding in cooler parts of the Columbia are really going to make a big push these next couple of weeks as it is much colder.  If you are wanting to take a break from the tough trout fishing this summer and head south and take a shot at an early steelhead, now is the time. Long rods, dry lines and skated flies are the medicine for these early fish.  Cover as much water as you can, and maybe you'll get rewarded with an early bright steelhead.

I’m  grateful for this change in the weather. The only difficult thing is to decide what to do each day.  There are so many opportunities-- fishing, hunting, camping, etc. It is really the best season here in North Idaho.  Have fun regardless of what you are out doing, its going to be a great Fall!

Tight lines,

Tyler