This last week and into to the weekend was our first full week of Spring Chinook fishing on Idaho’s Clearwater River for the 2025 season. We actually saw some pretty good fishing early in the week, but by Saturday things had gotten a little tough. Although Saturday and Sunday were tough it picked back up significantly on Monday. Kyle’s boat had a quick limit Monday morning and we seem to be back on track. The warm weather over the weekend will help to push water levels up, and this should lead to a major improvement in fishing.
Springtime on the Clearwater is a little different than in the fall and winter when we typically see lower flows, and high flows mean a blow out river and unfishable conditions. During the spring that high water is a good thing, as long as the debris isn’t bad, and it’s not chocolate milk, as it will push fish closer to the banks and confine their travel lanes. It also slows down their upriver migration, and allows us a little more time before they go flying by.
We are seeing best results with divers and eggs, and plugs like k15 and k14 kwick fish wrapped with tuna or sardines. Chasing these awesome fish in the high flows of spring is one of our favorite activities. Take a look at these pictures from last week, and if you’re looking to get out with us don’t hesitate to give our office a call. We can run up to 3 boats per day on our permitted section, so we can often find room even in short notice.
