Idaho Fish and Game’s March 3, 2026 Upper Salmon River steelhead report shows another strong week, with the best catch rates upstream of the Pahsimeroi (location codes 18–19). Midweek weather reduced clarity downstream, but conditions improved by the weekend and PIT tag detections at the Elevenmile (USE) array climbed to 136 for the run year.

A mild winter kept the Upper Salmon River more open than usual in mid-February, with warmer water, a shorter ice jam, and stable flows. Monitoring from Feb. 11–15, 2026 also showed steelhead moving farther upstream than typical, with strong angler effort and good catch rates across most monitored areas.

Before You Hit the Upper Ssalmon River, Read This Steelhead Alert…

This Week’s Steelhead Report Is INSANE — The Best Fishing of Fall Just Hit!!

IDFG Analyzed This Week’s Data… And One Trend Stood Out Big-Time…

Steelhead fishing on the Upper Salmon River surged last week, with angler effort and catch rates reaching the best levels of the fall season as more fish move upriver…

Steelhead fishing on the Upper Salmon River is picking up—find out where the best catches are happening and how river conditions are affecting your chances this week.

Steelhead action is heating up on the Upper Salmon River, with anglers near Ellis and upstream of the East Fork landing fish in as little as 3 hours…

The Upper Salmon River steelhead are on the move, and so are the anglers—find out where the bite is hot, who's putting in the hours, and how the river conditions are shaping up for your next trip!

As anglers make plans to fish the South Fork Clearwater River for steelhead should be aware of an Idaho law that prohibits camping on certain state-owned property.

The Deadwater ice jam is out, the river’s clearing up, and steelhead season is heating up—time to grab your gear and hit the Upper Salmon!

Cold waters and hot catches—Thanksgiving week brought success downstream on the Upper Salmon River, but icy challenges upstream. Here's the final steelhead scoop for Fall 2024.

If steelhead are your thing, here’s some footage that shows a beautiful winter steely: