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Brownlee Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Hells Canyon water: Brownlee stacks crappie, smallmouth and catfish in 57 miles of Snake River canyon.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Water temp
~84 F est.
Air / High
52 / 56 F
Wind
W 7 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 13290450, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Brownlee Reservoir locks in another hot, bright day: the fish know the drill and so should you. Today brings a mixed sky, wind W around 7 mph, steady pressure near 1015 hPa and a high of 56. Water sits around 84 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassFair

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 64 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Snake River at Hells Canyon Dam.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp52 F
High / Low56 / 40 F
WindW 7-7 mph
Pressure1014.9 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain35% cloud, 82%
Sunrise / Sunset07:14 / 20:19
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Rain, 56/40 F, wind 10 mph, rain 82%

Slow. High rain chance; fish the front edge before it arrives.

Species guide

The species that matter on Brownlee Reservoir: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Brownlee Reservoir calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Brownlee Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 55 F, wind to 14 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 68 F, wind to 21 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 73 F, wind to 12 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Idaho requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Idaho or Oregon license covers the boundary water under reciprocal terms: verify current rules. Crappie and bass limits differ by state; sturgeon are catch-and-release.

Access

Woodhead Park, Hewitt-Holcomb, Spring Recreation Site and Farewell Bend ramps in Idaho and Oregon.

About this water

A 57-mile Snake River reservoir along the Idaho-Oregon line, Washington County, Idaho: the upper Hells Canyon impoundment.

Fishing Brownlee Reservoir: the full guide

A canyon reservoir on the Snake

Brownlee Reservoir stretches 57 miles up the Snake River canyon along the Idaho-Oregon line, the uppermost of the three Hells Canyon dams. The water runs warm and fertile compared with Idaho’s mountain lakes, and the fishery reflects it: crappie in numbers that draw crowds each spring, smallmouth bass on the rock, channel catfish, plus bluegill, perch and sturgeon in the deeper water.

Crappie season

The spring crappie run is the reservoir’s signature: as water warms in April and May, black crappie stack in the backs of the creek arms and coves, and anglers come from across two states to fill coolers. Jigs and minnows under floats produce, with the fish moving deeper as summer sets in. Timing matters: the peak lasts weeks, not months.

Smallmouth and catfish

Smallmouth bass are abundant along the rocky canyon shorelines, taking tubes, grubs and crankbaits through the warm months: numbers fishing with occasional quality. Channel catfish grow large in the fertile water and are fished with cut bait on the flats and channel edges, especially at night in summer. Sturgeon hold the deepest water and are catch-and-release.

Canyon logistics

Ramps at Woodhead Park, Hewitt-Holcomb, Spring Recreation Site and Farewell Bend serve the reservoir from both states. Summer heat in the canyon is severe: fish early and carry water. Water levels fluctuate with power operations. An Idaho or Oregon license covers the boundary water under a reciprocal arrangement: verify current terms.

Common questions

When is the crappie run?

April and May as water warms: fish stack in the creek arms and coves, drawing anglers from Idaho and Oregon alike.

Which license do I need?

Either state covers the boundary water under reciprocal terms: confirm the current arrangement before fishing.

How hot does it get?

Severely, in the canyon in midsummer: fish dawn and dusk, carry more water than you expect to need.

Is fishing good at Brownlee Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Nearby waters

Wallowa Lake46 miCascade Reservoir48 miOwyhee River56 miPayette River66 miLake Lowell76 miBoise River77 mi
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