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Cascade Reservoir Fishing Report

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

Perch capital: Cascade Reservoir stacks jumbo yellow perch, coho and trout under the West Central Mountains.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~54 F est.
Air / High
52 / 53 F
Wind
S 10 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 13245000, 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 the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Cascade Reservoir feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. Today brings cloud cover, wind S around 10 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 53. Water sits around 54 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: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 63 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 North Fork Payette River at Cascade (below).

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.

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp52 F
High / Low53 / 44 F
WindS 10-13 mph
Pressure1014.1 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 100%
Sunrise / Sunset07:10 / 20:15
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 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, 53/44 F, wind 12 mph, rain 100%

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

Species guide

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

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Cascade 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
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 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 Cascade 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 the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 59 F, wind to 14 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 65 F, wind to 18 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 75 F, wind to 12 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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 license. Perch, coho and trout limits per current IDFG regulations.

Access

Lake Cascade State Park units (Van Wyck, Sugarloaf, Crown Point) with ramps and campgrounds.

About this water

A 26,000-acre reservoir on the North Fork Payette River at Donnelly, Valley County, Idaho.

Fishing Cascade Reservoir: the full guide

A high-mountain reservoir

Cascade Reservoir covers 26,000 acres on the North Fork Payette River at 4,800 feet in west-central Idaho, surrounded by mountains and the town of Donnelly. Its reputation rests on yellow perch: after a management overhaul, the lake produces jumbo perch that draw ice anglers from across the Northwest. Coho salmon, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass and northern pikeminnow round out the fishery.

Perch and the ice

Perch are the headline, and winter is their season: safe ice typically forms by late December, and anglers spread across the flats jigging small spoons and tungsten jigs tipped with perch eye or worm for fish that regularly exceed twelve inches. Open-water perch fishing works too, over the deeper flats and weed edges through summer.

Coho, trout and bass

Coho salmon are stocked and provide a trolling fishery through the summer at moderate depths, taking small spoons and hoochies. Rainbow trout cruise the shorelines and shallows, best in spring and fall. Smallmouth bass work the rocky shorelines and the dam area, an underfished component. The reservoir is shallow enough that wind stirs it quickly and changes conditions fast.

Donnelly-area logistics

Ramps and state park units at Van Wyck, Sugarloaf and Cascade serve the reservoir, with campgrounds throughout. McCall is twenty minutes north with full services, and the area is a year-round recreation destination. Winter access roads and plowed parking make the ice fishery straightforward: check ice conditions locally before venturing out.

Common questions

How big are the perch?

Genuinely jumbo: fish over twelve inches are common and the lake has produced state-record-class perch.

When is ice fishing?

Typically late December through March: check local conditions, as ice quality varies across a large, wind-swept basin.

Is there summer fishing?

Yes: coho trolling, shoreline trout and perch over the deeper flats, plus underfished smallmouth on the rock.

Is fishing good at Cascade 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 the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Payette River46 miBrownlee Reservoir48 miBoise River66 miOwyhee River72 miLucky Peak Reservoir73 miWallowa Lake74 mi
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