Share your catch

Clearwater River Fishing Report

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

Idaho's big-fish highway: home of the B-run steelhead, twenty-pound ocean fish a state away from the sea.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
49 cfs
Air / High
70 / 75 F
Wind
ESE 2 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 13335050, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Tap a marker for today's tip
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.

Clearwater River is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. The river is running 49 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind ESE around 2 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 75. 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: Similar at 79 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 ASOTIN CREEK AT ASOTIN, WA.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 13335050.

34404649 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp70 F
High / Low75 / 53 F
WindESE 2-4 mph
Pressure1014.2 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 48%
Sunrise / Sunset06:12 / 19:21
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 · Overcast, 75/53 F, wind 11 mph, rain 48%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

The species that matter on Clearwater River: 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 Clearwater River 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 Clearwater River 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 72 F, wind to 10 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 78 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 83 F, wind to 16 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 license + steelhead permit. Barbless hooks; only adipose-clipped steelhead may be kept, seasons and limits set in-season by IDFG. Summer bass under general rules.

Access

US-12 parallels the river with constant pullouts and named bars from Lewiston to Kooskia; ramps at Myrtle, Cherry Lane, Pink House and Orofino.

About this water

Major Snake River tributary, north-central Idaho. Home of the world's largest-bodied inland steelhead run (B-run). Co-managed with Nez Perce Tribe programs.

Fishing Clearwater River: the full guide

The B-run river

The Clearwater is famous for one number: the size of its steelhead. Its "B-run" fish spend two full years in the Pacific before swimming 500 miles home through eight dams: they return at 12-20+ pounds, the largest inland steelhead run in the world. From its junction with the Snake at Lewiston up past Orofino, the big river carries them from September through spring.

A year on the Clearwater

Fall (Sep-Nov) is the event: fresh B-runs stack the lower river: swung flies with two-handed rods, back-trolled plugs, bobber-and-jig from the bank bars. Winter slows the fish into deep inside seams: it is cold, technical and produces the true giants. Spring reloads with fish moving to hatcheries and tribs. Summer flips the river entirely: one of the West's best smallmouth floats (the fish stacked on every rock ledge) plus resident cutthroat up the forks.

Run-size reality

Modern returns swing hard year to year, and seasons/limits adjust in-season with counts over Bonneville and Lower Granite dams: check Idaho Fish & Game's weekly updates. Most B-runs are hatchery-marked (adipose-clipped) and keepable when seasons open; wild fish always go back.

Common questions

What makes a "B-run" steelhead different?

Two years feeding in the ocean instead of one: they come home twice the size: 12-20+ lb fish, thick as footballs. The Clearwater and Salmon carry nearly all of them.

When should I book a Clearwater trip?

October-November for numbers and aggressive fresh fish; February-March for the biggest, meanest fish of the run. Watch dam counts from August to see the year's strength coming.

Is the smallmouth fishing serious?

Seriously underrated: summer floats from Orofino down produce 50-fish days on ledges and current seams, with fish to 4 lb: a warm-shirt bonus season on a famous cold-water river.

Is fishing good at Clearwater River 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

Grande Ronde River32 miDworshak Reservoir44 miSalmon River58 miSouth Fork Clearwater River60 miSaint Joe River71 miLochsa River72 mi
Share your catch