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North Fork Clearwater River Fishing Report

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

The wilderness fork: cutthroat water above Dworshak where the road ends and Idaho's backcountry trout fishing begins.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
1,140 cfs
Air / High
64 / 68 F
Wind
NNW 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 13340600, 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.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

North Fork Clearwater River feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 1,140 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind NNW around 5 mph, rising pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 68. 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 76 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 NF Clearwater near Canyon RS.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 13340600.

7549061,0581,140 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp64 F
High / Low68 / 52 F
WindNNW 5-7 mph
Pressure1014.1 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain3% cloud, 76%
Sunrise / Sunset06:06 / 19:16
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 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Rain, 68/52 F, wind 6 mph, rain 76%

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

Species guide

The species that matter on North Fork 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 North Fork 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 North Fork 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 66 F, wind to 7 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 69 F, wind to 6 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 87 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. Cutthroat: catch-and-release above Dworshak; bull trout: mandatory release: check IDFG.

Access

FR 250/247 river accesses, Kelly Creek junction, Aquarius campground reach.

About this water

The wilderness fork above Dworshak, Clearwater County, ID. Native cutthroat country.

Fishing North Fork Clearwater River: the full guide

Above the reservoir

The North Fork Clearwater runs wild above Dworshak's slack: a cutthroat river threading roadless country where westslope natives rise to attractors all summer and the access is measured in forest-road hours. Idaho's backcountry standard: earned water, honest fish.

Cutthroat doctrine

The natives eat like wilderness fish should: attractor dries in the pockets, droppers when they shy, streamers through the deep green pools for the bull trout encounters (release on sight: know the ID). Catch-and-release culture runs strong: the fishery's remoteness is its hatchery.

Kelly Creek and the shrine

The tributary Kelly Creek (its junction the fork's heart) carries fly-fishing shrine status: gin-clear cutthroat water with special-reg protection: the pilgrimage within the pilgrimage. Camp the confluence country: the river system rewards days, not hours.

Backcountry practicalities

Forest roads 250/247 thread the canyon (washouts happen: check ranger district status): services end at Orofino or Superior MT: and the season runs snowmelt-to-October effectively. Our Canyon Ranger Station gauge frames flows: under 2,000 CFS wades the classic runs.

Common questions

How do I reach the North Fork Clearwater?

Forest roads from Orofino or over from Montana: hours of gravel guard the water. The drive is the filter: the cutthroat are the reward.

What is Kelly Creek?

The fork's shrine tributary: clear cutthroat water under special protection. Anglers speak of it like scripture: fish it with matching reverence.

Is Dworshak worth fishing on the same trip?

The reservoir below holds Idaho's kokanee depths and smallmouth banks: a tailgate counterpoint to the wilderness fork above. Many camps split days: natives upstream, limits downstream.

Is fishing good at North Fork 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: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Dworshak Reservoir30 miSaint Joe River40 miLochsa River48 miSelway River53 miSouth Fork Clearwater River62 miBitterroot River71 mi
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