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Payette River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Idaho's Payette: a 75-mile main stem with trout, bass and catfish, and a South Fork stocked with rainbows all summer.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
888 cfs
Air / High
51 / 57 F
Wind
WSW 6 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 13247500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

Payette River fishes cold and honest: earn your bites in the deep stuff. The river is running 888 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind WSW around 6 mph, steady pressure near 1015 hPa and a high of 57. Water sits around 47 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:23 AM-12:23 PM and 10:53 PM-12:53 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutExcellent

In cold water rainbows use the deepest pools in rivers (Vermont), so slow, deep drifts there are the usual approach; Michigan DNR notes lake rainbows are also taken with bait or by jigging through the ice.

Largemouth bassGood

Below about 50°F feeding slows sharply, Iowa DNR notes; use small, slow baits near deep cover and fish the warmest part of the day.

Smallmouth bassGood

Fish hold in slower, deeper water; fish slowly and expect fewer bites until spring warming.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Channel cats move to the deepest river holes in late fall and feed less; slow presentations with cut bait or nightcrawlers near bottom.

Yellow perchGood

Ice season. Perch stay active under the ice in both shallow and deeper water, so small jigs or spoons tipped with live bait over known winter areas are the usual approach.

CrappieFair

Bites slow; a minnow or small jig fished slowly near deeper cover is the usual approach, and through the ice where lakes freeze.

Tomorrow: Similar at 57 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Idaho requires a fishing licence from age 14, from $35.50 for residents. What a Idaho licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing rainbow trout here? Check the size and bag limits with IDFG before you keep anything. The season dates for Idaho, read off the agency, are on the Idaho seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Payette River near Horseshoe Bend, ID.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 13247500.

8821,0311,180888 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 117 years of October 23

At 888 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 13247500 (Payette River near Horseshoe Bend, ID) is at the 36th percentile for the date: normal. In half of the 117 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 980 cfs; the highest was 1,870 cfs and the lowest 550 cfs.

p10 684median 980p90 1,522

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 13247500; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp51 F
High / Low57 / 42 F
WindWSW 6-17 mph
Pressure1015.2 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 53%
Sunrise / Sunset08:09 / 18:47
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~47 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Payette River this week

Today is the pick of the week on Payette River, at 3 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Oct 23 — fair at 3/5, steady pressure, neither help nor hindrance.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
10:23 AM-12:23 PM and 10:53 PM-12:53 AM
Minor period
4:48 AM-5:48 AM
Sun
08:09 to 18:47
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Rain, 10 mph
Rain chance
53%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. In cold water rainbows use the deepest pools in rivers (Vermont), so slow, deep drifts there are the usual approach; Michigan DNR notes lake rainbows are also taken with bait or by jigging through the ice.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. Below about 50°F feeding slows sharply, Iowa DNR notes; use small, slow baits near deep cover and fish the warmest part of the day.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Fish hold in slower, deeper water; fish slowly and expect fewer bites until spring warming.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. Channel cats move to the deepest river holes in late fall and feed less; slow presentations with cut bait or nightcrawlers near bottom.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: the spring spawn; summer around docks, brush and the thermocline

Two slab-sided panfish, the white crappie and the black crappie, that gather around submerged timber, brush piles, docks and bridge pilings in lakes, reservoirs and slow river backwaters. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts crappie as the state's most popular panfish. Bites slow; a minnow or small jig fished slowly near deeper cover is the usual approach, and through the ice where lakes freeze.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Caught all year, including under the ice through winter

Yellow perch are schooling panfish of the Great Lakes and northern lakes, and Michigan DNR calls them the game fish most often caught in that state. Ice season. Perch stay active under the ice in both shallow and deeper water, so small jigs or spoons tipped with live bait over known winter areas are the usual approach.

When to come: the Payette 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
Largemouth bass
Smallmouth bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Crappie
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 47 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~47 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 Payette River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 71 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 75 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 73 F, wind to 8 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 fishing license. South Fork and tributaries (not the Middle Fork drainage): 2 trout. North Fork, Smylie Bridge to Payette Lake: winter catch and release. Other reaches: Southwest Region general rules (6 trout; 6 bass, none under 12 inches; bull trout released).

Access

IDFG's Fishing Planner shows boat ramps, toilets and campgrounds along the main stem; use its map for site locations.

About this water

A 75-mile main stem in Boise, Gem and Payette counties, Idaho, flowing to the Snake, fed by the North, South and Middle forks.

Fishing Payette River: the full guide

The main stem

IDFG's Fishing Planner gives the Payette River 75 miles in Boise, Gem and Payette counties as a tributary of the Snake, and says this section supports a tremendously diverse fishery with many access points and popular small-craft floating. Its recommended game fish include rainbow and redband trout, mountain whitefish, smallmouth and largemouth bass, catfish, white crappie, bullhead and sunfish; surveys since 2018 have also recorded flathead catfish and yellow perch.

Stocking

IDFG stocked catchable triploid rainbow trout in the main stem in May and October 2024, and smallmouth bass in 2018. On the South Fork from Lowman (Clear Creek) to Tenmile Creek it stocks catchable triploid rainbows through the summer, eight times between June 11 and August 26 in 2025; surveys there have found mountain whitefish, rainbow, cutthroat and bull trout.

Rules by fork

IDFG's 2025-2027 rules (2nd edition, 2026) set the South Fork Payette and its tributaries, except the Middle Fork drainage, at 2 trout a day. On the North Fork from Smylie Bridge (Hartsell) to Payette Lake, trout are catch and release from December 1 to the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. Elsewhere Southwest Region general rules apply: 6 trout a day, 6 bass with none under 12 inches, and bull trout catch and release.

Common questions

What can I catch in the main stem?

IDFG lists trout and whitefish along with smallmouth and largemouth bass, catfish and crappie in the 75-mile main stem.

Is the South Fork stocked?

Yes. IDFG stocked catchable rainbows from Lowman to Tenmile Creek eight times in summer 2025.

How many trout can I keep?

Two a day on the South Fork and its tributaries; six under Southwest Region general rules on most other reaches.

Is fishing good at Payette 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

Boise River21 miLucky Peak Reservoir30 miLake Lowell36 miCascade Reservoir47 miSouth Fork Boise River54 miAnderson Ranch Reservoir55 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 13247500 — Payette River near Horseshoe Bend, ID
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 18:30 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 43.9430, -116.1970 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 5, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 5, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.