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Selway River Fishing Report

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

Idaho’s protected river: the Selway runs cutthroat through a wilderness few anglers ever reach.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
790 cfs
Air / High
65 / 70 F
Wind
NW 7 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 13336500, 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.

Selway River feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 790 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind NW around 7 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 70. 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 77 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 Selway River near Lowell.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 13336500.

569681792790 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp65 F
High / Low70 / 48 F
WindNW 7-9 mph
Pressure1013.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 98%
Sunrise / Sunset06:06 / 19:14
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 · Showers, 70/48 F, wind 7 mph, rain 98%

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

Species guide

The species that matter on Selway 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 Selway 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 Selway 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 64 F, wind to 8 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 70 F, wind to 7 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 84 F, wind to 9 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. Catch-and-release for cutthroat with gear restrictions: check current IDFG rules. Bull trout are protected.

Access

Selway River Road from Lowell to the lower river; trails and limited permit floats above Selway Falls.

About this water

A 100-mile wild and scenic river through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Idaho County, Idaho.

Fishing Selway River: the full guide

One of the original wild rivers

The Selway River flows about 100 miles through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness of Idaho, one of the eight original rivers protected by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968. Access is deliberately limited: a road reaches the lower river near Lowell, and above that it is trail and permit-only float country. Westslope cutthroat trout dominate, with bull trout protected.

Cutthroat in wilderness

The fishing is straightforward and the setting is the point: westslope cutthroat rise to attractor dries through summer in clear, cold water, holding in the pockets and pools of a boulder-strewn canyon. Catch-and-release rules apply. The lower river near Lowell is accessible by road; the wilderness reaches require a walk, a permit float or both.

Season and permits

Runoff holds the river high into late June. July through September is the season, with the water dropping clear and the fishing improving as it does. Wilderness float permits are among the most limited in the country, allocated by lottery: the Selway sees a fraction of the visitors that other famous western rivers do.

Idaho County logistics

The Selway River Road from Lowell provides access to the lower river with campgrounds along it. Above Selway Falls, trails follow the river into the wilderness. Lowell has minimal services. This is remote country: bring everything, tell someone your plan and expect no cell coverage.

Common questions

How hard is it to reach?

The lower river has road access from Lowell; above that it is trail or permit-float country with very limited allocation.

What is the fishing like?

Willing westslope cutthroat on dry flies in clear, cold water, under catch-and-release rules, with almost no other anglers.

When should I go?

July through September, after runoff drops: earlier the river is high and unfishable.

Is fishing good at Selway 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

Lochsa River6 miSouth Fork Clearwater River23 miSalmon River45 miDworshak Reservoir47 miNorth Fork Clearwater River53 miClearwater River76 mi
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