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Silver Creek Fishing Report

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

Silver Creek: the spring creek near Picabo that IDFG calls a world-class trout fishery, with The Nature Conservancy's preserve on its upper reach.

Kilpatrick Pond and a take-out closed. The Nature Conservancy says Kilpatrick Pond is closed for a county bridge replacement and the downstream float take-out is closed. Source, read October 8, 2026.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
100 cfs
Air / High
46 / 49 F
Wind
WSW 12 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 13150430, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Tap a marker for today's tip
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.

Silver Creek asks for patience today: short windows, precise presentations. The river is running 100 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind WSW around 12 mph, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 49. Water sits around 47 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:15 AM-12:15 PM and 10:44 PM-12:44 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.

Brown troutExcellent

Below 50°F, fish slowly through the deeper pools; in early spring on the Great Lakes, Michigan DNR notes browns are often caught inshore before other species start biting.

Brook troutExcellent

Below 50°F is the fall spawning band (40-50°F in Vermont), so stay off spawning gravel. In winter Maine IFW finds pond fish close to shore in 4 to 12 feet of water under the ice.

Tomorrow: Similar at 51 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 Silver Creek at Sportsman Access.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 13150430.

798795100 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 52 years of October 23

At 100 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 13150430 (Silver Creek at Sportsman Access) is at the 23rd percentile for the date: below normal. In half of the 52 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 127 cfs; the highest was 256 cfs and the lowest 65 cfs.

p10 88median 127p90 228

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 13150430; 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 temp46 F
High / Low49 / 42 F
WindWSW 12-17 mph
Pressure1011.7 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 79%
Sunrise / Sunset08:00 / 18:40
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (gauge)52 F USGS
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 Silver Creek this week

Today is the pick of the week on Silver Creek, at 3 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Oct 23 — fair at 3/5, rising pressure behind a front, typically the slowest.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
10:15 AM-12:15 PM and 10:44 PM-12:44 AM
Minor period
4:39 AM-5:39 AM
Sun
08:00 to 18:40
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Rain, 15 mph
Rain chance
79%

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

Species guide

The species that matter on Silver Creek: 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.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Spring along Great Lakes shorelines; low light and overcast days in rivers; fall spawning runs

A European trout first stocked in the US in 1883 and now fished in rivers and lakes nationwide; it tolerates warmer water than other trout, and mature stream fish feed mostly at night. Below 50°F, fish slowly through the deeper pools; in early spring on the Great Lakes, Michigan DNR notes browns are often caught inshore before other species start biting.

Brook trout illustration

Brook trout

Spring and fall in ponds and lakes, when fish come shallow; summer in the coldest headwater streams

The brook trout is a char native to eastern North America, a fish of cold, clean streams and ponds, and the state fish of Michigan. Below 50°F is the fall spawning band (40-50°F in Vermont), so stay off spawning gravel. In winter Maine IFW finds pond fish close to shore in 4 to 12 feet of water under the ice.

When to come: the Silver Creek 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
Brook trout
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 Silver Creek 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 66 F, wind to 22 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 68 F, wind to 12 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 68 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 fishing license. No motors. Mouth to Hwy 20 bridge (MP 187.2): open all year, 2 trout, none 12-16 in. Bridge to Grove/Stalker confluence (preserve): closed Dec. 1-Friday before Memorial Day weekend; then catch-and-release, fly-fishing only, one barbless hook per fly; float tubes only (IDFG 2025-2027 rules, 2nd edition 2026).

Access

Silver Creek Preserve (TNC) off Kilpatrick Bridge Road from U.S. 20, with electronic sign-in. TNC notice read Oct. 8, 2026: Kilpatrick Pond is closed to public access during Blaine County's bridge replacement, and the downstream float take-out is closed.

About this water

Spring creek, 25.7 miles (IDFG), Blaine County, Idaho. USGS gauge at the Sportsman Access near Picabo.

Fishing Silver Creek: the full guide

The creek

IDFG describes Silver Creek, 25.7 miles long in Blaine County, as a world-class trout stream fishery rising from cool desert springs at the base of the Picabo Hills. The Nature Conservancy explains the source: water from the surrounding hills and the Big Wood River percolates underground and resurfaces in springheads that feed seven large tributaries, alkaline, nutrient-rich and near a constant temperature all year.

Fish

IDFG's surveys recorded brown trout and rainbow trout in 2024, and its recommended game fish for the creek also include brook trout. IDFG's stocking database shows no plantings since 1980.

The preserve

TNC bought the first 479 acres in 1976 at the community's urging and has grown the Silver Creek Preserve to 882 acres; more than 15,000 acres of the watershed are protected, many through conservation easements. All visitors must sign in electronically before entering. The preserve is open dawn to dusk all year, and fishing there runs from Memorial Day weekend to Nov. 30.

Rules by section

IDFG's 2025-2027 rules (second edition, 2026) ban motors on all of Silver Creek. From the mouth up to the Highway 20 bridge near milepost 187.2 west of Picabo the creek is open all year, with a 2-trout limit and none between 12 and 16 inches. From that bridge up to the Grove and Stalker creeks confluence, which includes the preserve, it is closed from Dec. 1 through the Friday before Memorial Day weekend; for the rest of the year trout are catch-and-release, fly-fishing only, with one barbless hook per fly, and float tubes are the only craft allowed. Kilpatrick Pond is closed from April 1 through the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.

Common questions

When is the Silver Creek Preserve open to fishing?

From the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Nov. 30, catch-and-release and fly-fishing only (IDFG); TNC gives the same window.

Can I fish Silver Creek below the preserve in winter?

Yes. Below the Highway 20 bridge west of Picabo the creek is open all year, with a 2-trout limit and none between 12 and 16 inches kept.

Can I float Silver Creek?

In the preserve section only float tubes are allowed. TNC says its downstream take-out is closed during the Kilpatrick bridge work, and it does not allow boats to be carried across preserve land.

Is fishing good at Silver Creek 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

Magic Reservoir10 miAnderson Ranch Reservoir65 miSouth Fork Boise River67 miAmerican Falls Reservoir73 miLucky Peak Reservoir95 miBoise River109 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 13150430 — Silver Creek at Sportsman Access
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 18:45 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 43.3180, -114.1530 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 8, 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 8, 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.