WEATHER UPDATE:
This week we had a little mix of everything from cold temperatures to warm 45 degree afternoons. On the days with the nicer weather, we definitely saw an uptick in fishing pressure on the Salmon River. This past holiday weekend was arguably the busiest I have ever seen it for this time of year (33 boats at the Altmar ramp). Look for the weather to cool off as we head into this upcoming weekend with single digit temperatures occurring in the mornings. Later into next week we will see it start to warm up a touch.
RIVER FLOW UPDATE:
The flow out of the dam is now at 750CFS and has been since the initial drop last weekend. With the precipitation we have just received, I will not be surprised to see it remain at this level for a little longer. I don't see it jumping back up past 750CFS before the weekend hits. The river started to warm up from the warmer weather we have had the last few weeks, which pushed a few fish to nudge into spawning mode. We will see what this cold weather does to the water temperature and how that will reflect on the fishing.
FISHING TIPS:
As I mentioned above, the water temperature rose enough last week to encourage a few fish to start actively spawning. This creates a tough scenario for anglers as these fish are more focused on spawning than they are feeding. The best way to proceed in these scenarios are to fish holding areas in and around gravel. These smaller holding areas can often times have a few snappy fish that will be willing to bite your offerings fairly quick. If you cover water and fish your confidence baits, you should find success. Likewise, you can also fish the bigger and deeper holding areas that you know have fish until you are able to get one to cooperate. The best baits for us this past week were 10mm natural colored beads, blue and purple egg sacs, pink worms, and marabou jigs all fished under a float. As we approach Spring and warmer weather, the river will continue to see more pressure. Please do your best to be respectful of the river and those fishing around you!
If you would like to get out on a Salmon River Drift Boat Trip, click here!
Best of luck out there,
Capt Andy