Fishing Report June 4th 2026
Well... it looks like Summer has finally arrived and it's time to dust off the Trout rods! This is one of the best times of the year to fish around Salmon and it looks as though everything will be starting a little earlier this year. I encourage everyone to get out while the water is plentiful and cold, and the big bugs start hatching.
Salmon River
Currently The Salmon River is running about 3,500 CFS and is dropping really quickly. I expect the river to be at or close to a fishable level by this weekend. Even at the current height, it's running pretty clear and should get clearer as the river continues to drop over the next few days. As stated above, this is an incredible time of year to fish the Salmon River. We should start to see some Golden Stoneflies in roughly 10 days or so, but there's still been a decent Caddis hatch almost every evening. Elk Hair Caddis, Big Boned Caddis and Sparkle Pupa's have been working pretty well as the river comes down and once those bigger bugs start hatching, it'll be all about big foam dry flies. Chubby Chernobyls, Stimulators, Juicy Stone's, and Amy's Ant are all excellent patterns to emulate those Golden Stoneflies. Sometimes early in the morning it can be very beneficial to tie on a dropper under those bigger flies until it warms up a bit. Soft Hackle's, Sexy Walt's, and Prince Nymphs are all effective nymphs to hang off a dry fly.
Lemhi River
The Lemhi River has been fishing on and off all spring and should start to get really good as it is dropping quickly as well. It's running right around 100 CFS here in town and 185 CFS around the town of Lemhi. Irrigation is a big factor on how the river is running each day, as well as any precipitation we may get. Euro-Nymphing The Lemhi can be absolutely lethal. Pat's Rubber Legs, Knotty Hookers and Prince Nymphs have all been really effective so far. It doesn't hurt to tie on a smaller nymph below your stonefly. Duracell's, French Dip's, and Pearl Jam's are a few of my go to's. Most of the fish are looking for those Stonefly Nymphs, but adding that second fly can make it that much more enticing. The further up you go on The Lemhi, the better the fishing gets. Once it comes down a hair more, access will be much easier to find, and makes it much easier to stay below the high water mark to stay legal.
Panther Creek
Panther Creek is still running pretty high, right around 120 CFS at Cobalt. It will fish better the higher up you go on it right now. Until the Main Salmon warms up and the Cutthroat start migrating up the tributaries down river, fishing will be pretty tough. Chubby Chernobyls, and some smaller dry flies like Parachute Adams, Purple Haze and Caddis will work well up there right now.
Williams Lake
Williams Lake has been fishing pretty good this year. Both stripping leeches and hanging Chironomids under indicators have been effective methods for catching fish. Midnight Fire Buggers, Balanced Leeches, and Ice Cream Cones are all great flies to be using this time of year. Getting up there early before the wind starts to blow is a wise decision.
The fishing is just getting started around here, and we're looking forward to another great summer full of trout fishing. Maybe we'll see you out there! We've also got lots of dates available for guided trips in both June and July. If you've never fished with us before, I highly encourage you to give it a shot and let one of our expert guides row you down the river.
Go Fish!
Logan
