Idaho Angler Fishing Report
Fishing Report - April 21, 2026
General Conditions Spring is here and that has brought us more moisture than we saw all winter it feels like. Although it may not have been enough to save the end of the summer, we definitely were able to buy some fishing time later on. Although some of our rivers are unfishable right now due to closures and high flows, there is still plenty of great opportunities to wet a line and find some eager fish. With the changing flows comes dirtier water. As sediment gets kicked up, bugs are getting dispersed along with it. This is a great time to consider fishing bigger attractor flies and streamers unless there is an obvious hatch that fish are keyed in on. With the warmer than average temperatures that we received in the early spring, we are noticing that it accelerated the hatches, leading to many reports of very early caddis and PMD's. Our guided fishing trips are beginning to book up fast for the Summer! Call us at 208-389-9957 to get your next adventure booked. Boise River – In Town It is officially high water season in town. Flows are up over 2000 CFS making this a dangerous time to attempt wading. We recommend searching for other areas to fish until the flows come back down to a safer level. If you do find yourself fishing in the higher water, streamers will be the name of the game. Use intermediate or full sink lines to help get you down in the heavier current. Owyhee River The Owyhee River has been the most consistent fishery so far this Spring. With flows at 150, this is optimal time to venture out to Oregon and fly fish one of the west's most iconic fisheries. We have heard mixed reports about the BWO hatches this year, as it seems to be very weather driven. Cloudier days are your best chances for fishing BWOs. The early warmer weather that we had has seemingly sped up when the hatches are starting this year. We have been hearing that PMD's are already out in certain sections of the river. Caddis are another option which seemingly are a couple weeks early. Overall, nymphing and dry fly fishing have both been producing and we look for that to continue into the early summer! Don't forget to stop by The Rock Store in Nyssa on your way out to the river, or on your way back. If you still need an Oregon fishing license, those can be purchased there. The Rock Store has a vast selection of snacks and drinks for your time on the river. They also have an incredible restaurant menu if you are hungry... and let's not forget about the bar! If you show your recent Idaho Angler receipt that is within a week of your Idaho Angler purchase, you will receive a FREE beer if you are 21+, or FREE french fries (customer choice). We highly recommend making this pit stop a staple in your Owyhee fishing adventures! Fly Selection:#18-22 Split Case BWO, #16-18 Split Case PMD, #18-20 Juju Baetis, #18-20 Jig Angel Case PMD, San Juan Worms, #18-20 Tungsten Slim Shady, #16-20 Flashback Pheasant Tail, #20-22 Glass Bead Zebra Midge, #14/16 DOB Caddis, #20-22 Hackle Stacker BWO, #18 CDC Thorax BWO, #18-20 Infrequent, #16-18 Extended Body PMD, #16 Short Wing Emerger PMD Silver Creek The creek has been an incredible early spring fishery! Dry fly fishing and streamer fishing have both been producing. There has been a mix of BWO, Baetis, Callibaetis, PMD's, and Midges hatching, especially under cloudier conditions. It is important to be mindful of spawning rainbow trout while fishing the creek. For rules on what section is open to fish, visit the IDFG website. Fly Selection: #18 Stacked Hackle Callibaetis, #16-18 Last Chance Cripple Callibaetis, #14-16 CDC Callibaetis Spinner, #18-20 Captive Dun BWO, #20-22 Brooks Sprout Baetis, #16 Short Wing Emerger PMD, #20 Boroff's Foamie Homie Midge South Fork Boise River *Closed April 1 until Friday Before Memorial Day Weekend Stillwater We have been having some great days on our local stillwater fisheries as water temps are still relatively low. We are seeing fish anywhere from 2 feet to 8 feet in most lakes. Hatches are going to be dependent on water temperatures of the lake you are fishing. If you are fishing a lower elevation lake, you can expect fish to be eating midges, leeches, and baitfish imitations. In the higher elevation lakes, leeches, baitfish, and damsel fly nymphs have been working well. Duck Valley All of the lakes at Duck Valley are now open and fishing has been pretty consistent but it looks to get better. The lakes will be stocked before the end of April. There have been a mix of reports as far as what has been working. Some anglers are having success stripping leeches and damsel patterns on sinking lines. Others are doing well with balanced leeches and chironomids under an indicator. Fish are suspended and feeding, we recommend taking a trip down south while many of our local rivers are unfishable. Fly Selection:Leeches, Damsel Fly Nymphs, Woolly Buggers, Balanced Leeches (various colors), Chironomids, Popcorn Beetles Hot Summer Ahead - Think Alpine Lakes It is a great time to start planning your trips to explore Idaho's alpine lakes this summer. We are expecting rivers to be running lower than usual which will make fishing them much tougher in the later summer. Find refuge in alpine lakes where the fish are much less pressured, and you can often times find complete solitude. Fish will readily eat dry flies or nymphs offered to them, and you will find some of the most picturesque scenery while doing it.
Fishing Report - February 25, 2026
It’s been an unusually warm winter, with temperatures well above historical averages for much of the season. That’s going to shape both our current fishing and what we see moving into spring. With a lighter snowpack than recent years, we won’t have the same volume of runoff. Expect rivers to run generally lower than last season. On the flip side, hatches should arrive a bit earlier this spring. If you’ve got a hunch something might be happening — trust it. We’re already hearing reports of Skwalas starting to move around on our local tailwaters. If you’re gearing up for early stonefly action, we’ve got a strong selection of Skwala dries and nymphs ready to go.