Pacific coast steelhead

Winter Steelhead in Idaho

Q: When do steelhead run in Idaho?

Idaho Department of Fish and Game describes A-run summer steelhead from Jun 1 to Aug 31; B-run summer steelhead from Aug 15 to Sep 30; spawning from Apr 15 to Jun 30. The smaller one ocean fish, mostly bound for the Snake and Salmon, return earliest, usually June through August, then hold through winter and spawn in spring.

Q: Which Idaho rivers have winter steelhead?

The rivers Idaho Fish and Game names with steelhead in the river between December and April include the Snake River, Clearwater River, South Fork Clearwater River, Salmon River (lower, Riggins to the Snake), Little Salmon River and Upper Salmon River. Each one is listed below with its agency timing and the source sentence.

Q: Where is the Idaho steelhead fishing report?

Idaho Fish and Game publishes the Steelhead Hatchery Returns (daily), the Steelhead Dam Counts (Lower Granite) (daily), the Steelhead Harvest Report (creel estimates) (weekly) and the Upper Salmon River Steelhead Fishing Report (weekly). All are linked below.

Q: How high is the Snake River running today?

The rivers table reads the latest discharge and water temperature straight from USGS for 6 Idaho steelhead rivers with a USGS discharge gauge, the Snake River among them, and sets each flow beside the gauge's median for today's date from its full record.

Q: Is the steelhead run the same as the fishing season in Idaho?

No. A run window is when the fish move, and it is biology. Seasons, licences and river closures are set by Idaho Department of Fish and Game and change inside a year; its current regulations are linked beside the rivers table.

Q: What is the difference between winter and summer steelhead in Idaho?

Winter fish come in from the ocean close to spawning, November through April by NOAA Fisheries' account; summer fish enter months earlier and hold in the river before spawning. Idaho Fish and Game describes A-run summer steelhead Jun 1 to Aug 31, B-run summer steelhead Aug 15 to Sep 30 and spawning Apr 15 to Jun 30.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game names 6 steelhead rivers, from the Snake River to the Upper Salmon River, and describes A-run summer steelhead Jun 1 to Aug 31, B-run summer steelhead Aug 15 to Sep 30, spawning Apr 15 to Jun 30. 6 of them carry a live USGS gauge, shown against the median for today's date.

Agency named rivers

Live USGS gauges

Fish in the rivers

Apr to Sep

Rivers and flows

Idaho steelhead rivers, run timing and flow today

Each river below is one Idaho Department of Fish and Game names for steelhead, with the timing it gives and the sentence it came from. Beside it, the latest discharge from the river’s USGS gauge and the median discharge for today’s date across that gauge’s years of record, so a reading of 150% means the river is carrying half again its usual flow for the day. 2 of the gauges also report water temperature.

Idaho steelhead rivers named by Idaho Department of Fish and Game, with the latest USGS discharge and water temperature and the median discharge for today’s date over each gauge’s record.
River	Run timing	Hatchery	Flow now	Median for today	Water temp
Snake RiverSnake (Lower Granite to Hells Canyon) The main stem every Idaho steelhead climbs through, and home water for A-run fish that return after a single year at sea. Idaho Fish and Game source USGS gauge 13334300	A-run arrives June through August; fish hold through winter and spawn in spring	See the note	Loading	Loading	Discharge only at this gauge
Clearwater RiverClearwater The B-run river: bigger fish that spent two years in the ocean and come in later in the summer or fall. Idaho Fish and Game source USGS gauge 13342500	B-run starts upriver late August or September; fish hold through winter and spawn mid April to late June	See the note	Loading	Loading	Loading
South Fork Clearwater RiverClearwater B-run fish reach this upper tributary near the end of the run, stacking into the smaller river in spring before spawning. Idaho Fish and Game source USGS gauge 13338500	late in the migration, March through May	See the note	Loading	Loading	Discharge only at this gauge
Salmon River (lower, Riggins to the Snake)Salmon Mostly A-run fish, with some B-run fish headed for Salmon River tributaries; the run reaches the lower canyon by October. Idaho Fish and Game source USGS gauge 13317000	fish reach the lower and middle canyon in October and hold through winter	See the note	Loading	Loading	Loading
Little Salmon RiverSalmon A small tributary near Riggins where fish crowd in at the end of their migration in spring. Idaho Fish and Game source USGS gauge 13316500	late in the migration, March through May	See the note	Loading	Loading	Discharge only at this gauge
Upper Salmon RiverSalmon The far end of the run, hundreds of miles from the sea; fish reach Salmon by late October and move into the Stanley Basin by spring. Idaho Fish and Game source USGS gauge 13302500	fish reach the town of Salmon by late October and the upper river in spring	See the note	Loading	Loading	Discharge only at this gauge

Run calendar

When steelhead are in Idaho rivers

The months Idaho Fish and Game gives for each river, laid on a July to June year so a winter run reads as one bar. Rain and water temperature move the weeks inside those months from one year to the next.

Snake RiverSnake (Lower Granite to Hells Canyon)A-run arrives June through August; fish hold through winter and spawn in spring
Clearwater RiverClearwaterB-run starts upriver late August or September; fish hold through winter and spawn mid April to late June
South Fork Clearwater RiverClearwaterlate in the migration, March through May
Salmon River (lower, Riggins to the Snake)Salmonfish reach the lower and middle canyon in October and hold through winter
Little Salmon RiverSalmonlate in the migration, March through May
Upper Salmon RiverSalmonfish reach the town of Salmon by late October and the upper river in spring

A-run summer steelhead
Nov, the current month

Idaho steelhead months by river, from Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Fish in the river across Apr to Sep.

The runs, in Idaho Fish and Game’s words

A-run summer steelhead, Jun 1 to Aug 31. The smaller one ocean fish, mostly bound for the Snake and Salmon, return earliest, usually June through August, then hold through winter and spawn in spring. They return from the ocean earlier in the year (usually June through August) and they most often return after spending one year in the ocean. Source
B-run summer steelhead, Aug 15 to Sep 30. The larger two ocean fish, mostly bound for the Clearwater, start later, usually late August or September. These fish usually spend two years in the ocean and start their migration to Idaho later in the summer or fall of the year (usually late August or September). Source
Spawning, Apr 15 to Jun 30. All of Idaho's steelhead are summer fish that winter over in the rivers and spawn from mid April to late June. Steelhead spawn in streams from mid-April to late June. Source

Winter-run Steelhead return from the ocean at age 4 or 5 years, and travel to their spawning grounds from November to April.
NOAA Fisheries, West Coast Region

Close view of a steelhead head and gill plate in shallow water inside a black mesh net, a thumb resting lightly on its back — A Methow River steelhead in spawning colour, held in the water in a hatchery crew’s net. The red gill plate and band come on as the fish nears spawning. “Steelhead breeding colors Methow River”, Michael Humling/USFWS, Public domain

Reports

Idaho steelhead reports and counts

Where Idaho Fish and Game publishes the current picture: fishing reports, weir and hatchery counts, and creel surveys, each with how often it is updated.

Steelhead Hatchery ReturnsIdaho Fish and Game, hatchery return, dailyNumbers are updated daily, as fish are trapped and recorded.
Steelhead Dam Counts (Lower Granite)Idaho Fish and Game, weir count, dailyCounts include wild and hatchery origin fish.
Steelhead Harvest Report (creel estimates)Idaho Fish and Game, creel, weekly
Upper Salmon River Steelhead Fishing ReportIdaho Fish and Game, fishing report, weeklyThe data discussed in this report were primarily collected between Wednesday, April 8 and Sunday, April 12.

Two hatchery workers standing in a cold river below a snowy rock slope, one holding a large mesh net and the other a white fish tube — Winthrop National Fish Hatchery staff collecting wild steelhead from the Methow River in Washington for broodstock. Hatcheries take their spawning adults from the returning run itself. “Winthrop NFH collecting steelhead Methow River”, Brandon Pasley/USFWS, Public domain

Elsewhere

Steelhead run timing in other states

Questions about Idaho steelhead

When do steelhead run in Idaho?

Which Idaho rivers have winter steelhead?

Where is the Idaho steelhead fishing report?

How high is the Snake River running today?

Is the steelhead run the same as the fishing season in Idaho?

What is the difference between winter and summer steelhead in Idaho?

River timing from Idaho Department of Fish and Game pages, each linked beside its river. Flow, water temperature and the daily median from the USGS Water Services. Compiled September 21, 2026.

Idaho salmon run timingThe chinook and coho runs on the same rivers, in the months before the steelhead.Idaho trout stockingThe same species as a freshwater fish, stocked on a schedule.Idaho river levelsEvery USGS gauge in the state against its own record for the date.