Steelhead that enter the Snake River drainage are considered summer run fish. They start entering the Columbia River late June and July and peaking in October and then seeing some fish entering the system right through November. These fish entering the system in the summer actually spawn in the spring months.
Fish crossing Lower Granite Dam peak in the months of October and November. These will move into the system and filter around until water temps and water flows cause them to set down and wait until the early spring snow melt or rains cause them to resume their upstream migration to spawn.
Steelhead angling begins as early as July in some area. These early fish are quite aggressive biters. They will strike plugs, spinners and jigs and baits with equal energy. This bite will change dramatically as water temps drop. It may become extremely subtle and soft, anglers that are unfamiliar with winter/cold water fishing may not even recognize a bite on bait.
Targeting large fish:
Even though Steelhead do not actually eat after they leave the salt water they still have residual feeding responses and will strike because of territorial behavior patterns. This territoriality especially holds true for large males.
Anglers that understand this pattern will focus on backtrolling plugs where large fish may be found, (Clearwater River), if they are looking for a true trophy sized fish. This tactic will probably overall reduce the number of fish caught but it is more likely produce the really large bucks which are very territorial.
Bait will usually out produce plugs but the number of hens will be higher and these tend to be smaller than the males.
The Snake River fish show behaviors much the same but these fish will take shrimp about equally well as they do roe. Plugs or drifted baits work equally well.
There are more steelhead to be found in the Snake River due to the fish that winter there. The lower Snake hosts wintering fish from the Grande Ronde River, Salmon River drainage and from hatcheries up river on the Main stem Snake.
Many of these tributary fish spend the entire winter in the warmer Snake and will resume their migration in the early spring with the start of snow melt. Once the trigger starts them traveling they will quickly find the areas they originated from. These terminal fisheries will provide angling until the season ends in April.
Guided fishing:
Mid to late October will find numerous guides fishing the Snake River. Heaviest usage area will be around Heller Bar which lies just below the mouth of the Grande Ronde River. This area will hold a large portion of the fish trying to enter the Ronde and this behavior pattern is predictable and gives anglers large numbers of fish to target. This congregation of fish will end as the water temps in the Ronde drop into migrating levels. The major portion of holding fish then continue on up into their home waters.
However, there is always some of these Grande Ronde fish that do winter over in the area from Clarkston to Heller Bar.
The Lewis Clark area has a number of both full time and part time guides that are very knowledgeable of the fishing conditions in this area and local knowledge may prove to be beneficial to those who want to go steelheading with a guide in this area.
Quality of the fish both in table fare and fighting ability is severely degraded during the last month or so of the season due to the fish's developing eggs and its 8 to 10 months of cannibalizing muscle mass to survive.
The Snake River System and its tributaries all have wild strains (protected) and hatchery produced fish. Wild fish are protected and not open to harvest.
All hooks are to be barbless and wild fish should NOT be removed from the water.
Original article posted 10/27 2007
