Idaho Report/Forecast for November

Idaho Rivers in General

What to Expect in November:

In early winter, fly anglers need to adapt their tactics to the conditions. First, understand the needs of trout. Since trout are cold-blooded, their metabolism slows as the water cools. That means they don't need as much to eat, and they will not waste any energy pursuing what little food they need. They will be most active on warmer days, at the warmest time of each day--usually from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Trout will be found in slower, deeper water than they occupied in summer.

Second, understand what food is available to trout in winter. The big hatches are over. From now until spring the primary aquatic insects that trout will see are blue-winged olives and midges. Both larval and adult forms of these insects will be present. But bugs aren't the only things on the menu. Trout will also eat drifting roe from spawning brown trout, brook trout, and whitefish. Larger trout will eat baitfish, as well.

Most importantly, pick the right flies, the right days, and the right places, as described below.

Pick the Right Fly

The flies that should be in your box are:

1. Blue-winged olive imitations. Pheasant Tails or gold-ribbed Hares Ears for nymphs; CDC Baetis or Baetis Cripple emergers; Parachute Baetis or Sparkle Duns to match duns; and Rusty Spinners to match the final stage (usually not important in winter, but be prepared). All flies in size 18-22, but mostly in size 20-22.

Nymphs are productive most of the active part of the day (11:00 to 2:00, with maybe an hour on either side of those times if the day is warm). Blue-winged olives are most likely to hatch on cloudy days. In the Rockies, they are strongest in the first half of November or until really cold weather settles in. They'll be back again in March and April. Look for feeding fish in backeddies and slow runs. Nymphs should be presented right on the bottom.

1. Midge imitations. Brassies or Copper Johns to imitate the larvae; Sprout Midges or Griffiths Gnats if trout are taking adults on the top. Carry these in sizes 18-22. The larval patterns are the most effective. In early November, you might find trout feeding just subsurface. Once it turns really cold, however, trout will hunker on the bottom and won't budge unless there's a pretty good hatch that creates a surface-feeding opportunity. So once the weather becomes frigid, you'll need to drift those larval patterns on the bottom
2. Roe imitations. Peach, pink, and orange are the best colors. Dead-drift them on the bottom. See the article Egg Flies for some thoughts on egg flies.
3. Baitfish imitations. Matukas, Egg Sucking Leeches, Muddlers, Clouser Minnows, sculpin imitations, etc. Usually these work best when fished from a boat because you can cast to the bank, but the boat is not essential. A sink-tip line is an aid because you need to get the fly near the bottom. Cast, let the fly sink, and retrieve slowly. This is not exciting fishing, and you'll be lucky to pick up a fish or two a day. But each fish could a brown trout that tops five pounds.
4. Standard Nymphs. A frequent winter tactic is to cast a size 8-10 Prince with a Brassie, Copper John, or Pheasant Tail on a trailing leader tied to the Prince's hook bend.

Pick the Right Day

While fly choice is important, it's even more important to pick the right day. Anytime it starts to warm up, you can think about hitting the water.

Always take extra clothes. If you execute a full-immersion hat-floater when it's near freezing and the wind is blowing 25 mph, you are in big trouble and need to get into dry, warm clothes quickly.

Pick the Right Place

Some streams are in cold places. That's usually not where you want to go. The best choices have relatively warmer weather. Tailwater fisheries and spring creeks are productive because the water is usually warmer than in other streams.

Most fish will be found near the edges and in deeper pools, backeddies, slow runs, and pools below riffles.

Idaho Lakes in General

What to Expect in November:

Big Lost River

What to Expect in November:

The Big Lost below Mackay Dam can be a viable winter destination, depending on flows. If the flows are low (say, under 150 cfs), the water stays clear and the river is wadable. Due to the clear water, you can often sight-fish on sunny days. Just remember that the fish can see you, too, so be stealthy.

Size 20-24 midges and blue-winged olives are the dominant bugs. Size 16 red Brassies are another good pattern to carry. If the river is low, non-beadhead nymphs are often best because they don't make as much fuss when they hit the water.

Early in November trout can be seen feeding just below the surface. A small non-beadhead Pheasant Tail can work well at that time. When it gets cold the trout will stay near the bottom and your fly will need to travel at that level to be effective.

The upper Big Lost has some deep pools, and trout will mostly be found in those pools. However, much of the upper river is not accessible in the winter due to snow.

This is a cold part of Idaho, so pick your days carefully.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Big Lost River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Big Wood River

What to Expect in November:

An excellent winter fishery, the Big Wood can have strong blue-winged olive hatches in early November. The blue-wings are typically size 20-22 and are matched with a Sparkle Dun. As the weather gets cold, midges will dominate the action.

Size 16-18 red Copper Johns or red Brassies are a good fly choice, too, and it doesn't hurt to carry some size 8-10 olive Woolly Buggers to use in the deeper water. Make sure your nymphs are on the bottom.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Big Wood River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Boise River, South Fork

What to Expect in November:

The early winter standards--blue-winged olives, midges, streamers--apply here. Black and brown are the two best color choices for streamers in this river.

When fishing with streamers, figure trout could be anywhere. During midge or blue-winged olives hatches, concentrate on the edges, fast/slow current seams, backeddies, and slower water.

Whitefish are not a major factor here, so egg imitations are not very effective.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Boise River, South Fork report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Clearwater River

What to Expect in November:

Big B-run steelhead are in the river as well as smaller A-runs. When the river is low and clear, use sparse size 6-8 Green Butt Skunks, Purple Perils, and other traditional steelhead flies. If the weather is warm in early in November you might get away with a floating line and maybe even a skater fly, such as a Bomber, on smooth runs. But with cold weather, sink-tip lines will become the rule.

Fishing should be fair through November, weather and water levels permitting. It will be tough after that due to the cold water. Below Orofino, expect to share the water with powerboats and other anglers, particularly on weekends.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Clearwater River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Clearwater River, North Fork

What to Expect in November:

The North Fork Clearwater will receive migrating trout from Kelly Creek, and fishing should be good at the confluence of the two streams. You might encounter some blue-winged olive hatches in November on warmer, overcast days, but clear, cold weather will shut them down. Early in November you might also find the remains of the October caddis and mahogany dun hatches.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Clearwater River, North Fork report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Coeur d'Alene Basin

What to Expect in November:

Mid-afternoon is the best time here in early winter. You might encounter some blue-winged olive hatches in November on warmer, overcast days, but clear, cold weather will shut them down. Early in November you might also find the remains of the October caddis and mahogany dun hatches.

Mostly, however, streamers are the best choice. Black Zonkers, Egg Sucking Leeches, and Woolly Buggers are effective, as are Muddlers.

Because this is a cutthroat river, trout will move toward the lower end (closer to the lake). You'll probably find them in deeper pools below Pritchard.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Coeur d'Alene Basin report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Henrys Fork River

What to Expect in November:

The regulations are a bit complicated, so be sure to read them thoroughly.

If the weather is warm enough for there to be moving water in the Box Canyon, try streamers and nymphs there. Small beadhead nymphs--in the size 18-20 range--are effective. You may need to team that fly with a large nymph, such as a Kaufmanns Stonefly, or with some split shot in order to reach the trout's level.

The remainder of the ranch section closes November 30 (part of it closed September 30). During cold weather, it's possible for the slow moving Ranch water to freeze. If the water is not in a solid form, you can expect some size 22-24 blue-winged olives early in the month, and midges the rest of the time. Afternoons will be best, although some hatches can continue until dusk.

When fishing the Box Canyon and the Ranch water, remember that the weather is about 20 degrees cooler in Last Chance than it is in Ashton and St. Anthony.

The river is open all year between the Warm River confluence and Ashton Dam, and downstream from Vernon Bridge (check the regs for details). Midges, some blue-winged olives, and streamers are most effective in this water.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Henrys Fork River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Kelly Creek

What to Expect in November:

The bigger trout will have migrated to the North Fork of the Clearwater.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Kelly Creek report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Lochsa River

What to Expect in November:

The pools are usually the best places to find the westslope cutthroat. The lower river--near Lowell--often fishes best in winter. Be careful on the roads.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Lochsa River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Salmon River, Lower

What to Expect in November:

Steelhead fishing should be decent for most of the winter, if the weather is not too cold or too rainy. The Slate Creek to Whitebird section is fly-friendly.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Salmon River, Lower report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Salmon River, Upper

What to Expect in November:

Nymphs and Woolly Buggers work well here in the winter. It's not a hatch-oriented river, but there are occasional winter midge hatches that catch the attention of trout and anglers should be prepared with the appropriate imitations.

Steelhead should be available, but they will be increasingly tough to catch as the water turns frigid. Sink-tip lines with an Egg Sucking Leech, or indicator tactics might help.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Salmon River, Upper report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Selway River

What to Expect in November:

Access can be difficult. Not a good winter option.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Selway River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Silver Creek

What to Expect in November:

Brown trout are into their spawning cycle. Don't target these fish! Targeting spawners will make the future of the fishery bleak.

During the winter look for hatches of blue-winged olives and midges. Look for rising fish; these are not spawners. Due to the slow, clear water in the Conservancy section, you will probably need a 7X tippet.

The Conservancy water closes November 30, but the lower portion of Silver Creek is remains open in December. Streamers, midges, and blue-winged olives are good choices here.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Silver Creek report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

Snake River, South Fork

What to Expect in November:

Fishing with streamers, midge larvae, and big stonefly patterns can be productive in November. The South Fork stays open all year, but the Swan Valley is in a pocket that traps cold air; it can be colder here in winter than other rivers.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the Snake River, South Fork report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.

St. Joe River

What to Expect in November:

As on the Coeur d'Alene system, mid-afternoon is the best time here. You might encounter some blue-winged olive hatches in November on overcast days. Early in that month you might also find the remains of the October caddis and mahogany dun hatches.

Mostly, however, streamers are the best choice. Black Zonkers, Egg Sucking Leeches, and Woolly Buggers are effective, as are Muddlers.

For more on November tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report. See the St. Joe River report for current conditions, hatches, guides, and other information.