Fishing on the Clearwater River in Winter/Spring

Overview:

The Clearwater River holds many of its spring spawning fish all winter long, making fishing opportunities available during good weather. Luckily, Lewiston, ID, is warmer that most of the rest of Idaho during the winter months. Warm winds blow out of the south west called Chinooks. These winds rip up through the Columbia Basin and push into Lewiston during the winter. During these times, even a slight raise in water temperature and flow move fish into new water. These are the key times to focus on fishing the Clearwater during the winter and early spring. If the weather remains cold, the fish tend to get a little stale resting in the same water for long periods of time. As winter turns into spring, there are a lot of fish that push up the snake and into the Clearwater. While these fish aren’t fresh from the ocean, they are still biters once they get into the river.

Forks:

There are three forks to the Clearwater River: The North Fork, the Middle Fork/Main Stem, and the South Fork. The South Fork is the most popular for spring anglers looking to target big fish in small water. Meanwhile, the North Fork flows out of Dworshak Dam at Orofino, ID. This short stretch of river is warmer and has cleaner water that the main fork, making it a stable, popular fishery throughout winter and spring, having the advantage of the fish hatchery entrance on it. The Main Stem of the Clearwater is probably the most under-looked part of the river, probably due to its size and instability.

Methods:

Gear fishing is very popular during the winter months. Fly fishing can be very good as long as you choose your water correctly. Swinging flies still works well with lighter to heavier tips depending on the water. However, there are still a handful of fishermen that catch fish on dry lines during winter/spring. Focusing on tail-outs and pockets that are not pounded by gear anglers is a great place to start. Nymphing heavy stoneflies with hot heads can work great as well as various egg patterns. Nymphing works well on all forks of the Clearwater and is especially popular on the South Fork. Covering water via drift boat on the Main Stem is a great way to get on the water and possibly find a lot of fish. Fish in the Main Stem seem to be "fresher" and less beat up than the North or South Fork.

Either way, whichever method you prefer, the Clearwater is great for fishing right now, so grab your gear and head out for some awesome fishing.