The last week of winter/spring fishing is upon us as we await the runoff that should peak our rivers and fill our reservoirs. Sunday is the last day to fish Silver Creek, the Big Wood, the South Fork of the Boise and most surrounding waters. When the weekend has passed, anglers will still be able to fish the Lost River system as well as area lakes and reservoirs. The fishing is fantastic right now, so be ready for a big weekend!
Silver Creek is fishing incredible with Streamers. Plenty of big fish are being caught and the flows and turbidity are perfect for this style of fishing on the Creek. The fish in the higher reaches are rising, some on Midges and the occasional Baetis fly, and there are a few hours of dry-fly opportunity here, but the main game is definitely Streamers, especially for the biggest fish. The fish population seems to increase the closer you are to Picabo right now. If you want to play hooky and fish, this week would be a pretty good one.
The Big Wood is fishing really well, despite the rain and the recent fear of flooding. The current weather pattern should keep the river fishable right up through the weekend. If we don’t get any hard rains, the river should stay clear. If it were to blow out anytime this week, just head for Silver Creek, where murky waters are a welcome sight when fishing this time of the season.
It’s also the last chance to get on the South Fork of the Boise. The weekend will probably be plenty busy with anglers, but if you can escape during the week, that would be your best bet to have great fishing and fewer fellow anglers around.
The Lost continues to fish well, but be aware of the CFS and be sure to check the flows before you go. Things have been holding steady around the 200 CFS mark, but if you see a big spike in this flow as they ready the reservoir for runoff, think about fishing elsewhere.
Continue to fish Midges on the surface, and Midges and Girdle Bugs below the surface. If you want to Streamer fish, consider Sparkle Minnows and olive colors. Don’t despair after the weekend—there will still be plenty of fishing to be had on the Lower and Upper Lost, as well as steelhead on the Salmon and carp on the Snake!
Happy fishing, everyone!