Idaho Freestone
Clearwater River Fishing Report, Flows and Hatches
A big northwest Idaho freestone famous for steelhead and trout, low enough in elevation to hold a long May-to-October season. Reliable caddis, spring salmonflies and golden stones, and egg and sculpin patterns when the steelhead are in.
Freestone
Idaho
990 ft
Gauge 13340000
Right now
Live conditions
An expert read, in your pocket
Rivus knows your river right now. Live conditions, what’s hatching, and what to tie on, the moment you open it.
When the day turns and nothing’s working, ask Eddy and change the plan.
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The hatch chart
Clearwater River hatch chart
The emergences that come off the Clearwater by month, straight from the Rivus hatch model.
| Hatch | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Skwala Stonefly, #10-12 | ||||||||||||
Caddisfly Caddis, #14-18 | ||||||||||||
Blue Winged Olive Mayfly, #16-20 | ||||||||||||
Golden Stonefly Stonefly, #6-8 | ||||||||||||
Midge Midge, #18-22 | ||||||||||||
Salmonfly Stonefly, #2-4 | ||||||||||||
Grasshopper / Terrestrial Hopper, #10-12 | ||||||||||||
October Caddis Caddis, #6-8 |
How it fishes
A Idaho freestone
A freestone river runs free off snowmelt and rain, so it swings hard with the seasons. It blows out and browns up in spring runoff, then drops and warms into summer. The hatches track the water temperature more than the calendar, so you time your trip to the flow and the thermometer.
Flow and gauge
Reading the flows
The Clearwater is metered at USGS gauge 13340000. Watch the trend as much as the number: a river that is dropping and clearing fishes very differently from one that is coming up.
Access and regulations
Before you fish
Access and the right to fish are the angler’s responsibility, every time. Public access, private water, and seasonal closures vary along the river, so confirm where you can legally stand and wade before you go. We do not point you to a specific spot.
Read the current rules, license requirements, and any special-regulation water before you go. Regulations change season to season, so check them fresh.
Flow and water temperature from USGS, weather from NWS and NOAA, refreshed hourly. Real-time USGS readings are provisional and subject to revision. The hatch chart and river read are Rivus model output.