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© 2026 Barbless.co. Flow and gauge data from USGS; weather from Open-Meteo. · v2026.10.18.2

  1. Idaho
  2. Rivers & Lakes
  3. Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan

Updated September 19, 2026

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Idaho Rivers › Eastern Idaho

Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan

Premier Idaho trout water with diverse seasonal hatches.

Blue Ribbon water19 mi · 30 kmFreestone RiverSteelhead fishery
View on MapGet Directions
SteelheadChinook salmon where openCutthroat troutRainbow/redband troutBull trout present/protectedMountain whitefishSmallmouth bass in lower/warmer reaches

A Legendary Idaho Fishery

AUTO-PROMOTE child of Salmon River. Tighten geometry via resolution draft.

Sources: idfg.idaho.gov · idfg.idaho.gov

Best Season

May – October

River Type

Freestone

Skill Level

Intermediate

Best Techniques

Dry Flies, Nymphing

Access

Moderate

Gauge stations along the Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan

Access

Fish in Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan

Explore fish species associated with the Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan. Each profile includes identification tips, habitat notes, and practical fishing guidance for Idaho anglers.

Hatches on Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan

Review seasonal insect hatches on the Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan, including timing windows and fly pattern suggestions for Idaho fly fishing.

Regulations

Check current seasons, limits, and special rules for Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan before you go. Regulations change, so always verify with IDFG.

View IDFG Regulations

Guides & Outfitters

Recent conditions on Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan

The latest fishing conditions and hatch notes for Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan. Older reports live in the Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan report archive.

Videos on Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan

These YouTube videos have been hand-curated by our team because we feel they best represent the Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan fishery. Watch for river character, access context, and techniques that translate to your next Idaho trip.

Photos

Nearby Communities

  • Challis1.4 mi
  • Bayhorse7.6 mi
  • Ellis16.6 mi
  • May17.3 mi
  • Clayton18 mi
  • Custer24.4 mi

On this page

OverviewMigration
Flows
Live camerasAccessFishHatchesRegulationsGuides & OutfittersVideosPhotosNearby CommunitiesReaches

River Tools

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Map data © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap

Fish in Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan

The Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan supports 7 fish species in our Idaho fishing catalog. Browse each profile for identification tips, seasonal patterns, and how these species are managed on this water.

  • Bull Trout
    Bull TroutIdaho’s native char: a coldwater apex predator that is protected and must be released.
  • Chinook Salmon
    Chinook SalmonIdaho Chinook are big, hard-fighting ocean-run salmon that power upstream into Idaho rivers each year.
  • Cutthroat Trout
    Cutthroat TroutIdaho’s native trout, built for cold streams and lakes and famous for rising to a well-drifted fly.
  • Mountain Whitefish
    Mountain WhitefishA native coldwater scrapper that shines on nymphs when trout fishing slows down.
  • Rainbow Trout
    Rainbow TroutIdaho’s most widespread trout, quick to rise and willing to chase nymphs and small streamers.
  • Smallmouth Bass
    Smallmouth BassAn introduced warmwater brawler that hammers lures around rock, current seams, and river structure.
  • Steelhead
    SteelheadOcean-run rainbow trout that power one of Idaho’s longest and most mobile river fisheries.

Part of Salmon River (whole river)

Other reaches on this river

18 reaches
  • Salmon River, Headwaters to Sawtooth Kids Pond

    Steelhead fishery16 mi · 26 km
  • Salmon River, Sawtooth Kids Pond to Sunbeam

    Steelhead fishery19 mi · 30 km
  • Salmon River, Sunbeam to South Butte

    Steelhead fishery18 mi · 28 km
  • Salmon River, South Butte to Bayhorse Recreation Site

    Steelhead fishery19 mi · 31 km
  • Salmon River, Tappan to Colston Creek

    Steelhead fishery20 mi · 31 km
  • Salmon River, Colston Creek to Shoup Bridge Campground

    Steelhead fishery31 mi · 51 km
  • Salmon River, Shoup Bridge Campground to Tower Rock Recreation Site

    Steelhead fishery17 mi · 27 km
  • Salmon River, Tower Rock Recreation Site to Cache Bar

    Steelhead fishery53 mi · 85 km
  • Salmon River, Deadwater Spring to Corn Creek Campground

    Steelhead fishery42 mi · 68 km
  • Salmon River, Cache Bar to Carey Creek

    Steelhead fishery85 mi · 137 km
  • Salmon River, Corn Creek Campground to Spring Bar

    Steelhead fishery94 mi · 151 km
  • Salmon River, Carey Creek to Riggins

    Steelhead fishery22 mi · 35 km
  • Salmon River, Spring Bar to Lucile Recreation Site

    Steelhead fishery20 mi · 32 km
  • Salmon River, Riggins to Maynard Hole

    Steelhead fishery16 mi · 26 km
  • Salmon River, Lucile Recreation Site to Campbell Flat

    Steelhead fishery17 mi · 28 km
  • Salmon River, Maynard Hole to Hammer Creek

    Steelhead fishery18 mi · 29 km
  • Salmon River, Campbell Flat to Pine Bar

    Steelhead fishery21 mi · 33 km
  • Salmon River, Hammer Creek to Mouth / terminus

    Steelhead fishery52 mi · 84 km

Migration · Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan

Steelhead and salmon counted at Lower Granite Dam, the last dam below Idaho, and how this year's run compares with the last ten.

Videos on Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan

These YouTube videos have been hand-curated by our team because we feel they best represent the Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan fishery. Watch for river character, access context, and techniques that translate to your next Idaho trip.

No videos
No related videos yet.

Migration · Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan

Steelhead and salmon counted at Lower Granite Dam, the last dam below Idaho, and how this year's run compares with the last ten.

Counts through Sat, Oct 17 · yesterday

Lower Granite is the last dam below Idaho. Fish counted there are headed for the Snake, Clearwater and Salmon systems. Fish bound for the Salmon River continue up the Snake and turn in below Riggins.

Steelhead

Steelhead · Lower Granite Dam

Well below typical

The run is tapering off

Counted Oct 17

250

7-day average

303

Percentile for the date

0th

This run so far

25,959

Passage over the last three days is well below typical for mid-October (0th percentile).

25,959 steelhead have passed Lower Granite since June 16. In a typical year about 77 percent of the run is through by October 17, and passage peaks around October 4.

On pace for roughly 32,000 to 36,000 fish, against a typical 71,000.

Wild fish: 5,568 so far, about 74 percent of a typical wild run.

Passage over time
1,7250Sep 18: 857, typical 717Sep 19: 681, typical 758Sep 20: 721, typical 848Sep 21: 596, typical 874Sep 22: 614, typical 957Sep 23: 1,022, typical 1,001Sep 24: 692, typical 1,080Sep 25: 518, typical 1,226Sep 26: 1,291, typical 1,307Sep 27: 714, typical 1,426Sep 28: 773, typical 1,513Sep 29: 837, typical 1,575Sep 30: 1,515, typical 1,627Oct 1: 894, typical 1,693Oct 2: 784, typical 1,692Oct 3: 686, typical 1,716Oct 4: 544, typical 1,725Oct 5: 525, typical 1,650Oct 6: 482, typical 1,623Oct 7: 555, typical 1,553Oct 8: 514, typical 1,521Oct 9: 443, typical 1,533Oct 10: 713, typical 1,515Oct 11: 381, typical 1,510Oct 12: 207, typical 1,463Oct 13: 316, typical 1,377Oct 14: 399, typical 1,307Oct 15: 291, typical 1,234Oct 16: 276, typical 1,167Oct 17: 250, typical 1,050Sep 18Oct 3Oct 17

Bars are the day's count at Lower Granite through Oct 17. The dashed line is what the date usually brings, the ten-year median.

  • Spring chinook: over for the year, 28,119 passed Lower Granite against a typical 37,000.Season over
  • Summer chinook: over for the year, 7,941 passed Lower Granite against a typical 8,900.Season over
  • Sockeye: over for the year, 221 passed Lower Granite against a typical 730.Season over

When they reach this water

Antennas in the water read tagged fish as they swim past. A best guess is our estimate of the peak; fish seen are dates real fish were actually recorded. Each spot below says whether it sits on this river or on a tributary.

Chinook

  • The South Fork Salmon at the Guard Station

    Salmon River tributary

    Best guess
    July 5 to July 16, peak around July 12
    Fish seen
    May 9 to August 21, and nothing since, so the run there looks over

    Half the chinook run was past Lower Granite by June 23, and they take about 19 days to reach the South Fork Salmon at the Guard Station. Measured over 10 seasons that agree closely.

  • The South Fork Salmon at Krassel Creek

    Salmon River tributary

    Best guess
    July 5 to July 16

Counts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers via Columbia River DART.

, peak around July 13
Fish seen
January 23 to September 7, and nothing since, so the run there looks over

Half the chinook run was past Lower Granite by June 23, and they take about 20 days to reach the South Fork Salmon at Krassel Creek. Measured over 10 seasons that agree closely.

Steelhead

  • The South Fork Salmon at the Guard Station

    Salmon River tributary

    Best guess
    March 25 to April 14, peak around April 6
    Fish seen
    September 23 to October 10

    Half the steelhead run is usually past Lower Granite around October 5, and they take about 183 days to reach the South Fork Salmon at the Guard Station. Measured over 6 seasons that agree closely.

  • The South Fork Salmon at Krassel Creek

    Salmon River tributary

    Best guess
    No call yet: only 2 seasons have had enough tagged fish so far, and it takes three.
    Fish seen
    None tagged here yet this season.

Arrival timing from PIT-tag detections via PTAGIS and Columbia River DART; tagged fish are a sample of the run, never a count.

Guides & Outfitters

Fishing guides, outfitters, shuttles, and shops that operate on the Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan.

No verified providers for this river yet. Browse the full directory.

Access

Hatches on Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan

The Salmon River, Bayhorse Recreation Site to Tappan is a reach of the Salmon River, which has 14 documented insect hatches across spring, summer, fall, and winter. Review seasonal timing and recommended fly patterns to plan productive days on this Idaho water.

Hatch timing for the Salmon River as a whole, not specific to this reach.

Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Midge
Sculpin
Blue-winged Olive
Caddis
Golden Stonefly
Green Drake
Pale Morning Dun
Salmonfly
Yellow Sally
Ant
Beetle
Grasshopper
Trico
October Caddis
PeakActiveSelect a dot for timing and patterns, or a month to focus it.

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