IDFG closes steelhead harvest in the Clearwater River basin due to low returns

Idaho Fish and Game is closing all steelhead harvest in the Clearwater River basin, effective at the end of fishing hours on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Anglers will still be able to fish for steelhead in the Clearwater River basin under catch-and-release regulations, but harvest of steelhead will be closed for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Steelhead returns have been historically low this year, and counts of steelhead passing Bonneville Dam are the lowest ever recorded since the dam was construction in 1938. Snake River stocks - including returns to the Clearwater - are also near historic lows and management actions are required to meet hatchery broodstock needs.

The steelhead harvest season has been open in the Clearwater River since early September and during the last month anglers have harvested the majority of the allowable share of hatchery fish returning to the Clearwater Basin. Closing the fishery now will allow anglers to fish for steelhead under catch-and-release regulations to avoid shutting the rivers down entirely.

For more information on steelhead fishing, check out Idaho Fish and Game's Fall Steelhead Fishing webpage.