McCall Idaho Headline News

FISHING REPORT
Fishing is hitting on all cylinders throughout the area just in time for the Independence Day holiday, according to fishing guides and angling retail outlet owners in the area.

Chinook salmon season begins today on the South Fork of the Salmon River from the mouth of Goat Creek upstream to a sign about 100 yards from the Idaho Fish and Game salmon trap.

The salmon are beginning to show up at the department's salmon trap.

MOUNTAIN LAKES, N.E. PAYETTE RIVER & BACKCOUNTRY STREAMS
Fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout in the alpine lakes in the region is great right now, said Robert Monroe, owner of McCall Angler.

Monroe reported that trout fishing has slowed on the North Fork of the Payette River below McCall, but it is picking up in the faster water in the river below the Upper Payette Lake dam.

Rainbow trout are biting.

Monroe also reports that every report he has received from anglers on backcountry streams has been outstanding.

LAKE CASCADE
Anglers using pop gear while trolling for rainbow trout and Coho salmon are finding greater success this week in Lake Cascade, said Tom McGlashen of Tackle Tom's in Cascade. Anglers finding a lot of success in the Sugarloaf area of the lake.

Kerry Brennan of Salmon River Outfitters confirmed McGlashen's optimistic trout and Coho report. Brennan caught several fat 14-inch Coho and a few larger rainbow trout while on the lake this week while trolling with pop gear.Perch anglers are still having great success catching perch in the restored. fishery, though McGlashen reports that bank anglers may be having more difficulty than boat anglers may.

Smallmouth bass fishing is still going well on the lake, soft plastics and spinner baits are working well right now, he said.

HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR
Anglers are catching their limits of rainbow and brown trout at the reservoir within 60 to 90 minutes, McGlashen said.

The reservoir never did fill completely this spring from runoff. It was drained last fall and Rotenone, a fish poison, was applied to rid the lake of perch that were transplanted illegally. The lake was restocked with catchable size rainbow and brown trout this spring.

SALMON RIVER
Bass anglers are beginning to find success on the Salmon River near Riggins, Brennan said.
Brennan said the river is "in between" right now. The bass have not really begun to take to anglers' offerings.

The Chinook salmon season recently ended on the river and on the Little Salmon River in Riggins. Brennan also said that Native Americans ended their fishing for Chinook salmon last week.

Brennan is now looking forward to the steelhead trout that should begin arriving in September.