General Fishing Report

We're finally into May and it's starting to look and feel more like spring (even somewhat summerish at times) in the valley. Unfortunately, fishing options are a bit limited this time of year. Steelheading is all but over, and as you can imagine most folks are focusing their attention on the Owyhee River since it's the best/closest option.

I've been on the river a few times since the last report and conditions are improving. The water's still a bit off color but the fish don't seem to mind. With these warmer days we're seeing a lot more Yellow Sally and Caddis activity -- Caddis Emergers early on and adults into the evening hours. Midges and BWOs are on the wane, but are still popping on cooler days.

Hatch cycles are shifting on the river so look for your best opportunities later in the day. Afternoons have been great around 3:00 PM on to dusk. As is typical, conditions are only going to improve as heat becomes more consistent and we move further into summer.

That said, limiting factors are putting a lot of pressure on fish. Please be sure to land quickly and handle with care (i.e., popping your fly out quickly, keeping fish in the water, not man-handling and flopping them up on the banks, and so on). I came across a few fish belly up on the bottom this week and I'm pretty certain 'natural causes' had nothing to do with their demise. Is the perfect photo worth a waste of 20+ inch fish? Nope.

Anyhow, hope you're getting out this week and enjoying some of this great weather. Check updates on your favorite rivers below. If you've got some time, share a pic with us on the 'Cork Board' page.