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Idaho

Clearwater River fishing guide

This Idaho river system holds Mountain Whitefish, Steelhead, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Bull Trout, Brown Trout, and Cutthroat Trout. Anglers can launch boats at five ramps—Kooskia Bridge, Long Camp, Kamiah City Park, Steelhead Park, and Button Beach—or fish from public bank access available at several locations along the water.

Satellite view of Clearwater River

Current conditions

As of September 1, 2026, Clearwater River is running around 10,100 cfs with water around 52°F. Conditions look good for fishing right now.

State
Idaho
Public access
Yes
Access points
12
Species recorded
13

These conditions are read from our data about once a day and may not reflect the current moment. For real-time conditions, open Guidepole Fish.

Map of boat launches and public access points on Clearwater River
Launch Access
Boat launches and public access on Clearwater River. Tap a marker for directions. Full interactive map + live conditions in the app.

Public access & launches

Extensive public bank access along the Clearwater River, computed from public land ownership and hydrography.

  • Button Beach Boat Ramp
    Boat launch
  • Kooskia Bridge Boat Ramp
    Boat launch
  • Long Camp Boat Ramp
    Boat launch
  • Kamiah City Park Boat Ramp
    Boat launch
  • Lenore Rest Area Boat Ramp
    Boat launch
  • Gibbs Eddy Boat Ramp
    Boat launch
  • North Fork Access
    Boat launch
  • Steelhead Park Boat Ramp
    Boat launch
  • Pink House
    Boat launch
  • Harpers Bend Access
    Boat launch
  • Upper Hog Boat Ramp
    Boat launch
  • Cherrylane Boat Ramp
    Boat launch

Regulations

  • GeneralSection: From the upper end of flat water of Dworshak Reservoir upstream

    See Page 19 for fishing season, bag and possession limits, and rules that apply to all waters within the Clearwater Region

  • TroutSection: From the mouth upstream to the Clearwater River Bridge at Orofino
    Bag
    6

    Barbless hooks required; only trout with a clipped adipose fin, as evidenced by a healed scar, may be kept; no harvest of Cutthroat Trout; fishing between posted boundaries 100 yards upstream and downstream from the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery Ladder (near Cherry Lane Bridge) and extending into the river channel 50 yards is prohibited; fishing from the shoreline or wading along the perimeter of Dworshak National Fish Hatchery is prohibited

  • TroutSection: From the mouth upstream to the Clearwater River Bridge at Orofino
    Season
    December 1 through Friday before Memorial Day weekend
    Bag
    catch-and-release
    Gear
    no bait allowed except maggots

    Trout catch-and-release only during this period

  • TroutSection: From the mouth upstream to the Clearwater River Bridge at Orofino
    Season
    Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through November 30
    Bag
    2
    Size
    no Cutthroat Trout under 14 inches
    Gear
    no bait allowed
  • Trout
    Bag
    2
  • Trout
    Bag
    2
  • All species
    Season
    September 1 through April 30

    No motors allowed

  • TroutSection: From the Clearwater River Bridge at Orofino upstream to the confluence of the South Fork and Middle Fork Clearwater rivers
    Bag
    6

    Only trout with a clipped adipose fin, as evidenced by a healed scar, may be kept; no harvest of Cutthroat Trout

  • Trout
    Season
    December 1 through Friday before Memorial Day weekend
    Bag
    catch-and-release
  • Trout
    Season
    Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through November 30
    Bag
    2
    Size
    none under 14 inches

As of 2026-08-28.Guidance, not legal advice — always confirm current rules with the state.Official Idaho regulations

What’s in it

Smallmouth BassnativeNorthern PikeminnownativeChinook SalmonnativeRainbow TroutnativeSteelheadnativeCoho SalmonnativeBlack CrappienativeMountain WhitefishnativeBullhead CatfishnativePumpkinseednativeSeatrout (Freshwater)nativeBluegillnative

Recorded in/near this water. Occurrence-based unless a higher-confidence source is shown — see it per-species in the app.

More Idaho fishing

American Falls ReservoirBig Wood RiverBlackfoot ReservoirBoise RiverCoeur d'Alene LakeCoeur d'Alene RiverDworshak ReservoirHenrys ForkAll Idaho waters →

Idaho field notes

Boise's Ridge to Rivers: 210+ Miles of Trail Starting at the Edge of Town

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Boise's Ridge to Rivers: 210+ Miles of Trail Starting at the Edge of Town

A single managed system of more than 210 miles of trail runs from the north edge of downtown up into the foothills and keeps going to a ski area at 7,000 feet. You can start a hike from a city park and finish above the treeline without ever leaving it.

How to Fish Sun Valley, Idaho: A Beginner's Guide to Silver Creek, the Big Wood River, and Idaho's Premier Fly Fishing

Sun Valley, ID

How to Fish Sun Valley, Idaho: A Beginner's Guide to Silver Creek, the Big Wood River, and Idaho's Premier Fly Fishing

Everything a first-timer needs to fish Sun Valley — Silver Creek's legendary spring creek trout, Big Wood River freestone fly fishing, South Fork Boise tailwater, high mountain lakes, gear setups, and practical details for visiting anglers.

Backpacking the Sawtooths: Idaho's Alpine Lake Basins, Loop by Loop

Stanley, ID

Backpacking the Sawtooths: Idaho's Alpine Lake Basins, Loop by Loop

Forty-odd named peaks over 10,000 feet, more than 300 alpine lakes, and a wilderness permit that is free and self-issued at the trailhead. No lottery, no reservation, no fee. Idaho's best range asks almost nothing of you administratively and a great deal of you physically.

Anywhere, ID

Tying the Pale Morning Dun: Four Patterns for the Hatch That Humbles Everyone

The PMD hatch turns Western rivers into a clinic in frustration — trout feeding everywhere, refusing everything. Here are four PMD patterns that solve the emerger problem, the cripple problem, the dun problem, and the subsurface problem, with the recipes and the history behind each one.

Fly Fishing the Henry's Fork: Railroad Ranch, Box Canyon, and the River That Tests Everything You Think You Know

Island Park, ID

Fly Fishing the Henry's Fork: Railroad Ranch, Box Canyon, and the River That Tests Everything You Think You Know

The Henry's Fork of the Snake River is the most technically demanding dry-fly water in America. The Railroad Ranch section will humble you. The Box Canyon will overpower you. And the hatches will keep you coming back for decades.

Sun Valley Fishing: Silver Creek, Big Wood River, and the Spring Creek That Changed Fly Fishing

Sun Valley, ID

Sun Valley Fishing: Silver Creek, Big Wood River, and the Spring Creek That Changed Fly Fishing

Sun Valley is a ski town with three world-class trout fisheries within 30 minutes — including Silver Creek, the spring creek that helped define modern dry-fly fishing in America.

Clearwater River fishing — FAQ

Can you fish the Clearwater River?

Yes — the Clearwater River in Idaho has public access (extensive public bank access). Open the guide to see the public access, launches, and current regulations.

Do you need a license to fish the Clearwater River?

Yes — Idaho requires a valid fishing license for most fishing. The current official state regulations are linked on this page.

What fish are in the Clearwater River?

Species recorded in the Clearwater River include Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pikeminnow, Chinook Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Steelhead. The full list is on this page.

Where can you access the Clearwater River?

Access points include Button Beach Boat Ramp, Kooskia Bridge Boat Ramp, Long Camp Boat Ramp. See every launch and access site on this page.

Guidepole Fish

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