Salmon River

Winter is here in a big way and the river hasn’t been fishable in the Challis area for awhile now. Today it looks great due to warmer temperatures yesterday and today, but it is supposed to be cooler again this weekend so it will probably be running slush again. There are steelhead here, and any time the water is slush-free there’s a chance of catching one. Just fish slow and deep with dark flies or bait such as shrimp or nightcrawlers.

Mackay Reservoir

Reports from ice fishermen for Mackay reservoir have been great, with plenty of limits of kokanee caught in the mornings. Don’t forget, the kokanee limit is 15 fish, and you can fill that bag with this jig-

A pink Rat Finkee tipped with mealworm, wax worm or spike. Tube jigs in pink also work well, and tying one of these on to a Swedish Pimple can be just the extra attraction needed.

Jimmy Smith Lake

Jimmy Smith lake is a great winter ice fishing destination that requires a short hike, or a four wheeler can be used on the trail. It has an abundant population of rainbow trout which allows it to have a 25 fish bag limit. Fishermen have been reporting great success recently, with some decent sized (12-14 inch) red meat fish. Small jigs tipped with bait work just fine- these fish aren’t terribly picky.

Give us a call for directions and the latest fishing updates!