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Giving birth to a huge and diverse waterway, Palisades
Dam creates the lower half of the South Fork of the Snake
River located in South-eastern Idaho. The river is known
for being an outstanding tail-water fishery for cutthroat,
brown, and rainbow trout. Quality hatches bring excellent
numbers of hungry fish to the surface throughout the
season. The area in which the South Fork flows through
is also beautiful and very scenic. Bald Eagles are often
seen along this dynamic river.
From Palisades Dam the river flows with great volume.
Being a large river it provides tremendous habitat
for its great population of cutthroat and brown trout.
It also has a small population of rainbow trout as
well. Many anglers consider it one of the finest trout
fisheries in the country with the potential of being
the best if it is not already. Trout to twenty inches
are fairly common with brown trout in this river system
at times breaking the twenty four inch mark. It has
tail-water characteristics with deep pools, slick runs,
and well oxygenated riffles along with many islands
and braids. |
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The lower river from Conant access to its junction with
the Henry's Fork is approximately forty nine miles long.
The first part of this stretch (approximately 24 miles)
is taken up mostly by a big canyon in which the river
leaves Route 23. Here access becomes better for float
fishermen as foot access is a little more difficult.
Below Heise bridge, which is a few miles below the canyon,
the river begins to widen even more as it flows through
abundant farmland. Cottonwoods line the banks and provide
some beautiful scenery along with the spectacular surrounding
mountains. Brown trout become more prevalent through
this stretch and the rest of the river to its junction
with the Henry's Fork, some of which are trophy size.
Check the Special Regulations area's
before heading out.
Access to the river is generally best for float fishermen
which is the case on most large tail-water and freestone
rivers. Wade fishermen can find good fishing, however,
where side channels exist, where angling from the bank
is possible, or where wading is easy. Some areas are
just too swift and deep for wading anglers to be successful.
The fall, when water flows are generally much lower,
is the best time for wade fishermen to have outstanding
dry-fly fishing. Numerous boat and foot access points
are found along its length from the dam to Lorenzo
near the junction with the Henry's Fork. Both wade
and float fishermen are to be advised of this river's
dangerous potential. Swift currents, deep pools, irrigation
diversion dams, and large eddies along with other threats
are all capable of being a hazard to any angler. Wade
safe and know the float you are doing along with its
precautions.
Hatches on the river are not overwhelming with diversity
but the flies that do hatch come off in tremendous
numbers. Some of mayflies that exist on this river
include Blue-winged
Olive (baetis), Pale Morning Duns, and Mahogany
Duns as well as a few other less significant hatches.
Stoneflies include Golden Stones, Salmon Flies, and
Yellow Sallies. Caddis are abundant as well and terrestrials
are of extreme importance. Midges fish well from fall
to spring.
The South Fork of the Snake is a large diverse river.
The scenery is spectacular and the fishing is equal.
Anglers come from all over to fish its waters for its
large population of trophy trout. It is a quality fishery
with a diversity of tactics that work effectively on
it. This means that anglers off all skill levels can
come here and enjoy its great potential. The closest
commercial airports are in Idaho Falls or Jackson Hole,
Wyoming. |
