Payette River Idaho Fly Fishing

The Payette River flows through southwestern Idaho for about 175 miles and eventually dumps into the Salmon River. The Payette is a popular trout fishing spot as well as other fish. Due to drastic changes in elevation, there is a range of habitats which support both warm and cold water fish.

The Payette River originates in the Sawtooth and Salmon River mountains at over 10,000 feet in elevation. The river flows all the way to the city of Payette which sits at only 2,125 feet. With such as extreme change in elevation, the river is able to support cold and warm water fish species. Mountain whitefish are the most commonly found, along with smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie and rainbow trout. Upstream from the Black Canyon Dam, there are more coldwater species. The South Fork of the Payette supports a hefty population of wild rainbow trout and is therefore on of the most popular fishing and recreation spots in the area. The North Fork has been damaged and changed due to railroad and highway construction and is no longer good for fishing. Yet, a protected area called the Cabarton reach is popular for fishing salmonids.