Self-Guided Fishing Packages

Self-Guided Fishing Packages

May - July

From May to early July, outdoor enthusiasts from around the world come to River Dance Lodge to paddle America's best and wildest whitewater on the Lochsa River. During this time of year elk are moving to the high country, bears are having their cubs, turkeys roam the green fields around our lodge and wildflowers begin to bloom in the mountains and meadows. After the river peaks in late May and early June, the fishing season starts on the Clearwater as rainbow and cutthroat trout start to feed heavily on the large golden stone flies.

As the water drops the fishing improves. Depending on the year, the Clearwater River sometimes has a short salmon season as big Chinook swim from the Pacific to the Clearwater and Lochsa to spawn. Cool water temperatures persist into mid-July bringing the Lochsa and Selway rivers into full swing as the native rainbow and cutthroat trout begin to feed more aggressively on a variety of flies and terrestrials. July marks the start of several small mayfly hatches and fish are more apt to feed on the surface. High alpine lakes around our resort provide anglers with a chance to enjoy a scenic hike before having the opportunity to catch their fill of rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout. When you've had enough fishing, swimming, kayaking and rafting, the Clearwater River provides the chance for guests to have a relaxing day close to the lodge. There are ample bird watching opportunities too, with a variety of hawks, eagles and osprey as well as songbirds throughout the region. Mid-August is often marked with the sweet aroma of ripening huckleberries in the mountains, and in a good year, buckets of these delicious berries can be picked in the surrounding area.

August - October

When water temperatures warm to over 72 in the Clearwater, the best fishing is found further up the Lochsa, about an hour's drive from River Dance Lodge. Then, by the third week of August the lower reaches of the Lochsa begin to cool, as does the Selway and Middle Fork of the Clearwater. By early September there's again fantastic fishing within a few miles of the lodge. You can even walk just across the road in front of the lodge to one of our favorite riffles!

As fall approaches, so does steelhead season on the Clearwater. This is also the most productive time of year to land big rainbows and cutthroats that are migrating downstream. Beautiful and distinctive colors begin to illustrate the landscape as the Western Larch and burning bush begin to turn. Visitors are in awe of the bright amber and yellow treed hillsides, the red and rust hillside brush and the golden meadows. Wildlife begins to become more active with the impending cold and elk, deer and turkey are spotted frequently. Rainbow trout are looking to fatten up for the winter and always get their fill on prolific caddis hatches. Oversized steelhead make their voyage from the Pacific Ocean to Idaho and the hunt for these aggressive fighters begins. Many fishermen choose to fish with dry flies to try and trigger an explosive surface bite from these migrating fish. Spey fishermen also find pleasure in swinging flies during this time of year.

As autumn continues, the colors are somewhat dimmer, but still vibrant and high elevation snowfall on the mountain summits adds definition to the views from the cabins. Sitting under a crisp starlit sky while soaking in a hot tub is one of the most memorable experiences for many of our guests. Each cabin is outfitted with a warm fireplace and we have a great collection of books and board games in our Syringa Café.