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Stanley to Challis. The River of No Return: steelhead in spring, cutthroat and chinook water all summer. The river tops out around 10 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
On the chart, Salmon River (Upper) draws 3,564 acres inside 117.4 miles of shoreline. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 14) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Tip to tip the water measures near 40.8 mi with a 13.3-mi widest point. The water lies in Custer County. For a second option, Cape Horn Lake #1 lies 28 mi west.
Spring steelhead on Salmon River (Upper) hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 10 ft in summer, 3 to 10 ft once it turns cold. Put Current seam (mile 19.2) first on the milk run — a current seam near 6 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 19.2) (6 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 19.2) (6 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Sunbeam Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 19.2) (6 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: chinook salmon in 1 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 10 ft through summer, 3 to 10 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Sunbeam Dam tailrace, a dam tailrace in the 9 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Sunbeam Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Sunbeam Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Sunbeam Dam tailrace (9 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Sunbeam Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 3 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 10 ft through summer, 2 to 10 ft in winter. The spot to know is Current seam (mile 19.2), a current seam in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 19.2) (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 19.2) (6 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 19.2) (6 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 19.2) (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Early season cutthroat trout use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 10 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 10 ft. The chart's best answer is Current seam (mile 19.2) — current seam, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 19.2) (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 19.2) (6 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 19.2) (6 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 19.2) (6 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Salmon River (Upper) carries 28 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Sunbeam Dam tailrace, about 9 ft down.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Idaho waters are set by the Idaho Fish and Game — and special regulations can apply to Salmon River (Upper) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Idaho fishing regulations →
Salmon River (Upper) is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target steelhead, chinook salmon, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout on Salmon River (Upper).
Current seam (mile 19.2) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for steelhead in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For steelhead, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Salmon River (Upper) is regulated by the Idaho Fish and Game. Check the official Idaho regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Cape Horn Lake #1 28 mi · Yellow Belly Lake 29 mi · Pettit Lake 30 mi · Perkins Lake 33 mi · Toxaway Lake 34 mi · Bull Trout Lake 35 mi · Deadwood Reservoir 55 mi · Magic Reservoir 74 mi · Reservoir Lake 76 mi, MT · Anderson Ranch Reservoir 76 mi · Morrison Lake 77 mi, MT · Cascade Reservoir 78 mi
See how Salmon River (Upper) stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Idaho · best chinook salmon lakes in Idaho · best steelhead lakes in Idaho · best cutthroat trout lakes in Idaho
Browse all Idaho fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.