Wet weather and rising rivers, March 31,2012

 

Good Morning Everyone!
Well, we asked for more precip and we got it, but down in the valleys it has all fallen in the form of rain! Enough already! We need some colder temperatures to bring our rivers back down and to ensure a good steelhead season! 
Right now, the SWE, the gauge of how much water is in the snow pack, has actually declined. A lot of the snotel sites are below the snow level so this reading does not really tell the tale of the incredible amounts of snow we have received in the past 3 weeks. The SnowWaterEquivalent is down to 94% now, but don't let that fool you! A lot of snow is lurking up in the high country waiting for the Spring melt. We have received another 12" of snow on Baldy in the past 48 hrs.
The precip gauge much more accurately shows what's been happening! In to he Big Wood Basin, we are now up to 114%, and it's still coming down!
All this rain has wreaked havoc on our rivers! The last day of fishing on the Wood might very well be a wash,but get out there and take a peek! If it's not off-color, you can have some great midge action, midges love this kind of weather! Temps should start dropping below the freezing level, turning rain to snow.

The Salmon River below Yankee Fork is big and getting bigger as well.


 What this means is fishing below Yankee Fork will be tricky at best. I'm sure Scott can make it work in the upper water, he knows that river like the back of his hand, but if you were planning on heading up there today, I would postpone till it cools down a bit!
If you don't know the upper water very well, it will be tough to catch a fish up there right now.
The good news is, this will get the fish moving bringing more fish up above the Yankee Fork and making it easier to catch a steelhead when the weather cools down again. Here is a link to  view the forecast:
forecast discussion NWS Pocatello
 Remember, if you'd like some help catching a steelie, we still have openings for guide trips and even to stay at our beautiful Stanley Steelhead Lodge!
Stay dry out there,and see you on the river!