Jack W: Snake River - 10/23/2024

October 23, 2024

Of interest to club members and others may be a recent report by the Idaho F&G. This past year 60 confirmed catches of walleye were reported above Lower Granite Dam, with some as far up the Salmon R. as just below Riggins.

In the same report IFG encourages anglers keep and kill ALL walleye they catch in Idaho waters.

Trapping at Lower Granite Dam indicates the average size of walleye is 18" or approximately 2lbs.

Jack and Stan can personally attest to the size of fish as the few times we launched out of Boyer Park to fish below Lower Granite, our average fish were in that 18" to 20" size range. 

There is not a lot of structure in that pool. The fish are scattered out. Anglers need to motor around and try different spots until they get bit. Chartreuse or Perch patterns seem to work well, but I have caught them on yellow or orange rigs as well. If smile blades or butterfly blades on harnesses don't invite a bite, try using #3 or #4 Hammered Gold Colorado blades in place of the plastic ones. The extra thumps of the metal blades tend to coax them into biting when the milder vibrations of the plastic blades do not.