Clearwater River

GAGE LOCATION

DAY/YEAR
GRAPHS

CURRENT
STAGE/FLOW

WHAT TIME

Palouse

7 30 year

6.40 / 170

10 pm Yest.

N. Fk. Clearwater near Canyon RS

7 30 year

6.10 /

10 pm Yest.

S. Fk. Clearwater at Stites

7 30 year

3.01 / 226

10 pm Yest.

Clearwater Orofino

7 30 year

3.49 / 2870

10 pm Yest.

Clearwater near Peck

7 30 year

4.50 / 4450

10 pm Yest.

Clearwater at Spaulding

7 30 year

3.89 / 5070

10 pm Yest.

CITY

Orofino

NOAA

Accuweather

TWC

Lewiston

NOAA

Accuweather

TWC

The water in January is usually pretty cold, and that works against fly fishers. However, there can be warm stretches when it's worth casting a fly. Expect fluctuations in the river level: if the river is flowing substantially above normal flows or shows a sudden increase, fishing will be poor--but it will become excellent as the river drops and clears. So look for cool, not cold, days; clouds and a little drizzle, but not a deluge; mild but not so warm the snow melts in the mountains; and clearing/dropping flows.

By the time the weather warms up in February, steelhead will be more interested in spawning and should be left alone. Just because you see a bunch of gear heads taking dark spawners off their redds, it doesn't mean you have to join them.