Owyhee River Trout
Find Owyhee River trout just 50 miles from Boise, Idaho, the Owyhee River draws fly fishing anglers from all corners of the world. This premier brown trout fishery provides some of the best opportunities to fish dry flies, streamers and nymphs to some very large (Trophy) fish. The Owyhee River is a fairly small river and limited to walk and wade.
Who needs Argentina when you’ve got Owyhee River Trout!
The Owyhee River fishes year round, weather permitting, and is located in a high desert canyon, so in the coldest months it may ice up. The best fishing for Owyhee River trout is found during the spring (great skawala hatch) and summer, traditionally June, July and September have been our most productive months. While the brown trout dominate the food chain on the Owyhee, the rainbow trout population holds its own. Though not plentiful, the rainbows here are as fat as footballs and tough to land. Rainbows in the 18 inch plus range are not uncommon. These large trout can be as finicky as any spring creek fish. Guiding on the Owyhee river is limited to walk and wade, as the river is a small tailwater fishery with good access. Wet wading is not realistic as the water coming out of the dam is very cold. The vast smorgasbord of insects provide the food source for the abundant fish population. Not only are there great numbers of fish, but also great numbers of large fish. The average size of the brown trout are 17-21 inches with a few monsters at 2 feet plus. Vacationing, meetings, business in Boise, Idaho? Looking for things to do while spending time in Treasure Valley? Spend an exciting day reeling in Owyhee River trout with professional, experienced fishing guides. Enjoy catching 18-21″ trout? Our guides often know them by name! Join us on the Owyhee for a full day of fun!
Spawning Fish
Due to our own environmental and social concerns, we do not guide on the Owyhee during the spawning period of October and November. Join us on the Grande Ronde for some fabulous dry fly steelhead fishing! Most often, brown trout choose spawning sites with gravel bottoms and highly oxygenated water flow. By whipping her tail, the female digs a shallow pit in the gravel bed of a riffle, then deposits 4,000 to 12,000 eggs into the nest, or redd. After the male deposits his milt into the pit, fertilizing the eggs, the female moves upstream to make another. While making another redd, the displaced gravel covers the eggs downstream, thus protecting them throughout the winter. The eggs develop slowly over the winter months, hatching in the spring. Both the female and the male may spawn at the same site several times. Please keep our resource available for the next generation, tread lightly!
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