North Fork Payette River
river in Idaho
Steep-gradient freestone with summer hatches and productive dry/nymph fishing, especially in the Banks to Smiths Ferry corridor and side creeks.
What's working on North Fork Payette River
- 01North Fork Payette River is likely in its 'magic period' of manageable flows for excellent fall fishing.
- 02Terrestrials (hoppers, ants, beetles) are still active, providing opportunistic feeding.
- 03October Caddis are beginning to hatch, offering large dry fly opportunities.
- 04Blue-Winged Olives (BWOs) and Mahogany Duns are consistently emerging, creating technical dry fly and emerger fishing.
- 05Concentrate fishing efforts upriver from the railroad crossing near Banks to Big Eddy Campground.
- 06A dry-dropper rig with a terrestrial/October Caddis dry and a BWO nymph/emerger dropper is highly effective.
Past reports week by week
9 weeksWhat to tie on
Picked from reports, hatches and the season. Tap a fly for the recipe and where else it works.
October Caddis (Dry)
The highly anticipated October Caddis are also beginning to make their appearance, providing a larger meal for aggressive trout.
Buy at AmazonBlue-Winged Olive Comparadun (BWO)
Blue-Winged Olives (BWOs) are emerging consistently, especially on overcast days, along with sporadic Mahogany Duns, creating technical dry fly and emerger fishing for selective trout.
Travis Hi-Vis BWO Para Emerger
Blue-Winged Olives (BWOs) are emerging consistently, especially on overcast days, along with sporadic Mahogany Duns, creating technical dry fly and emerger fishing for selective trout.
Jujubaetis
Nymphing is the most successful tactic for Rainbow Trout on this river, and Jujubaetis effectively imitates active BWO nymphs, a consistent food source.
Buy at AmazonBeetle
Terrestrials, such as beetles, are still making their presence felt, providing opportunistic trout with substantial meals as they drop from streamside vegetation.
Schroeder’s Parachute Hopper
Terrestrials, such as hoppers, are still making their presence felt, providing opportunistic trout with substantial meals as they drop from streamside vegetation.
Flashback Hare's Ear Nymph
A versatile general searching nymph, mimicking various active aquatic insects, which is crucial given that nymphing is the most successful tactic on the North Fork Payette.
Tungsten Bead Pat's Rubber Legs
Large stonefly nymphs are a year-round, high-calorie food source in freestone rivers like the North Fork Payette, making this a reliable subsurface choice for actively feeding trout.
Buy at AmazonWhere to fish and who to ask
Banks Put-in and Immediate Gorge
Common put-in for float and wade trips with immediate productive runs and pocket water.
Lake Fork / Little North Fork Confluence
Side creek confluence known to hold trout and produce good insect activity in summer.
Smiths Ferry Access
Downriver wade and drift access with multiple public pullouts for anglers and rafters.
Fly shops within 40 miles
TRR Outfitters
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Idaho season by season
What changes on the water through the year, with the flies for each season.
Read before you go
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Quick answers
Common questions about North Fork Payette River.
What flies work best on North Fork Payette River?
Our top scored fly patterns for North Fork Payette River right now are October Caddis (Dry) (95% confidence), Zebra Midge (95% confidence), Blue-Winged Olive Comparadun (BWO) (90% confidence). These picks are scored from recent fishing reports, hatch data, and seasonal patterns.
What fish species are in North Fork Payette River?
North Fork Payette River holds Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout. See the species links on this page for fly recommendations and seasonal behavior for each.
Is North Fork Payette River fishing well right now?
We publish a fresh bite report for North Fork Payette River each week based on recent on-the-water intel. The current report — with conditions, hatches, and what's producing — is on this page.