St. Joe River (Idaho)

[st.croixguy]

Any one have any info on the condition of the St. Joe river? Am planning a trip for mid July and was worring about the late runnoff and river condition.


SCG

[Eric-WD]

I hate to say it but our local fly shop can't keep wooly buggers in stock, as everyone is fishing bass in the rivers down here. All the trout water is still real high. I can't believe that the St Joe is going to be good.

this site might tell you more

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/id/nwis/uv...cd=00065,00060

Eric

[JohnScott]

SCG -

I haven't fished the St. Joe and I don't really pay much attention to it. But I've been on the Selway and Lochsa, which are in the same neighborhood. Considering the snowpack in that part of the state and what is happening right now on those two rivers, and looking at the data on the St. Joe at the location Eric posted ( running 7,000 CFS compared to a long term mean of 2,000 CFS ), I doubt that it will be "fishable" in a couple weeks ??

The St. Joe has probably hit peak flows and the graph shows its dropping steadily, just like most other rivers around the state and in Western Montana. But dropping to a normal late run off condition in two weeks ?? Just doesn't seem likely.

John

[flybinder]

SCG:
After having the "Shadowy St.Joe" as my home water, for 16 years, I've seen it in a lot of stages of bad run off, but this year seems to be one of its worst in a while.
If it's still running at a hair less then 7,000 (as of 07/02-per Eric's great link), as low down as Calder, I don't think the upper reaches,like "Tin Can Flats" up to "Red Ives", will even begin to get fishable to any degree until at least the very end of July-first of August.
If you can possibly re-arrange your trip, the best fishing, (strictly from my own fishing on the river and everyone's fishing is of course, different!), is the very end of August, on into September.

[st.croixguy]

Thanks for the info, and the link.

In the past, around the 4th of july has always been good fishing on "The Joe" for me. Even when the flow was on the high side, that time of year has "worked" for me.

I am locked into the second weekend in July, not beacuse it was my first choice, but because it is the only choice, if I am to get over there this year it has to be then.

Oh well, maby we can get some sightseeing and photo ops in if it is un-fishable. It is such a beautiful part of the country. You northern "Idahoans" are lucky people indeed!

SCG

[Joel D. Popham]

As of today the river is still running high, about 6350 cfs at Calder. but the following was posted on the ID F&G site....

RIVER AND STREAM FISHING: Fly fishing on the CDA River was good last weekend. Fly fishermen are using dry flies, but nymphing is also a good tactic in these early, high water periods. Cutthroat and cutbows are striking on stimulators, greendrakes, copper johns, prince nymphs and attractor patterns-anything big is working well for 12" to 18" fish on the Coeur d'Alene, Saint Joe and Clark Fork rivers. The water is cold on the Saint Joe but it should be warming up as the week progresses. Fishing is the best from Avery down. You can now get into the upper river through Clark Fork. Green Drakes, BWO?s, and Golden Stones are all making their appearance.

Best Regsrds....

[Shaky Wadr]

You may just be hitting it right. The Joe has been high but has just fallen into the fishable range. I am planning on going up there myself about the 14th. check out the link. This site maintains a reliable river report on the St. Joe that is updated frequently.

http://clarkforktrout.com

[Tylersaurus Rex]

I just got back from two days on the river. The lower Joe is still very high. At Turner Flats campground, milepost 57, it's high but wadeable, though things are still a little washed out. Higher up, say around milepost 65, things are looking pretty, and a lot of the holes are starting to come into their own. The important thing is that the water level is dropping quickly -- from 6000 to 3000 in the last week. By this time next week, it should be awesome.

[st.croixguy]

Thanks rex,
That is good news! You made my day.

SCG

[flybinder]

Thanks, VERY, much for the report on "The Shadowy St.Joe"!
I've been sweating the runoff, planning my next trip up there in a short while. Looks like from Prospector Creek on up to Red Ives Ranger station, should be fishable very soon and right on time!