Wade Fishing the South Fork of the Snake River

by: Shaun Lawson

What? Wading the South Fork? It's unheard of, right? No, you don't have to have a drift boat attached to your fanny to be successful here. Actually, the South Fork offers the wade fisherman a variety of water to explore and fish. The most convenient way to do it though is by using a drift boat for transportation from gravel bar to gravel bar and side channel to side channel. But you don't need to have a boat. In fact, at times a drift boat can be somewhat of an inconvenience. Some of the floats are so long that floating does not allow one much time to wade and explore,that is unless you like taking out at midnight!

Wade fishing allows you to be mobile, and actually cover more different areas than boat fishing. It is possible to fish the channels around Fall Creek in the morning and drive to Warm Springs near Burns Creek to catch the evening caddis hatch. You would never be able to fish these two areas in the same day out of a drift boat. Wading is by far the best way to successfully cover the water. The South Fork has hundreds of islands and gravel bars that form miles and miles of side channels. These side channels and gravel bars are where most of the fish congregate to feed, especially during the mayfly and caddis hatches. You can meticulously comb the water and cover every nook and cranny that might hold a fish. Flying by the bank in a drift boat makes it hard to hit every spot that you would like to. Fishing in the side channels gives you the feel that you are actually on a small stream, and provides a way to get away from the flotilla that sometimes seems to fill the main channel.

When wading, please exercise extreme caution. Please don't come with the attitude that you are "Wilt the Stilt". The South Fork is a big powerful river and you can get into trouble even while fishing the side channels. Do not walk close to the water in areas that the river is obviously cutting into the bank, especially in the main channel. These areas are very unstable, and a fall into the water could be life threatening. During June and July the river generally runs very high, at times near 20,000 c.f.s. At the higher flows there are channels that have water and fish in them that are devoid of both in the fall. The higher water makes it harder to find wading spots, but not impossible.

There are several small creeks in the area that have good fishing and are easy to wade. Rainey, Fall, Bear, Pine and Palisades are a few of the ones that fish the best. They all have similar fishing with fish averaging in the 10-12 inch range. It is not uncommon at all to find fish nearing the 18 inch range in some of these creeks. Generally, you can't go wrong with a hopper or small attractor pattern of some kind. The best time of year to plan a wade only trip to the South Fork is in late summer and fall. By August, the flows are generally around 10,000 c.f.s., and by October and November the river drops down to around 2,000 c.f.s. - a far cry from the raging torrent often associated with June. The fall is certainly prime time for wade fishing. At 2,000 c.f.s., it is even possible to wade all the way across the river in some spots! The fishing seems to just get better late in the season and after Labor Day the crowds really start to thin down.

The best areas for wading on the upper river are near the confluence of Fall Creek on the South side of the river, and Rainey Creek on the North side. There are also a few channels that can be accessed around the Spring Creek Bridge. If you do not have a boat, the first ten miles of the Canyon are inaccessible. The lower river provides several wading options. There is a road that follows the river on the North side starting at the Heise Bridge and goes for about 12 miles all the way up the river to Black Canyon. This area provides the wade fisherman with the most available and accessible water. There are numerous side channels that can be accessed here, and most of the land along the road is public. A great way to get to some of the more difficult spots in this area is to use a pontoon boat to cross swift and impassable water between the road and the islands and bars in the middle of the river.

There are sportsman access points at Heise Bridge, Twin Bridges, Lorenzo and Menan. There are also many private access points along the river, however, please make certain to obtain permission before any attempt is made to utilize these areas. Currently, the wade fishing on the South Fork is very overlooked and underutilized. It is a great river that has some unbelievable fishing. Don't miss out on the South Fork experience just because you don't have a boat. Come see us, or give us a call, and we will be happy to help get you pointed in the right direction.