The Lower Salmon River and Lower Hells Canyon see a healthy population of Chukar in the fall. These birds are native to Eastern Europe and the Himalayas, and are at home in rocky terrain with scattered grassy hillsides. They have a unique clucking sound, which is easily identifiable and will become the signal to head for the riverbank! When they were introduced to Idaho, Chukar quickly became bird hunters' game of choice - a challenge to shoot and delicious to eat. The terrain and landscape on our trips is ideal habitat for these birds.

From mid June through September the Salmon River becomes a great smallmouth bass fishery. Anglers will enjoy gorgeous and dramatic river canyons and have the opportunity to fish some of the most pristine waters in the entire western United States. These fish thrive as water temps increase through the summer months making for very exciting fishing. 50+ fish per angler days are not uncommon on the Salmon River. Both fly-fishing and spin fishing techniques allow for both top water and subsurface action. Fish generally range from 1-5 pounds and sure put up a great fight. Full day trips include a delicious riverside lunch and between 7-8 hours of guided fishing. Our guides are professionals, some with decades of Salmon River fishing experience. They'll give you all of the tools you need to battle these fish all day long.

Our trip begins near the town of Whitebird, ID at the Hammer Creek boat ramp. From here our guests set off to fish through remarkable river. Whether you prefer to swing a fly for steelhead or fish tradition gear, we have you covered. Our anglers have the opportunity to fish water that's ideal for all types of angling. Idaho's famous A and B run steelhead make their journey through this section with minimal fishing pressure. The fish here are abundant and aggressive, and our groups often go five days without seeing another angler. We fish this section towards the beginning of the steelhead run, making for some of the best opportunity to catch these fish on a swung fly and sometimes even on dry flies.

Our Single Day Steelhead fishing trips are all day excursions. You can expect to enjoy between eight and ten hours of guided fishing. We generally concentrate our fishing on the river sections above and below the town of Riggins, ID. We have many different float options to give our guests the best odds at catching fish, all while having the best experience possible. Single day trips start around dawn/sunrise at a meeting point agreed upon with your guide, who will communicate with you based on current river and fishing conditions. Anglers will enjoy our deluxe, ultra-comfortable drift boats while floating through the breathtaking Salmon River corridor. Salmon Raft utilizes modern, state of the art fishing equipment to make sure our guests have the best tools for the job at hand (which is of course battling powerful steelhead). Guests are also welcome to use personal fishing equipment, if that is preferred.