Banks Put-in and Immediate Gorgeon North Fork Payette River
Conditions right now
No USGS gauge is linked to this water yet, so we can't chart flows.
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.
What to tie on at Banks Put-in and Immediate Gorge
Picked from recent reports for this stretch.
October Caddis (Dry)
The highly anticipated October Caddis are also beginning to make their appearance, providing a larger meal for aggressive trout.
Buy at AmazonZebra Midge
The primary winter forage. Black or red colors in small sizes mimic the chironomid larvae active in the North Fork's substrate even in February.
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.
Griffith's Gnat
Perfect for the mid-day midge 'clusters' that occur on the surface when temperatures hover near freezing. This is the most reliable winter dry fly.
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 AmazonLittle Black Stonefly nymph
Winter stoneflies are one of the few larger insects active right now. This makes for an excellent lead fly in a two-fly nymph rig.
Copper John
A high-visibility attractor nymph that works well in cold, clear water as a dropper or reaching the bottom in deeper pools.
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.
Idaho season by season
What changes on the water through the year, with the flies for each season.
Fly shops nearby
Local flies, current advice and guided trips.