Rugged scenery, picture-perfect water and abundant feisty rainbow trout make the Payette River one of the most underrated Idaho fly fishing destinations. Along with its South Fork, which originates near the foot of the Sawtooths, the Payette River is criminally underfished, despite being less than an hour from Boise.
Its lack of popularity is largely a result of misconception. The Payette is seen by many as a whitewater rafting river rather than a fly fishing river, and its often steep canyon walls have created an impression that the river is difficult to access.
In reality, anglers can access both the South Fork and Main Stem Payette Rivers at numerous points. And rainbow trout—some stocked, some wild—provide plenty of opportunities to test your fly fishing skills.
Insect Hatches and Fly Selection
The Payette River doesn’t offer the abundant and reliable insect hatches that can be seen on other Idaho rivers like the Snake or the Salmon. There are some sporadic Caddis hatches on both the South Fork and North Fork during late spring and early summer, but they’re not very dependable.
Luckily, the trout that reside here aren’t usually too picky, though they will sometimes key in on a specific color or pattern for reasons known only to them. The best approach is to carry a selection of common fly patterns in various colors, so you’ll have your bases covered.
- Elk Hair Caddis: A good all-around Caddis imitation, Elk Hair Caddis is one of the best dry flies for the Payette River.
- Annihilator: With a high-visibility body and thick deer hair “wings,” the Annihilator is a great attractor dry fly that has potential any time trout are willing to rise to the surface. It especially resembles a Caddisfly, but is also quite versatile.
- Prince Nymph: The popular and versatile Prince Nymph is an attractor nymph with a flashy look that’s great for attracting trout in fast current. Try a Purple Prince Nymph on days when Payette River trout key in on purple.
- Copper John: Another effective nymph in a wide range of situations, the bead head and segmented body of a Copper John make it good for imitating a range of larvae.
- Green Caddis Larva: This nymph is a perfect imitation of the green-colored larvae of the native Caddisflies on the Payette River, sometimes known as rockworms.
- San Juan Worm: Typically red in color, the Jan Juan Worm is a great “search fly” for covering lots of water, and it works well with a dead drift approach.
Fishing the South Fork Payette
From the point where it trickles out of the Sawtooth Mountains at the confluence of several mountain streams, the green-tinted South Fork Payette gains steam slowly but surely as it picks up the waters of many small tributaries. The rainbow trout in the upper South Fork are wild and mostly on the small side, but this secluded section of the river is a pleasure to fish.
Some of the best fishing is in the 20-or-so miles of the South Fork above the confluence with the Deadwood River in Lowman. There’s an abundance of picture-perfect pocket water throughout this stretch, as well as long runs and pools. Focus your efforts on tailors—the downstream ends of pools and runs where the water slows down and shallows out—and on seams where fast and slow water meets.
The South Fork is amplified by the confluence with the Deadwood River and by the Middle Fork Payette, which enters the river in Garden Valley. The stretch between the mouths of the Deadwood and the Middle Fork flows through a steep canyon, making it beautiful but difficult to access.
The South Fork Payette widens out and gets deeper in its final few miles, and there are bigger trout here, including many over 16 inches. Dry fly fishing can be very good here among the boulders and seams. Stocked rainbows are also more common here.
Fishing the Payette River Main Stem
The South Fork Payette River meets the North Fork Payette River—which emerges from Payette Lake 60 miles north in McCall—to form the river’s main stem in Banks, ID. From there, the Payette River continues south and westward until it eventually empties into the Snake River at the Oregon border.
Lower portions of the Payette River are better for warm water game fish like smallmouth bass and channel catfish, but the upper main stem, particularly near the confluence of the forks in Banks, offers some excellent fishing for rainbow trout as well as mountain whitefish. Hatchery rainbows, which Idaho Fish and Game stocks annually, typically measure 10 to 14 inches. Better still is the North Fork, which is often, and somewhat somewhat confusingly, referred to simply as the Payette River.
Far up the fork in the McCall area, the river is a fairly small, clear water stream with abundant rainbow trout that readily snatch a well-placed dry fly or nymph. There are some bigger wild fish lurking here. The North Fork balloons after passing through Cascade Lake, but when river levels allow, there’s some great fishing in the abundant deep pools and pockets of the North Fork’s final few miles before it merges with the South Fork.
The best bets on the North Fork are to focus on long tailout sections and pocket water. Jumbled rocks and boulders create some great trout habitat here. Drop shot nymphing and Euro nymphing are great tactics to get to know the river, though some lost leaders and tippets due to snags can be expected.
Best Time to Fish
Fall is the best time to fish the main stem of the Payette River, as well as the lower North Fork below Cascade Lake. Throughout the warmer months, the river is simply too high to fish effectively, but the flow from the Cascade Lake dam is reduced in fall, and the fishing is excellent until the river becomes too cold in November.
The South Fork Payette offers a wider window. Spring snowmelt can make conditions challenging until June, but the South Fork typically fishes well throughout the summer and fall months.
Payette River Access
Idaho State Route 55 runs parallel to the Payette River and the North Fork for over 80 miles from McCall down to Horseshoe Bend, and it affords many places where fly anglers can reach the water. The Banks River Access site at the confluence of the North and South Forks is a great starting point, providing fishing access and a put-in for paddlers. Similar sites are located farther down the main stem at Chief Parish and Beehive Bend.
Follow Route 55 upstream about 3 miles from Banks and you’ll come to a bridge across the North Fork near the mouth of Zimmer Creek. This spot, and the railroad bridge slightly downstream, are perfect places to start fishing the lower North Fork.
The South Fork Payette River is perhaps the easiest of all to access. County Highway 17 (Banks Lowman Road) hugs the shoreline from the river’s mouth in Banks up to Lowman, where State Route 21 takes over and follows the rest of the river upstream to its headwaters. You’ll find numerous launch sites, campgrounds and trailheads along the South Fork. Riverside camps like the Deadwood Campground and Helende Campground offer river access as well as camping within Boise National Forest.