After a long winter, I bet many of us are suffering from cabin fever and are eager to go steelhead fishing. Late winter is a dynamic time on the upper Salmon River, with constantly changing river and weather conditions. This year is no exception, so hopefully, this river condition report will keep everyone informed about what to expect in the coming weeks.

This time of year, we receive many calls from anglers inquiring about the status of the Deadwater ice jam. As of Monday, February 27, the ice jam remains in place and covers the river from Deadwater to the Tower Creek boat ramp. This winter, the ice jam reached its greatest extent just upstream of the Morgan Bar boat ramp, but it did not reach the Carmen Bridge. Due to the ice, all boat ramps between Deadwater and Morgan Bar are currently unusable. Fish and Game crews will clear our ramps (Red Rock, 4th of July, Bobcat, and North Fork) once the river opens to below North Fork, and the likelihood of the ice jam building back upstream is low. As in previous years, we will issue a separate report once the ice jam breaks up through Deadwater.