WINTER (DECEMBER - MARCH)

Snake River Sturgeon Fishing

Time of Year: Winter (December - March)

River temps on the Snake River in Hells Canyon can drop into the lower 30’s in the dead of winter. It is not uncommon to see large sheets of ice coming out of the tributary rivers Imnaha R., Salmon R. and Grande Ronde rivers during the winter. These cold temps slow down the metabolism of all the fish in the rivers including the white Sturgeon. Sturgeon will feed very little and tend to bunch up and go fairly dormant to save energy. Our guides here at Hells Canyon Sport Fishing rarely fish for sturgeon during the coldest parts of winter, but for one who’s willing to commit the time and patience Sturgeon can most definitely be caught in the winter. The “Best” bait for winter Sturgeon in my book would be raw Salmon roe. Take the type of netting used to tie up steelhead egg clusters and tie a large Sturgeon version of an egg cluster. Keep in mind you do not want to use eggs cured in Salmon or Steelhead egg cure. Raw eggs seem to work the best, even if they had been previously frozen. Eggs tied up in this netting will stay on the hook well and “Milk Out” in the river leaving a huge scent trial that even cold dormant sturgeon my find to appealing to resist. Look for slower water that is in or near the deeper pools in the river. Bring lots of hot coffee along with really warms cloths and a propane heater. Patience will be the key along with good bait and finding good winter holding water. With a little luck you just may hook up and be warming up sooner than you think!

It’s what we do…..
Fish hard every day – We love what we do so this comes natural.
Take our Job seriously – We are professionals providing a public service.
Doing it right – We put forth the extra effort to make sure every day on the water goes as best as possible.
Take care of and fight for our precious resources – Without rivers full of fish we would be nothing.
Make everyone’s trip special – We are in the business of "Making special memories!"
Pay it forward – We give back to our communities as much as possible because we can and it’s the right thing to do.

At Hells Canyon Sport Fishing we are proud to provide what we feel is a top notch guide service to our clients. A combination of experience, passion and talent all come together right here.

We know that giving an honest 100% and being totally focused will put more fish in the boat at the end of the day. We want to catch more fish than the next guy!

We know to never give up because sometimes by spending that last extra hour on the water can make the whole day. This is true and sometimes going a little above and beyond will make all the difference in our clients fishing experience.

We won’t blow smoke just to get you to book with us. We provide honest fishing reports and do not want you to book if we know fishing will be bad. We try to give you as much information as possible so you can decide if a trip with Hells Canyon Sport Fishing is right for you.

We want to see you catch fish just as much as you do. We do everything we can to put you on fish and put fish in the boat. Our guides won’t just hook fish and then let you reel them in. We want you to hook your own fish and we work hard to make that happen. A boat full of happy clients is our goal each and every day.

Our fish catching ability is well known, but our safety record is just as important to us. All our boats are equipped with lifejacket, first aid kits and other safety equipment. All our guides are trained in CPR and first aid.

Our guides are all licensed in their areas by… The U.S. Coast guard, Idaho Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board, Oregon State Marine board, Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife. All our guide boats are Safe, Licensed, Bonded & Insured for a liability of 2 million.

These are just some of the things we do every day to be the best that we can be. Be Honest; try harder than the next guy and Fish Till It Hurts!

It’s what we do….

Hells Canyon Sport Fishing is a professional outfitter licensed in the great state of Idaho by the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board (license #12808). All services offered in this advertisement are provided by the licensed Outfitter not the individual Guides, Booking Agents or Lodges that may be mentioned in this advertisement. All guides mentioned in this ad are direct employees of Hells Canyon Sport Fishing. Our guides are all licensed captains through the U.S. Coast Guard, CPR and First Aid trained as well as bonded and insured through Hells Canyon Sport Fishing.