Fishing

When Lewis and Clark passed through Idaho on their way to the Pacific in 1805, Idaho's rivers and streams supported about 4 million wild salmon and steelhead (ocean-going rainbow trout). The mighty Snake, Salmon and Clearwater rivers produced some of the greatest chinook salmon and steelhead runs on earth. And in Sun Valley, you can experience the wild of the rivers as they did over a hundred years ago at famed spots such as Silver Creek, The Big Wood, The Big Lost, Copper Basin and The Little Wood.

Considered the original backdrop and inspiration for Hemingway's famed character, Nick Drake, Sun Valley really is the divine destination for fly-fishing. Whether you are looking for remote high mountain streams or lowland desert reservoirs, you will find trophy cutthroat trout, bass for the masters and much more.

From jewel-like alpine lakes to the streams flowing in the bottoms this country's deepest canyons, trout in all their forms lure anglers to Idaho waters. Idaho's salmon and steelhead journey further inland than almost any other salmon. Salmon born in the Sawtooth Mountains must swim up to 1,000 miles to the Pacific Ocean where they grow to upwards of 40 lbs and 4 feet long. After spending 1 to 3 years in the ocean, they use their acute sense of smell and the earth's magnetic fields to find the mouth of the Columbia River and make the heroic 1000-mile-long journey back to the place they were hatched.

The providers listed below will have all the equipment, expert information, and excellent guide services to make your fishing experience memorable.

If you'd like to learn how to flyfish, consider joining Sturtevant's Mountain Outfitters on Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. at Atkinson's park throughout the summer for a free clinic.  Silver Creek Outfitters also offers a free clinic in the summer on Tuesdays through Saturdays in front of the Sun Valley Lodge from 5:30 - 6:30pm.