Idaho wildlife officials will halt steelhead harvest throughout the Clearwater River basin once fishing hours end on October 21. Catch-and-release angling remains allowed through the rest of the 2026 season. This year's steelhead numbers rank among the weakest on record, and fish counted at Bonneville Dam have never been lower since that facility opened in 1938.

Snake River runs, including those heading to the Clearwater, sit near those same lows, prompting steps to secure enough hatchery spawners. The fishery opened in early September, and anglers have already taken most of the permitted hatchery fish, so ending harvest now keeps the rivers open rather than closing them completely.