St. Joe?

[Jpmiller]

Big, fluffy dry fly on top with a bead head pheasant tail nymph 12"-18" below on a dropper 

This should pretty much handle it. Maybe a lightening bug in place of the PT if there are lots of caddis around. By mid July there should be stoneflies around so big and fluffy gets it done. Plus they're mostly cutthroat so they'll usually hit anything up to and including chicken bones.

Always sure my dad didn't know what he was talking about I never went with the flys he told me. At the end of the day, he my mom and I would all have had about the same luck using whatever we tied on. As I got older I decided fly type was less important, especially there. Can't tell you how many times some old guy would wade or walk past, ask what I was using and tell me that was completely wrong for the river/time of year/temperature and I'd still be doing pretty well with it.

[Pathfinder101]

Big, fluffy dry fly on top with a bead head pheasant tail nymph 12"-18" below on a dropper 

This should pretty much handle it. Maybe a lightening bug in place of the PT if there are lots of caddis around. By mid July there should be stoneflies around so big and fluffy gets it done. Plus they're mostly cutthroat so they'll usually hit anything up to and including chicken bones.

Always sure my dad didn't know what he was talking about I never went with the flys he told me. At the end of the day, he my mom and I would all have had about the same luck using whatever we tied on. As I got older I decided fly type was less important, especially there. Can't tell you how many times some old guy would wade or walk past, ask what I was using and tell me that was completely wrong for the river/time of year/temperature and I'd still be doing pretty well with it.

Mountain Cutthroats will hit anything that looks like food if you present it correctly.   

[7mmfan]

Big, fluffy dry fly on top with a bead head pheasant tail nymph 12"-18" below on a dropper 

This should pretty much handle it. Maybe a lightening bug in place of the PT if there are lots of caddis around. By mid July there should be stoneflies around so big and fluffy gets it done. Plus they're mostly cutthroat so they'll usually hit anything up to and including chicken bones.

Always sure my dad didn't know what he was talking about I never went with the flys he told me. At the end of the day, he my mom and I would all have had about the same luck using whatever we tied on. As I got older I decided fly type was less important, especially there. Can't tell you how many times some old guy would wade or walk past, ask what I was using and tell me that was completely wrong for the river/time of year/temperature and I'd still be doing pretty well with it.

Mountain Cutthroats will hit anything that looks like food if you present it correctly.   

And a lot of things that don't look like food, but might become food if they can just hold onto it long enough.

[Seabass]

We received a lot of snow in N. Idaho this year and it's coming off at a perfect pace so far. It's high but still fishable for the most part. We should have great flows throughout the summer. Fishing has been awesome all winter and through the pre-runoff period. You should have great conditions in July. I would consider contacting Castaway fly shop in C'da the week before you come over. Joe Roop is a good dude and he's got guides fishing all the local waters so the intel is always current. You can also contact me if you like. I'm typically on the water somewhere 2-3 days/week

[TeacherMan]

If you’re still looking to head up that way let me know. Fish it weekly pretty much. It’s high right now but should be down within two weeks. July to October is awesome fishing.

[Naches Sportsman]

Fished the Joe not too long ago and did well.  I fish another “blue ribbon creek” and river to the south of the Joe nearly every day and fishing has picked up within the last week. The water here is way too high for its normal mean due to the 6 feet of snow still to melt up high with the late spring we’ve had. Yesterday I had a fish on per every fly I put in front of them.

[bmc02]

plan on camping along st joe this weekend with family after we ride the Hiawatha trail. figured I'd bring my rod and try a new area. is water level closer to normal for time of year or still running high?

[MR5x5]

It's still ~50% above normal for this time but is steadily coming down.

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=12414500

[luvmystang67]

From about 10 miles downstream of Avery and upriver are some pretty nice scenic pools to fish in the late summer.  Certainly there are the campsites along the river, that do get busy with campers, however don't forget that you're surrounded by national forest and timberland.  Virtually any of the roads up the river lead to dispersed camping spots that might be 5-10 miles up the road.  The further downriver you are the more is private timberland and you technically need a $75 potlatch deltic camping permit for most of that, but once you hit about Fishhook Creek its checkerboard to mostly national forest land and you can camp at any wide spot in the road.  Fishhook Creek, Kelly Creek, Prospector Creek, Bluff Creek and further up all have dispersed national forest camping once you get up the road a bit, IF the riverside camp spots are full.

The only time I've actually fished it was with my wife, and her favorite time to fish is around high noon.  I saw a lot of fish, they saw a lot of my flies, but they kept on swimming as it was not their lunchtime.

One fun note, there are fish in the mountain lakes WAY back in there as well if you felt like a driving adventure.  I happen to know for a fact that there are grayling in Steamboat lake...(Unit 9) I caught one!

[bmc02]

From about 10 miles downstream of Avery and upriver are some pretty nice scenic pools to fish in the late summer.  Certainly there are the campsites along the river, that do get busy with campers, however don't forget that you're surrounded by national forest and timberland.  Virtually any of the roads up the river lead to dispersed camping spots that might be 5-10 miles up the road.  The further downriver you are the more is private timberland and you technically need a $75 potlatch deltic camping permit for most of that, but once you hit about Fishhook Creek its checkerboard to mostly national forest land and you can camp at any wide spot in the road.  Fishhook Creek, Kelly Creek, Prospector Creek, Bluff Creek and further up all have dispersed national forest camping once you get up the road a bit, IF the riverside camp spots are full.

The only time I've actually fished it was with my wife, and her favorite time to fish is around high noon.  I saw a lot of fish, they saw a lot of my flies, but they kept on swimming as it was not their lunchtime.

One fun note, there are fish in the mountain lakes WAY back in there as well if you felt like a driving adventure.  I happen to know for a fact that there are grayling in Steamboat lake...(Unit 9) I caught one!

good info, thanks! this trip is with wife and kids so will probably stick closer to the road campgrounds to keep it simple, but there is definitely a lot of area to explore.

[TeacherMan]

Water levels are finally perfect…

[CJ1962]

Some friends and I share a lease on the river below Calder.  We were over there on the 4th of July weekend, but didn't fish.  Talked to several drift boats as they floated by and all said they were doing good.  Drove up to Avery one day and chatted with the owner of Idaho Fly Fishing Company.  He said it was a little high right now, but was getting close to perfect walking water.  Seemed like a good guy, you might want to stop in there and see what the latest intel is.

Since it's a family trip, Huckleberry Campground above Calder might be a good place to use as a base camp.

[TeacherMan]

Some friends and I share a lease on the river below Calder.  We were over there on the 4th of July weekend, but didn't fish.  Talked to several drift boats as they floated by and all said they were doing good.  Drove up to Avery one day and chatted with the owner of Idaho Fly Fishing Company.  He said it was a little high right now, but was getting close to perfect walking water.  Seemed like a good guy, you might want to stop in there and see what the latest intel is.

Since it's a family trip, Huckleberry Campground above Calder might be a good place to use as a base camp.

I always fish up above Avery, this time of year weekly lol. Let’s me check my trail cams too. I like to go all the way up to Red Ives. The camping up there is great and once you get above Avery the people disappear. Fly ship in town is pretty good too, best part is the ice cream lol… I’d recommend driving over the top to St. Regis and eating there sometime. Best huckleberry shake in the world, well that’s what the sign says anyway 

[CJ1962]

Some friends and I share a lease on the river below Calder.  We were over there on the 4th of July weekend, but didn't fish.  Talked to several drift boats as they floated by and all said they were doing good.  Drove up to Avery one day and chatted with the owner of Idaho Fly Fishing Company.  He said it was a little high right now, but was getting close to perfect walking water.  Seemed like a good guy, you might want to stop in there and see what the latest intel is.

Since it's a family trip, Huckleberry Campground above Calder might be a good place to use as a base camp.

I always fish up above Avery, this time of year weekly lol. Let’s me check my trail cams too. I like to go all the way up to Red Ives. The camping up there is great and once you get above Avery the people disappear. Fly ship in town is pretty good too, best part is the ice cream lol… I’d recommend driving over the top to St. Regis and eating there sometime. Best huckleberry shake in the world, well that’s what the sign says anyway 

The huckleberry milkshake in the Avery fly shop was pretty darn good. 

[jackelope]

Circling back on an old thread. Just got back from the Joe. Fished Sunday night - all day Tuesday. Drove home yesterday. Camped at Spruce Tree, Hiked up the trail along the river every day. Caught I don't know how many fish. Anything from 6" cutts to 16" being about the biggest.  Also caught a bull about 6" long or so. Couldn't have asked for a better trip. Had some pizza and beers at TFP's in Avery and hit the fly shop for a few more additional flies I didn't need.
Takeaways...cutthroats aren't as easy to get to eat on top as I thought they'd be. I  can cast pretty well and can present a dry pretty consistently the way you're supposed to and Tuesday was a tough day to get them to eat on top. It was not a tough day to get them to eat underneath though, and I found them to be particularly fond of a size 6 Sculpzilla. This is how I caught all of the bigger fish I landed. Didn't fish anywhere below Spruce Tree but will definitely be back and I'd like to fish more of the river. There is a ton of great looking water there.