Priest River

About Priest River

The Priest River flows 68 miles from Upper Priest Lake, south through Priest Lake, and continues south to the Pend Oreille River. Originating at 2,445 feet, it drops to 2,054 feet at its mouth near the city of Priest River, Idaho. The river's drainage basin covers 980 square miles. The Upper Priest River, sometimes considered part of the main stem, begins near the US-Canada border before entering Upper Priest Lake. Average discharge is 1,732 cubic feet per second, with flows ranging from a minimum of 285 to a maximum of 3,500 cubic feet per second. Anglers will find ADA access along the Priest River, with campgrounds and toilets available for convenience. There are no boat ramps or docks, but motor restrictions are not in place. Priest River holds Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout, Mountain Whitefish, and Smallmouth Bass. Other species observed include Bull Trout, Largescale Sucker, Longnose Dace, Northern Pikeminnow, Peamouth Chub, Rainbow Trout, Redside Shiner, and Cottus. Kokanee have also been stocked. Target the brown trout and cutthroat with small streamers or nymph patterns fished near structure. For smallmouth bass, look for submerged timber or rock piles and fish with crayfish imitations or small poppers. Mountain whitefish will often take small nymphs bounced along the bottom in deeper runs. Warm summer river temperatures regulate trout densities at much lower levels than other similar-sized rivers in the region. Priest River has been considered an under-performing coldwater fishery since the mid-1900s. The river provides some good fishing seasonally, but overall is a fairly poor fishery with low angler use.