New fishing pond created near Salmon

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is pleased to announce the opening of Johnson Pond to fishing. Johnson Pond is located 8 miles south of Salmon, on the west side of Hwy 93 South. 

At nearly 6.5 acres, Johnson Pond is the largest community fishing pond in the Salmon Region. It has recently been stocked with over 1,000 rainbow trout from Idaho Fish and Game’s Mackay Fish Hatchery.

Access to the former gravel pit pond, named in honor of Val B. Johnson, exists due to an agreement with the Johnson Family, the property's owners. Val was an Air Force veteran, a past outfitter, and a highly esteemed teacher at Salmon High School for more than 25 years.

“It’s been a pleasure working with the Johnson family to see Val’s vision of opening this pond to provide fishing opportunities for the public” Fish and Game regional fisheries manager Greg Schoby said. “It shows the commitment that Val and the Johnson family have to the community of Salmon and providing opportunities for future generations.” 

“We’d also like to thank Dahle’s Red-E-Mix, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation for their partnership in access to Johnson Pond,” Schoby added. 

Months of planning led to the access agreement and improvements to the site. The Johnson Pond property is bordered to the north by the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Eight Mile River Access. Anglers can access the pond by parking at the BLM’s access site and walking 50 yards to the pond.  

Dahle’s Red-E-Mix has an active gravel mining operation on the southwest side of the  Pond, which is marked by the fenced boundary. Fish and Game asks the public to please act responsibly and respect the property boundaries and rules in place to ensure continued future access to the pond. 

The access agreement and improvements to the area were funded by Fish and Game’s Access Yes Program and a grant from the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

General fishing season rules apply, with a six fish daily bag limit of trout. Small watercraft, such as inflatable rafts or float tubes are allowed and can be carried from the BLM Eight Mile access site.  No boat ramps are present.  

Idaho Fish and Game owns and/or maintains more than 40 fishing and boating access sites in the Salmon Region. To learn more about these sites, visit the Fish and Game website at https://idfg.idaho.gov/fish/access-guide. For more information on any of Idaho’s fishing waters, visit the Idaho Fishing Planner: https://idfg.idaho.gov/ifwis/fishingplanner.