Press Releases and Articles
Rainbow trout suppression on the South Fork Snake River
| idfg-pkennedy
The South Fork Snake River (SFSR) supports the strongest remaining fluvial population of native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Ocorhynchus clarkii bouvieri (YCT) within their historical range in Idaho. The SFSR is one of only a handful of large rivers in the species’ range that supports a robust population of YCT. The… more
Kids Creek pond in Salmon stocked with steelhead
| idfg-mdemick
Personnel from Fish and Game's Pahsimeroi Hatchery released 65 steelhead in Kids Creek Pond on Monday, April 12.
Kids Creek Pond is a small fishing pond in downtown Salmon, also known for good trout fishing. The pond will receive 550 catchable-size (10-12 inch) rainbow trout before May 1.
The… more
New state record steelhead landed from South Fork of the Clearwater River
| idfg-mkoenig
Scott Turner shows off a 39.25-inch steelhead from the South Fork Clearwater River, setting a new catch/release state record.
Congratulations to Scott Turner of Boise, Idaho on setting a new catch-and-release state record for steelhead. Scott landed the monster sea-going trout on April 11 on the South… more
Put your bird feeders up, but keep them clean says Idaho Fish and Game
| idfg-jjackson
Salmonellosis outbreaks among birds have been making headlines in Idaho and neighboring states, which highlights the importance of keeping bird feeders and feeding sites clean to prevent the spread of diseases. If you want to set-up your bird feeders for spring, Idaho Fish and Game says go for it—just keep these tips… more
Most general spring turkey hunts open April 15
| idfg-rphillips
General spring turkey season and many controlled hunts open April 15. Hunters will find most general hunting opportunity in the Panhandle, Clearwater, Southwest, and Southeast regions, while most other areas are limited to controlled hunts.
For full seasons and rules, see the Idaho Upland Game,… more
Should North Idaho swan hunts be controlled hunts? Hunters can weigh in
| idfg-rphillips
Idaho Fish and Game held its first swan hunt in north Idaho during fall 2020 and offered 50 tags on a first-come, first-served basis. The tags sold out very quickly, which caused frustration with some hunters. As a result, the Fish and Game is seeking opinions from hunters whether to offer swan tags through a… more
Web-based tools can help hunters with big game controlled hunt applications
| idfg-eandersen
As the months of May and June approach, many big game hunters find themselves doing research on which controlled hunts to apply for. Fish and Game has year’s-worth of data on their web page which are excellent resources available for hunters to use when researching controlled and general hunts.
A… more
Trails and cabins improve public access to Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area
| idfg-jbruns
Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area is a 124,000-acres south of Lewiston and along the breaks of the Snake River and Hells Canyon. With a 7,900-foot elevation drop from its highest mountain peak down to the Snake River, trails are essential to access all that the WMA has to offer for hunters and other… more
What you need to know to get youth started hunting and fishing
| idfg-eandersen
As the weather warms and fishing and hunting seasons approach, many families are looking to get their young hunters and anglers ready for a year of hunting and fishing adventures. Fish and Game is committed to ensuring that Idaho’s youth are offered many opportunities to grow as hunters and anglers. The first step is… more
Henrys Lake Quarterly Newsletter - April 2021
| idfg-jvincent
Henrys Lake Quarterly Newsletter
April 2021… more
Responsible shed hunting is critical for protecting big game
| idfg-mdemick
As anxious shed antler hunters prepare to take to Idaho’s hills in search of fresh bounty, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game urges them to avoid stressing wildlife trying to survive the late winter storms.
Shed antlers from deer, elk and moose are commonly found in areas where they… more
Idaho anglers are citizen scientists who help collect data by reporting tagged fish they catch
| idfg-jcassinelli
If you have fished long enough in Idaho, you may have encountered a tagged fish. If you haven’t yet, it is probably only a matter of time until you do. No, we are not referring to a unique species of fish, but instead, we are talking about T-bar anchor tags. What are they? T-bar anchor tags are tags (usually orange in… more
Steelhead stocked in Blue Mountain Meadow Pond
| idfg-mdemick
Personnel from Idaho Fish and Game's Pahsimeroi Hatchery released 100 steelhead in Blue Mountain Meadow Pond Thursday, April 8.
The trout limit is 6, all species combined. Steelhead stocked in ponds are considered in the trout bag limit. pond will also receive hundreds of catchable rainbow trout in the coming… more
Clearwater region fish stocking schedule for April
| idfg-jbruns
Idaho Fish and Game hatchery personnel will be releasing nearly 30,000 catchable-size (10-12 inch) rainbow trout into the following Clearwater region waterbodies this April. It's time to grab the family and head out into the spring sunshine for a fun-filled day of fishing! … more
Changes to Camping at Lower Portneuf Fishing Access
| idfg-cwatkins
Idaho Fish and Game manages a fishing access site along the Portneuf River just north of Lava Hot Springs. The site is formally known as Lower Portneuf, but also the “Byington Place.” This is one of the few public access areas along the Portneuf River between Chesterfield and McCammon which makes it very popular with… more
Idaho driver’s license or state identification required to purchase adult resident Fish and Game licenses
| idfg-eandersen
Idaho Fish and Game moved to a new sales and licensing system in November 2020 and with this move came several new changes. One such change is the requirement to produce a valid Idaho driver’s license so it can be scanned when purchasing resident licenses, tags and permits from a vendor. For those who do… more
Idaho Big Game 2021 Seasons and Rules brochure available online
| idfg-bpearson
The Idaho Big Game 2021 Seasons and Rules Brochure is now available online on Fish and Game's website.
View Big Game Seasons
The 2021 brochure, which contains seasons and rules for deer, elk, pronghorn, black bear, mountain lion and gray wolf, will be available in print at Fish and Game offices and… more
Rainbow trout and steelhead- What’s the difference?
| idfg-bknoth
We often get questions from the public asking what's the difference between a rainbow trout and a steelhead. It's understandable that people would ask this given the literally BIG difference between small sized rainbow trout and large steelhead. The cool thing is that there are differences between them, but also… more