Press Releases and Articles
Sorry folks: No Chinook fishing season on the South Fork of the Salmon River for 2020
| idfg-rphillips
There will be no open fishery on the South Fork of the Salmon River in 2020 because hatchery returns are not projected to meet broodstock needs.
For information about where salmon fishing is available see the Chinook seasons and rules page.
Angler lands new catch-and-release record cutthroat trout in North Idaho
| idfg-mkoenig
Tom Weadick shows off a 21-inch Westslope Cutthroat Trout from the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River, earning a new catch/release state record.
Congratulations to Tom Weadick of Coeur d'Alene on a landing a new catch-and-release state record Westslope cutthroat trout. Weadick… more
Cutthroat Trout Research to Continue on Bear Lake
| idfg-cwatkins
Written by Megan Heller ( University of Idaho)
Nestled on the Idaho-Utah border, Bear Lake is a destination fishery for trophy Bonneville Cutthroat Trout (BCT), a subspecies of Cutthroat Trout unique to Idaho’s Southeast Region. Bonneville Cutthroat Trout have a storied history and were thought to have been… more
Little Payette Lake Receives a Boost
| idfg-jmessner
Little Payette Lake’s diverse fishery received a much needed boost in late June when staff from the Idaho Fish and Game transplanted 600 adult smallmouth bass to the lake from Oxbow Reservoir on the Snake River.
Located just east of McCall, Little Payette Lake provides… more
Video: Rifle, pistol, shotgun and archery shooting are all available at Farragut Public Shooting Range
| idfg-vosborn
Farragut Public Shooting Range is one of three Idaho shooting ranges owned by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. In recent years, Fish and Game has made major improvements at Farragut.
For $5 per day, shooters can practice pistol, rifle, shotgun, and archery skills. The range is open Friday through Monday… more
Farragut shooting range partial closure June 27
| Anonymous (not verified)
On Saturday, June 27 the trap shooting stations and 50-yard handgun range have been reserved from noon to 3:30 p.m. These areas will be closed to general public use during that time.The Farragut Shooting Range is available for reserved use to groups of 10 or more. Additional fees apply. Contact the range office if… more
Fish and Game hatcheries remain closed to visitors due to COVID-19
| idfg-bpearson
Recently, Fish and Game hatcheries have received numerous calls about visitation hours and tours. Hatchery staff want to remind people that in response to COVID-19, all hatcheries remain closed to visitors for the safety of staff and the public, and they will remain closed to visitors until further notice.
… more
Controlled hunt drawing results available for deer, elk, pronghorn and fall bear and turkey
| idfg-rphillips
Results of the deer, elk, pronghorn, fall black bear and turkey controlled hunt drawings are available online and applicants who provided an email address will receive notification of their draw results. Hunters who drew a controlled hunt must purchase the tag by Aug. 1 or it will be forfeited.
Postcards will… more
Suspected "wolf" killed in vehicle collision in Franklin County has been confirmed a wolf-hybrid
| idfg-jjackson
UPDATE: In the early morning hours on Friday, June 19, a Franklin County resident accidentally hit and killed a large canid with his vehicle on Highway 36 between Williams Creek and the parking lot at Emigration Summit. Suspecting the deceased animal was a wolf, the motorist quickly reported the incident to the Idaho… more
Highlighting a Diverse Fishing Opportunity - Cocolalla Lake
| idfg-rryan
If you’ve driven Highway 95 between Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint you’ve probably noticed Cocolalla Lake. Near Westmond, this 800 acre lake offers a variety of fishing opportunity.
Cocolalla Lake is stocked with both rainbow trout and westslope cutthroat trout. In 2019, hatchery… more
Fishing guides collect data for University of Idaho steelhead research
| idfg-staff
By Will Lubenau, University of Idaho
Now that spring steelhead fishing has concluded around the state, we wanted to take a moment and update you on the University of Idaho steelhead tagging study. The information discussed is preliminary and may change as we continue gathering, analyzing, and processing… more
Chinook fishing closes on Lower Salmon River, Little Salmon to close June 20
| idfg-bpearson
Idaho Fish and Game has closed the Chinook salmon fishing season on the Lower Salmon River effective June 17, and the Little Salmon River effective at the end of fishing hours on June 20.
Fish and Game previously closed the Chinook salmon fishing season on the section of the Lower Salmon River from Rice Creek… more
Spring Chinook Salmon Fishing Update 6/17/2020
| idfg-jdupont
Hi everybody, it is time for my weekly spring Chinook Salmon update (6/17/2020).
This will likely be my last spring Chinook Salmon update of the year, as after this coming weekend the Rapid River run fishery will be closed and the only fishery in the Clearwater Region that will remain open will be the Hells… more
Sage Hen Area Closures will be Extended
| Anonymous (not verified)
The recent wet weather has slowed progress on timber harvest projects in the Sage Hen Reservoir area, leading to an extension of the public access closure. The new planned reopening date is August 30th.
A map of the closures is included here:
Learn more about this project and the closure on the… more
Summer is primetime to explore Idaho's backcountry fishing opportunities
| idfg-rphillips
Imagine standing on the shore of a sparkling mountain lake, or wading a cool, clear stream and casting to trout that devour a fly or lure like it’s an eating contest. Imagine the only competition might be an osprey perched in a tall tree or an otter bobbing in the current.
Sound farfetched? Not in Idaho’… more
Walleye locations in Lake Pend Oreille, June 2020
| idfg-prust
By Pete Rust, Senior Fisheries Research Biologist
Biologists track acoustic-tagged walleye to help anglers catch walleye and participate in the Lake Pend Oreille angler incentive program and to learn more about walleye movements. Between late fall 2019 and early May… more
American Falls Reservoir produces latest catch-and-release record; 31.25-inch rainbow trout
| idfg-mkoenig
Brett Jones released this 31.25" Rainbow Trout at American Falls Reservoir to claim a new catch/release state record.
Congratulations to Brett Jones, of Rock Springs Wyoming on a new catch-and-release state record rainbow trout! Jones caught the huge trout while fishing American Falls… more
Three anglers win big in Pend Oreille walleye lottery
| Anonymous (not verified)
Three Idaho anglers won $1,000 each after catching reward-tagged fish in the Pend Oreille walleye lottery during the month of May. These are the first reward tag winners since the program launched in March 2019.
Mike Gordon of Sandpoint caught his winning fish in the Clark Fork River… more