Press Releases and Articles
Distemper found in raccoon population in Pocatello and Chubbuck
| idfg-jjackson
Over the last three weeks, Idaho Fish and Game Southeast Region personnel have been responding to numerous raccoon calls from the public in the Pocatello and Chubbuck areas. These reports have included observations of raccoons “acting sick” or lethargic, even appearing injured or lingering in plain view during daylight… more
July Fish Stocking Planned for the Upper Snake Region
| idfg-jbrower
Important dates to help plan your July
| idfg-cliess
From tags sales to season openers, there’s a lot happening in Idaho during July that you should be aware of. Staying in the loop can be the difference between applying for that coveted controlled hunt tag and watching from the sidelines.
Be sure to stay up to date on all Fish and Game happenings. Here are some… more
Statewide trout stocking highlights for July 2026
| idfg-cliess
Many of Idaho’s lakes and ponds are soon going to be bolstered with Idaho Fish and Game stocking over 110,000 catchable-sized rainbow trout this July. Wondering if the stocking trucks are going to be backing up to your favorite fishing hole? We asked our Fish and Game hatchery staff to boil down some of the most… more
Most capped elk zone tags go on sale at 10 a.m. MDT July 8; Sawtooth Zone tags on July 10
| idfg-cliess
All capped elk zones, other than the Sawtooth Elk Zone, will go on sale on July 8 at 10 a.m. MDT. Tags are first-come, first-served and available at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com, at all Idaho Fish and Game license vendors, Fish and Game regional offices, on Fish and Game’s mobile app, or by calling 1 (800) 554-8685.
Half… more
Managing Moose Creek Reservoir: Making Fishing Better
| idfg-cghere
Located near the town of Bovill, Moose Creek Reservoir is a popular family fishing water in the Clearwater Region. However, Moose Creek Reservoir has a history of invasive Pondweed overtaking the fishery, creating poor conditions for both fish and anglers. In November 2024, Fish and Game completed a… more
Found a bat in your home? Don't panic, here are steps to protect yourself and the bat
| idfg-rphillips
Bats are found throughout Idaho, and homeowners may occasionally encounter bats in their houses, garages, outbuildings, or other structures. This can be a more common occurrence if you’re in prime bat habitat near bodies of water, such as lakes, reservoirs, ponds, and rivers, or in forested or agricultural areas.… more
VIDEO: Fish Creek weir provides another year of insight into Idaho's wild steelhead populations
| idfg-jbruns
Annual monitoring at Fish Creek has wrapped up for the season, providing another year of valuable information about one of Idaho's important wild steelhead populations.
The Lochsa River and its tributaries, including Fish Creek, are managed as a wild steelhead refuge where hatchery steelhead are absent and… more
Gaiser shooting area on Craig Mountain WMA temporarily closed due to dry conditions
| idfg-jbruns
As dry summer conditions continue across the region, the Gaiser shooting area at the end of Redbird Road on Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) has been temporarily closed to help reduce wildfire risk. The area is expected to reopen in the fall when conditions become more favorable.
Visitors should… more
2026 Dworshak Reservoir Smallmouth Bass Update
| idfg-jbruns
2025 Fishery summary
Smallmouth bass fishing on Dworshak Reservoir in 2025 continued to provide anglers with both high catch rates and excellent trophy opportunities. Anglers reported consistent success throughout the reservoir, with strong numbers of fish available across multiple size classes, including… more
2026 Dworshak Reservoir Kokanee Update
| idfg-tzumwalt
Last year was an excellent year for anglers seeking larger kokanee in Dworshak Reservoir. While the number of fish available was below average, the fish that were present were noticeably larger than normal.
Age-2 and age-3 kokanee are the primary adult age classes in the fishery and are the fish large enough to… more
Upper Salmon River Chinook fishery update - 6/23/2026
| idfg-gschoby
The upper Salmon River fishery opened last week (6/18/26), and we estimated that 15 hatchery adult Chinook Salmon were harvested during the first four days of the fishery. There were also 4 wild Chinook Salmon that were caught and released. Angler effort was relatively high during the opening weekend with an estimated… more
June 23, 2026 South Fork Salmon River Chinook Update
| idfg-jmessner
South Fork Chinook Update: Better Fishing Ahead?
Hi everyone,
The South Fork Salmon River Chinook fishery opened last Thursday, June 18, and while fishing was a bit slower than I expected during the first four-day interval, there is still plenty of reason for optimism – its only going to get better from… more
Idaho Falls angler lands 43.25-inch lake trout…and returns to the Idaho record books
| idfg-cliess
An Idaho Falls angler miraculously reeled in a new state catch-and-release record lake trout and, even more unbelievably, was able to hoist it up into the boat. Dylan Smith — the lucky angler in question — was fishing on Payette Lake in McCall on May 2 when a 43.25-inch lake trout took the line for a sprint. … more
Walleye are a bad match for Idaho waters, and F&G asks anglers to help stop their expansion
| idfg-rphillips
Walleye are typically a bad match for Idaho because they are native to large Midwestern lakes that have nearly unlimited schools of minnows, shiners and other baitfish that walleye live on. Those large baitfish populations are unavailable in most Idaho waters, which means walleye consume game fish to survive, and most… more
Citizen science is the key to F&G’s hugely successful program, Turkey Tracker
| idfg-cliess
Idaho Fish and Game’s hugely successful project — dubbed Turkey Tracker — launched in the summer of 2024. During its inaugural two years, the project has racked up 2,157 reports of over 15,000 turkeys, all thanks to the public.
Idaho Fish and Game relocates yearling moose from Rupert
| idfg-Kenzie.Baratti
On Thursday, June 18, a yearling moose was relocated after the Magic Valley Region received a report of the moose in a residential yard in Rupert near Interstate 84.
Idaho Fish and Game wildlife staff safely anesthetized and captured the moose before relocating it to more suitable moose habitat in the… more
Fish and Game begins grizzly bear research trapping in the northern Panhandle Region
| idfg-tjross
As part of ongoing efforts to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Selkirk and Cabinet/Yaak Ecosystems, biologists from Idaho Fish and Game have begun research trapping of grizzly bears in the Panhandle Region. Trapping will occur in Boundary County and potentially in portions of Bonner County, the two… more