My friends and I where fishing the portneuf near lava a while ago and kept catching these crayfish near the slag water we threw Them all back because we didn't know the regs on crayfish. Questions here are 1. Can we keep crawfish wit just a regular licence or are there other specific rules? 2. What is the limit? 3. Are crawfish from the portneuf safe to eat?
Answer:
You can harvest crayfish with just a valid fishing license. In Idaho, they are considered game fish, so they can be caught whenever a season is open for fishing on that water (even a catch-and-release season). If you want to use a trap, you can set 5 per licensed angler. Check the rules for trap dimension restrictions. There is no limit on the number of crayfish you can catch and keep. Just keep in mind, it's illegal to transport live crayfish.
We haven't tested crayfish from the Portneuf River for contaminants - so I can't comment on health risk. I will say, however, if you are comfortable eating other species of fish from the Portneuf - then you shouldn't be concerned about the risk from consuming crayfish from the same system.
Answered on:
Saturday, December 13, 2014 - 12:30 PM MST