I would like some clarification on the Bass rules in Lake Lowell. SW Idaho regulations state "None under 12 inches" in regards to both species of bass but Lake Lowell special regulations state " none between 12 and 16 inches". My understanding is this should be taken as "None under 16 inches" as there seems to be no specific exemptions in the lowell regulations to indicate one can keep bass under 12-in. Some have said to me that Lowell's rule of "none between 12 and 16 inches" means you can keep bass under 12in.
You Might see why there is a bit of confusion. Any clarification would be helpful
Answer:
Thanks for your question on Lake Lowell!
The "General" bass rules for the Southwest Region do in fact state 6 bass per day, 12-inch minimum. However, Lake Lowell falls under the "special rule waters" which are listed separately (page 23 of the rules book). These waters have their own rules that are separate from the general rules.
Lake Lowell: January 1 – June 30, bass limit is 0, catch/release only. July 1 – December 31 – bass limit is 2, none between 12-16 inches.
This means that you can keep only 2 bass per day, and they must be either below 12” or over 16”. There is no harvest before the July 1 to December 31 period.
These rules are intended to manage for higher numbers of 12-16” bass to maintain good catch rates of medium sized bass, and still allow some harvest of smaller fish and occasional large bass, while protecting spawning bass before July 1.
Good luck fishing!
Martin Koenig
Sportfishing Program Coordinator
Answered on:
Friday, May 8, 2015 - 11:00 AM MDT