Frequently Asked Questions

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In the springtime, the Snake River in the Fort Boise area is a good bet.  Fish below islands and in back-eddy locations using worms or cut-bait.  Steck Park near Weiser is also a local favorite location.  Bank anglers do well and there are also a few knowledgable anglers who actually catch catfish on flies. In the summer, I like to fish from a boat on the upper end of Brownlee Reservoir.  Fish in coves and bays using cut-bait.  Use enough weight to keep your bait on the bottom.

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Thanks for your interest in Baptie Lake in the Copper Basin.  As you note, Baptie is capable of growing some very large trout.  In the past, the fishery has been supported by cutthroat trout, although in more recent times, grayling and now golden trout have been stocked.  We switched to goldens to take advantage of the fast growth in that lake in the hopes of creating a fishery for large golden trout - an opportunity that is rare across the range of golden trout.  We realize that they will not grow to the same size as cutthroat used to, but we think it is worthwhile to try to grow a potentially large (for the species) golden trout.  We do try to offer a diversity of angling experiences in our mountain lakes program, and cutthroat trout are available in both Goat and Betty lakes nearby.  If we are unable to provide a satisfactory fishery for large golden trout, we can reevaluate our stocking program as neessary to ensure we meet our management objectives and increase angler satisfaction. If you have additional questions, feel free to call me at 525-7290.   Dan Garren Regional Fisheries Manager, Upper Snake Region

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Idaho Parks and Recreation enforces boating rules in Idaho.  What you need are:  a fire extinguisher, properly rated life jackets for all people in your boat, a whistle or horn that can be heard at a distance of 100 feet, and your current boat registration with hull sticker and ID numbers.   If operating at night, you must have a red/green light or marker lights on bow and white light on the stern. Additional items you should have include a throw rope, emergency water and rations, extra waterproof clothing, signaling device/flare and of-course - your current fishing license and pole.

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No license or permit is required to fish for salmon on free fishing day.  All other rules apply such as following the daily bag limit, using a barbless hook and observing the salmon fishing hours.

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The reason we haven't been posting trap return numbers for Rapid River has to do with modernization of our website and conversion of website tools in our old format to a new format.  Sounds simple, right?  We presently have the numbers posted on our website and fisheries staff are manually updating the information, daily.  We are simultanously working on a feature to allow Rapid River Hatchery staff to upload trap information and have it post directly to our website.  As of June 5th 42 adults Chinook salmon had entered the Rapid River trap. To my knowledge, no one in Fish and Game were "caught with their pants down" last year when it came to sportsmen and tribal harvest.  We work closely with the Nez Perce tribal fishermen at Rapid River.  Keep in mind, the courts have said, "the harvestable surplus is split 50:50."  Their fishery could be curtailed if tribal members take disproportionately more fish than licensed anglers. The reason the season was re-opened last year had to do with Fish and Game making an error in the number of Chinook we estimated had been caught by licensed anglers.  Because we don't check each individual fish caught, we randomize our creel sample areas and times and then apply a mathematical formula to estimate harvest.  Unfortunately, we realized after-the-fact that the harvest formula we initially used was incorrect.  Once we realized a mistake was made, we tried to correct it by re-opening the season.   The next three weeks are the typical peak of the fish entering Rapid River.  Watch our website for the latest information.

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Resident general season deer and elk tags will be available after the controlled hunt drawing for deer, elk and pronghorn has been completed. This is usually around the first of July. Resident elk tags for capped zones such as Sawtooth B go on sale at midnight July 10.

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The nets placed in Payette Lake were to allow us to 1) assess the body condition of lake trout in Payette Lake and 2) to make a population estimate of the lake trout in Payette Lake. We have a known number of tagged lake trout in the waterbody from previous trapping efforts.  We can then use the ratio of tagged versus untagged fish captured to generate a rough estimate of the overall lake trout population.  We do have a minor correction factor we apply to off-set natural mortality and potential angler harvest - for fish over 29" in length.

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The Upper Salmon and South Fork Salmon chinook fisheries opened on June 21.  Harvest updates will be posted on the IDFG website here http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish/?getPage=114 as they are available.  

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Condie Reservoir did not drain last year. The reservoir got extremely low in 2012, but some fish survived. We supplemented the bass and bluegill populations in 2013. Catch rates may be lower than normal because these populations are still recovering. 

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Must be post marked no later than June 5th.

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Yes you will need a hunting license to purchase a wolf tag. Licenses can be purchased via the Internet at https://id.outdoorcentral.us/. over the telephone at 800-554-8685, any license vendor http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/licenses/lookupVendors.cfm, or through the mail to any Idaho Department of Fish and Game Regional or Headquarters office.

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Next time, ask the chef to check with their restaurant buyers to identify the source of the trout being served.  There is no commercial harvest of rainbow trout allowed in Idaho from streams.  The majority of trout sold from Idaho is raised in the Magic Valley (Twin Falls/Hagerman) area on water flowing from the 1,000 Springs aquifer.  Large companies such as Clear Springs Trout, Rangen's, and Idaho Trout Producers market the vast majority of commerically produced trout in Idaho from their Magic Valley facilities.