Frequently Asked Questions

A: 

This time of the year, we always receive reports of dead yellow perch on various waters throughout Idaho.  Typically, the mortality is tied to post-spawning stress.  Think of it this way, first-time spawning perch put a tremendous amount of energy and body reserves into producing eggs.  Some of these fish don't have the energy to recover.   If it were a toxin or an environmental issue, you would see other species of dead fish (crappie, bass, trout, etc.). The fish are probably safe to eat, but, I wouldn't recommend collecting the perch for that purpose. Regardless, we will have someone do some sleuthing to confirm this is the cause of the yellow perch mortality.    

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The weapon restrictions for short range hunts apply to the specfic hunt area and season dates.  They are designed for public safety.  It is unlikley you will find any vermin to hunt in those areas during the season dates.  However, as long as you have legal access to the land, meaning its public land or you have permission from the landowner it is legal to use a .22 rifle or pistol to hunt predatory and unprotedted animals.

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Depends.  It is illegal to fish for steelhead when the steelhead season is closed - even catch-and-release.  You can use a spey rod as long as you can pass the "red-face" test when you encounter an officer.  You must be able to convince the officer that you are fishing for cutthroat or rainbow trout (rainbow under 20" in length).  That means a fly with a small to medium-sized hook.   F08

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Below is a summary of the management planning process for Priest Lake.  I believe it answers most of your questions along wtih some others you may have.  if you'd care to discuss Priest Lake management further, please feel free to give me a call at (208) 769-1414. thank you for your interest. Jim Fredericks, Regional Fishery Manager.  The future management of the Priest Lake fishery has been a hot topic of discussion over the past two years.  In short, some anglers have advocated a program to minimize the lake trout population in favor of more abundant kokanee, cutthroat, and bull trout populations.  Why, they ask, has IDFG “written off” Priest Lake yet put so much effort into restoring the historical Lake Pend Oreille fishery?  Others value the existing lake trout fishery and want to see it maintained.  Why, they ask, would IDFG consider messing with a fishery that’s working just fine the way it is? Complicating the matter is the link between Priest and Upper Priest lakes.  Upper Priest Lake still supports an abundant cutthroat population and a healthy population of bull trout.  The “simple” solution would be to maintain the native fish populations in the upper lake.   Unfortunately, the ability for lake trout to pass freely between lakes through the Thorofare makes separate management strategies for the two lakes anything but simple.  Preventing lake trout from taking over the upper lake has taken an intensive 15-year annual suppression effort.  The program amounts to a “finger in the dike” approach that is simply unsustainable.  As managers of a resource that belongs to all of the people of Idaho, IDFG is charged with making a decision that will ultimately provide the greatest benefits to the majority over the long term.  That’s more easily said than done.  Not only is the public split on what they perceive as providing the greatest benefits, but there is still a lot we don't know about the ecology of the lake’s fisheries.    Before we can make long-term management decision, we all need a better understanding of the social, economic, and biological consequences of the alternatives.  Recognizing that, the recently completed 2013-18 State Fishery Management Plan directs IDFG to use the next few years to gain a better understanding of how the fishery in Priest Lake is functioning.  At the same time, the plan recommends engaging a diverse group of stakeholders to provide input from a range of perspectives.  The biological information and the stakeholder group will be used together to help guide development of a more informed, long-term management plan for both lakes.   One of the most important pieces of information needed for long-range planning is a better understanding of lake trout.   Beginning in 2013, with funding from the Kalispel Tribe, we initiated a 2-year cooperative project with the University of Idaho to conduct a comprehensive population assessment.  The study will provide information on the number of lake trout in Priest Lake, as well as key characteristics such as growth and survival rates, food habits and harvest rates.  Last spring researchers used large-scale commercial netting equipment, similar to that being used in Lake Pend Oreille, to capture trout for the population estimate.  Fish were measured and marked with an individually numbered tag.  In total, just over four thousand lake trout were handled, and nearly three thousand of those were tagged and released.  The incidental catch of other species was very low.  We captured 3 bull trout, 1 kokanee, 95 suckers, 11 whitefish, and 22 pikeminnow—all of which were released alive. The project represents the first comprehensive assessment of the lake trout population on Priest Lake – ever!  Not only will it give us a better understanding of population characteristics, an outgrowth of the assessment will be a better understanding of the impacts of “barotrauma” — the over-expanded swim bladder lake trout often get when pulled from 100-150 feet of water by nets or anglers.  The university researchers are using a variety of methods to estimate survival rates based on degree of barotrauma as well as methods of treatment.  These are all extremely valuable pieces of information regardless of how the population will be managed in the long term.   There are now over 3-thousand lake trout tagged in Priest Lake.  Each of those tags is labeled with an individual number as well as a toll-free telephone number.  By returning these tags, anglers will help us understand harvest and survival rates as well as total population size. Perhaps more importantly, anglers can stay informed as we collect new information and work with the advisory group to make a decision in the coming years.  Looking at facts as we learn them, and listening to the perspectives and values of others will help everyone involved appreciate the challenges associated with developing and implementing a long-term management plan.  Tuning out the conversation, and then complaining after the fact accomplishes little. As we gather new information in the coming years, we will continue to provide periodic updates via e-mail, and share information at public meetings.  For a more personal discussion, I always  welcome folks to call or come by the office.   

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The lack of channel catfish stocking in the database is not real.  We have been stocking them consistently; however, they have yet to be uploaded to the database. This will be corrected shortly. We still stock the same ponds, but we did have to reduce numbers as we think channel catfish were impacting bluegill populations negatively in some of the smaller ponds.  We are not sure of this notion yet, but will be investigating during 2014. We plan to continue to stock channel catfish during summer to provide diversity and to provide fishing opportunity during the warm summer months when water temperatures are lethal to trout.  On the other hand, we need to ensure that we maintain bluegill populations in these ponds as they provide very high catch rates for young anglers and provide forage for many species.  There are two other tremendous channel catfish fisheries nearby that get little attention. Lake Lowell is stocked with 5,000 to 10,000 fingerling catfish annually. These fish are surviving well and some have grown to HAWG statu. We have sampled several fish over 15 lbs over the last three years. Secondly, Crane Creek Reservoir near Midvale contains an underutilized, but very abundant, channel catfish population.    

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Fish the Snake River and the upper end of Brownlee Reservoir.  The area below Swan Falls Dam, Fort Boise (mouth of the Boise River), Steck Park (near Weiser) are all popular locations for catfish anglers.  If you want to fish in reservoirs, Lake Lowell near Nampa is a good option along with C.J. Strike (Bruneau), and Milner Reservoir (Burley) are also locations with good catfish fishing.   F08

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It sounds like you are fishing in the prime locations to catch larger catfish.  The Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area (where the Boise River meets the Snake River) is a location known to attract larger catfish and the Steck Park area down by Weiser is another good location.  May is typically the prime month for catching large catfish in the Snake River. If you want to try new areas, later this summer try fishing for channel catfish in Lake Lowell near Nampa or Milner Reservoir located near Burley, Idaho.  Both have been stocked for many years and can be very productive with the best success coming at night with cut-bait.  Another popular location is the Bruneau Arm of C.J. Strike Reservoir or Cove Arm on upper C.J. Strike.   F08

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Hello, Thank you for getting in touch with us regarding removal of bird nests. It is true that most birds are federally protected, by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and their nests cannot be removed once there is an egg in the nest. If you find the nest before eggs are laid, you may remove it. If you find it after eggs are laid, you will have to wait until the young have fledged (left the nest).  For most small birds this occurs within just a few weeks. However, there are two species that are not protected and can be removed at any time: European Starlings and House (English) Sparrows. There are many types of sparrows, and birds that are similar, so one must be absolutely certain it is a House Sparrow before removing the nest.  If you would like to talk about this further, please feel free to contact me at 287-2751, colleen.moulton@idfg.idaho.gov. Cheers, Colleen Moulton Avian Ecologist

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Please check with the Forest Service for information about camping laws in the National Forest.

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Each application is assigned a number.  The application is entered into the drawing system one time regardless of applicant group size. If you have one hunter or 4 hunters on an application the system will only have one record in the drawing. If a group application is selected during the draw process, the system looks to see if there are enough tags still available in the hunt applied for. If there are, the system awards a tag to each individual on the application. Please contact our license section at 208-334-2592 if you have additional questions about controlled hunts.

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Yes you can purchase a general season bear tag and hunt in the fall hunt. You can also purchase a second general season bear tag and hunt in the designated units for the second bear tag (units 4, 4A, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 16A, that portion of unit 16 north of the Selway River, 17, 19, 20, 20A, 26 and 27 only. See page 69 of the 2014 big game proclamations for more information).

A: 

Reading your question, I can tell your intentions are good, but, Idaho rules spell-out a specific exemption for "snagging nongame fish."  Because use of a dip net for taking of nongame fish is not mentioned in the rules, it is not a legal method of take. Contact the Manager in the region of the state that you live.  They may have other "tools" or ways to deal with nongame fish that would help our fish management programs.   F08