Fishing

For anglers, Idaho is truly a land of opportunity and variety. From alpine valleys to lowland deserts, a dazzling array of waters await discovery.

Idaho is graced with 26,000 miles of streams and rivers, more than 3,000 natural lakes, and a quarter-million acres of ponds and reservoirs. Inhabiting those waters are 42 game fish species, from giant white sturgeon to wild trout, catfish to kokanee, and smallmouth bass to salmon and steelhead.

Most Idaho waters have year-round fishing seasons. However, many rivers and streams and some lakes have special rules and seasons. Pick up a fishing rules book, which outlines season dates, special regulations and bag limits, at all Idaho Fish and Game offices and most sporting goods stores statewide.

To fish in Idaho you need:

A fishing license.
Rules and regulations.
Proper gear.
A place to go.

News

The great, glorious (and free) Take Me Fishing trailer tour begins in April

Monday, April 2, 2018 - 11:23 AM MDT

Trailers will travel to waters near communities to make it easy for people to attend, and events are on weekends and after work.

Fishing Family Fishing Waters Panhandle Region Clearwater Region Magic Valley Region Southeast Region Upper Snake Region Salmon Region Southwest Region Learn to Fish Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Rainbow Trout Stocking Schedule

Monday, April 23, 2018 - 11:44 AM MDT

Personnel from Fish and Game's McCall and Nampa Hatcheries will be releasing more than 63,000 catchable-sized rainbow trout at the following locations during May. LOCATION WEEK STOCKED NUMBER OF TROUT Browns Pond (McCall) May 21 500 Caldwell Pond #2 April 30 500 Duff Lane Pond (Middleton) April 30 225

Southwest Region Fishing Family Fishing Waters Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
See South Fork Snake rainbows receive reward tags [VIDEO]

Thursday, April 12, 2018 - 11:32 AM MDT

Fishing Upper Snake Region Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Payette Lake's fishing is at a crossroads, which way do anglers want it to go?

Friday, March 30, 2018 - 1:53 PM MDT

Managing with big, long-lived predators and a fluctuating prey species poses a big challenge for fisheries managers, and Payette Lake at McCall is the latest case where managers are asking anglers what they want.

Fishing Southwest Region Clearwater Region Magic Valley Region Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) Sockeye Salmon or Kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka)
Commission approves spring Chinook season, opener is April 28

Friday, March 23, 2018 - 4:26 PM MDT

Fish and Game Commission on Thursday, March 22 approved spring Chinook fishing on the Clearwater, Snake, Salmon and Little Salmon rivers to start April 28 and run until closed by the Fish and Game director. Fisheries managers are forecasting a run of 66,000 spring Chinook, roughly double last year’s return and slightly above the 10-year average of 62,000.

Chinook Salmon Fishing Regions Fishing Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Rainbow Trout Stocking Schedule

Thursday, March 22, 2018 - 2:32 PM MDT

Personnel from Fish and Game's Nampa Hatchery will be releasing more than 23,000 catchable-sized rainbow trout at the following locations during April. LOCATION WEEK STOCKED NUMBER OF TROUT Caldwell Pond #2 April 9 500 Crane Falls Reservoir April 16 1,200 Duff Lane Pond (Middleton) April 9 225

Southwest Region Fishing Family Fishing Waters Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Add a fishing trip to your spring outings

Friday, March 16, 2018 - 11:04 AM MDT

Idaho Fish and Game stocks trout year round, but expands its operations in April as more waters become suitable for trout. Here are 32 places for early season fishing.

Fishing Learn to Fish Family Fishing Waters Panhandle Region Clearwater Region Southwest Region Magic Valley Region Southeast Region Upper Snake Region Salmon Region