Priest River

Tributary of the Pend Oreille River

Recommended Fishing Water

Priest River in Bonner County is 66.1 miles in length.

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Facilities

Motor Restriction: No
Boat Ramp: No
Dock: No
Toilet: Yes
Campground: Yes
ADA Access: Yes

Recommended Game Fish

Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)
Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii)
Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
Mountain Whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni)
Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu)

Species Observed in Surveys

Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi observed in 2017
Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis observed in 2011
Brown Trout Salmo trutta observed in 2011
Bull Trout Salvelinus confluentus observed in 2011
Largescale Sucker Catostomus macrocheilus observed in 2011
Longnose Dace Rhinichthys cataractae observed in 2011
Mountain Whitefish Prosopium williamsoni observed in 2011
Northern Pikeminnow Ptychocheilus oregonensis observed in 2011
Peamouth Chub Mylocheilus caurinus observed in 2011
Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss observed in 2011
Redside Shiner Richardsonius balteatus observed in 2011
Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu observed in 2011
Cottus Cottus observed in 2002

Fish Stocking Records

Date	Species	Quantity	General Size

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Date	Species	Quantity	General Size
1992/07/21	Rainbow Trout	1,080	Catchable (6+ inches)
1992/05/27	Rainbow Trout	300	Catchable (6+ inches)
1991/07/24	Rainbow Trout	600	Catchable (6+ inches)
1991/07/11	Rainbow Trout	600	Catchable (6+ inches)
1990/06/28	Rainbow Trout	2,000	Catchable (6+ inches)
1990/05/24	Rainbow Trout	1,000	Catchable (6+ inches)
1989/08/02	Rainbow Trout	3,120	Catchable (6+ inches)
1989/07/13	Rainbow Trout	2,760	Catchable (6+ inches)
1989/06/23	Rainbow Trout	2,300	Catchable (6+ inches)
1988/06/30	Rainbow Trout	2,010	Catchable (6+ inches)
1988/06/09	Rainbow Trout	4,025	Catchable (6+ inches)
1988/05/23	Rainbow Trout	3,990	Catchable (6+ inches)
1987/09/09	Rainbow Trout	2,007	Catchable (6+ inches)
1987/07/07	Brown Trout	63,635	Fry (0-3 inches)
1987/07/03	Rainbow Trout	2,080	Catchable (6+ inches)
1987/06/11	Rainbow Trout	4,050	Catchable (6+ inches)
1987/05/13	Rainbow Trout	4,000	Catchable (6+ inches)
1986/09/08	Rainbow Trout	2,000	Catchable (6+ inches)
1986/07/16	Brown Trout	45,900	Fry (0-3 inches)
1986/07/09	Rainbow Trout	2,022	Catchable (6+ inches)
1986/06/06	Rainbow Trout	4,032	Catchable (6+ inches)
1986/06/03	Brown Trout	100,000	Fry (0-3 inches)
1986/05/09	Rainbow Trout	4,000	Catchable (6+ inches)
1985/09/09	Rainbow Trout	3,010	Catchable (6+ inches)
1985/07/11	Brown Trout	212,200	Fry (0-3 inches)
1985/06/26	Rainbow Trout	1,995	Catchable (6+ inches)
1985/06/24	Rainbow Trout	3,850	Catchable (6+ inches)
1985/05/15	Rainbow Trout	3,082	Catchable (6+ inches)
1984/09/07	Rainbow Trout	3,000	Catchable (6+ inches)
1984/06/27	Rainbow Trout	4,840	Catchable (6+ inches)
1984/06/14	Rainbow Trout	4,800	Catchable (6+ inches)
1984/05/25	Rainbow Trout	4,840	Catchable (6+ inches)
1984/04/18	Rainbow Trout	2,003	Catchable (6+ inches)
1983/08/11	Rainbow Trout	3,300	Catchable (6+ inches)
1983/07/28	Kokanee	20,376	Fry (0-3 inches)
1983/05/31	Brown Trout	90,500	Fry (0-3 inches)
1983/05/23	Rainbow Trout	930	Catchable (6+ inches)
1983/05/20	Rainbow Trout	2,160	Catchable (6+ inches)
1983/05/19	Rainbow Trout	1,080	Catchable (6+ inches)
1982/07/27	Kokanee	21,318	Fry (0-3 inches)
1982/06/24	Rainbow Trout	1,295	Catchable (6+ inches)
1982/06/23	Rainbow Trout	1,850	Catchable (6+ inches)
1982/06/22	Rainbow Trout	1,850	Catchable (6+ inches)
1982/06/18	Rainbow Trout	2,960	Catchable (6+ inches)
1982/06/17	Rainbow Trout	4,440	Catchable (6+ inches)
1982/06/16	Rainbow Trout	4,440	Catchable (6+ inches)
1982/06/15	Rainbow Trout	2,960	Catchable (6+ inches)
1981/07/02	Rainbow Trout	1,295	Catchable (6+ inches)
1981/05/19	Rainbow Trout	820	Catchable (6+ inches)
1980/07/29	Rainbow Trout	3,120	Catchable (6+ inches)
1980/07/08	Rainbow Trout	2,400	Catchable (6+ inches)
1978/08/18	Brown Trout	1,308	Fingerling (3-6 inches)
1978/08/09	Brown Trout	1,800	Fingerling (3-6 inches)
1978/06/30	Rainbow Trout	502	Catchable (6+ inches)
1978/06/27	Rainbow Trout	2,035	Catchable (6+ inches)
1977/08/19	Rainbow Trout	2,730	Catchable (6+ inches)
1977/08/04	Rainbow Trout	2,080	Catchable (6+ inches)
1977/06/30	Rainbow Trout	960	Catchable (6+ inches)
1976/08/24	Rainbow Trout	1,890	Catchable (6+ inches)
1976/07/27	Rainbow Trout	2,560	Catchable (6+ inches)
1976/07/15	Rainbow Trout	3,080	Catchable (6+ inches)
1976/06/23	Rainbow Trout	1,920	Catchable (6+ inches)
1975/08/19	Rainbow Trout	1,833	Catchable (6+ inches)
1975/08/12	Rainbow Trout	1,200	Catchable (6+ inches)
1975/07/24	Rainbow Trout	2,800	Catchable (6+ inches)
1975/07/08	Rainbow Trout	2,880	Catchable (6+ inches)
1975/06/25	Rainbow Trout	1,304	Catchable (6+ inches)
1974/05/31	Rainbow Trout	2,080	Catchable (6+ inches)
1974/05/24	Rainbow Trout	2,080	Catchable (6+ inches)
1973/05/15	Rainbow Trout	2,240	Catchable (6+ inches)
1973/02/09	Rainbow Trout	1,150	Catchable (6+ inches)
1972/08/29	Rainbow Trout	2,310	Catchable (6+ inches)
1972/06/26	Rainbow Trout	1,680	Catchable (6+ inches)
1971/08/09	Rainbow Trout	780	Catchable (6+ inches)
1971/07/20	Rainbow Trout	2,080	Catchable (6+ inches)
1971/06/22	Rainbow Trout	1,680	Catchable (6+ inches)
1970/09/03	Rainbow Trout	520	Adults
1970/08/24	Rainbow Trout	1,440	Catchable (6+ inches)
1970/07/28	Rainbow Trout	1,520	Catchable (6+ inches)
1970/06/30	Rainbow Trout	1,360	Catchable (6+ inches)
1969/08/29	Rainbow Trout	2,000	Catchable (6+ inches)
1969/08/01	Rainbow Trout	900	Catchable (6+ inches)
1969/07/15	Rainbow Trout	840	Catchable (6+ inches)
1969/06/30	Rainbow Trout	875	Catchable (6+ inches)
1969/06/12	Rainbow Trout	2,000	Catchable (6+ inches)
1968/08/16	Rainbow Trout	990	Catchable (6+ inches)
1968/07/25	Rainbow Trout	1,500	Catchable (6+ inches)
1968/06/13	Rainbow Trout	2,455	Catchable (6+ inches)

Source: IDFG Fish Stocking Database.

Stream Flows and Boating

USGS Real-time Flow Data: PRIEST RIVER NEAR PRIEST RIVER, ID

Licenses and Tags

Online
By phone & credit card:
1-800-554-8685
License Vendors
IDFG Offices

Learn more about IDFG Licenses, Tags & Permits

Fishing Rules, 2025 - 2027

All Waters Open All Year

Except as modified in Special Rules
Fishing is not allowed within the posted upstream and downstream boundary of any fish weir or trap.

Daily Bag Limits

The following daily bag limits apply to all waters within each region except as modified in the Special Rules. The possession limit is 3-times the daily bag limit.

Special Rules

Priest River and tributaries (from its mouth to Priest Lake)

Trout limit is 6, no harvest of Cutthroat Trout

Panhandle Region Bag Limits

Bass (Largemouth and Smallmouth)

Bass limit is 6, both species combined

Brook Trout

Brook Trout limit is 25
Harvest allowed during any open season unless otherwise noted under Special Rules - if gear or bait restrictions are listed, they apply when fishing for Brook Trout

Bull Trout

Bull Trout - catch-and-release

Burbot

Burbot limit is 6

Chinook Salmon (land-locked)

Chinook Salmon limit is 2, none under 24 inches

Kokanee

Kokanee limit is 15

Northern Pike (Stocked illegally in this Region. May be harmful to existing fisheries.)

No bag, length, or possession limits. Harvest is encouraged

Sturgeon

Fishing for sturgeon in the Kootenai River is illegal
Sturgeon caught incidentally must be released immediately

Tiger Muskie

Tiger Muskie limit is 2, none under 40 inches

Trout includes Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Golden Trout, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Arctic Grayling, trout hybrids (e.g. Tiger Trout)

Trout limit is 6, all species combined
Bull Trout and Brook Trout are listed separately

Walleye (Stocked illegally in this Region. May be harmful to existing fisheries.)

No bag, length, or possession limits. Harvest is encouraged

Whitefish

Whitefish limit is 25
Harvest allowed during any open season unless otherwise noted under Special Rules - if gear or bait restrictions are listed, they apply when fishing for whitefish

All Other Fish Species includes bullfrogs and crayfish

No bag, length, or possession limit

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