Lower West Branch Priest River

Tributary of the Priest River

    Lower West Branch Priest River in Bonner County is 25.5 miles in length.

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    Species Observed in Surveys

    Fish Stocking Records

    Date Species Quantity General Size
    1973/06/07 Rainbow Trout 540 Catchable (6+ inches)
    1972/08/18 Rainbow Trout 504 Catchable (6+ inches)
    1972/06/28 Rainbow Trout 500 Catchable (6+ inches)
    1971/08/24 Rainbow Trout 840 Catchable (6+ inches)
    1971/07/15 Rainbow Trout 542 Catchable (6+ inches)
    1970/08/11 Rainbow Trout 700 Catchable (6+ inches)
    1970/06/26 Rainbow Trout 680 Catchable (6+ inches)
    1969/07/31 Rainbow Trout 595 Catchable (6+ inches)
    1969/06/30 Rainbow Trout 651 Catchable (6+ inches)
    1968/08/15 Rainbow Trout 550 Fingerling (3-6 inches)
    1968/07/10 Rainbow Trout 600 Catchable (6+ inches)
    Source: IDFG Fish Stocking Database.

    Licenses and Tags

    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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