Anglers Can Enjoy Winter Fishing on South Fork But Shouldn't Expect Plowed Ramps

IDAHO FALLS - With winter approaching most anglers will soon be hanging up their waders and rods for the season. A few hearty soles, though, are likely digging out their fingerless gloves and stocking hats in preparation for some winter fishing. Several area rivers have winter stream seasons or year-round seasons, as is now the case with the South Fork. The South Fork was opened to year-round fishing beginning January 1, 2004. This was part of an effort to help maintain healthy a cutthroat population by providing anglers with more opportunity to harvest rainbow trout. Rainbow trout, which spawn earlier than cutthroat, are particularly vulnerable in the months prior to the Memorial Weekend general stream season opener. The newly created season led several anglers to inquire about the maintenance of the boat ramps last winter. Because of the concerns for wintering wildlife, such as trumpeter swans, bald eagles, and big game, the boat ramps will not be plowed. According to Jim Fredericks, Regional Fishery Manager for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, "Excessive boating in the winter could lead to conflicts with wintering wildlife, and the most reasonable, and effective way to minimize impacts to wintering wildlife is to let winter conditions dictate whether or not boaters have access to the river." Officials expect that during mild winter conditions, when boat ramps are naturally clear of snow, wintering wildlife will not be as sensitive to disturbance. "Some anglers may have expected that the year-round season came with a guarantee of boat access" Fredericks said, "but the fact is that the South Fork is no different from most other waters in the state in that access is dictated by winter conditions, not by whether there is an open fishing season." Fredericks notes that the ramps on the upper river will be managed just as the boat ramps on the lower river have been for years. The South Fork below the Heise measuring cable has been open to year-round fishing for decades although the ramps are not maintained through the winter. Access to some ramps is possible only by utilizing roads that are managed by the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Winter users need to consult the travel plan map to determine what method of travel may even be allowable to a given location. Travel plans are available at all USFS district ranger offices.