The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is soliciting comments from anglers on proposed changes to the fishing regulations for the 2004-2005 season.
Anglers can submit comments on any fishing regulation or tournament permit proposal to: Regional Fisheries Manager, Ned Horner by mail (2750 Kathleen Ave., Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815), email (
nhorner@idfg.state.id.us), phone (208-769-1414), or by stopping by the Regional Office during the week of June 2nd from 8am-5pm. All comments must be in by June 9th.
The Idaho Fish and Game Department is proposing only minor changes for the Panhandle Region. These are primarily for clarification of existing regulations or management direction.
Proposed changes to the 2004-2005 fishing seasons in the Panhandle Region include:
- Avondale Lake - List as "Electric Motors Only" to be consistent with the way private property owners allow access for public fishing.
- Catch-and-Release waters - Clarify that "No Bait" applies to all species. This would apply to headwater sections of the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers and Upper Priest Lake and all tributaries.
- Clark Fork River below the RR bridge at Clark Fork - List with General Stream and Winter Stream seasons (section above RR bridge remains open all year). This was an emergency rule change by the IFG Commission in December of 2002.
- Kootenai River - Add reference to "Kokanee - Any size fish may be kept". Kokanee are defined as trout, but the 2 trout, 16 inch size limit adopted in 2002 was not intended to apply to kokanee.
- Little Round Lake - List bass as "Any size may be kept" to be consistent with the Family fishing Water regulations for Kelso and Granite lakes.
- Steamboat Pond - Add to the list of Family fishing Waters. Steamboat Pond is a new trout catch-out pond located next to the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River about 9 miles upstream of Enaville.
Modifications are also being proposed for fishing tournament rules. The $21.50 permit fee would not be required if:
- Total prize value is less than $1,000; or
- Entry fee is less than $25; or
- Number of boats is less than 10, or contestants are fewer than 20; or
- There is a live fish weigh-in
The stipulation for requiring a tournament permit for any live weigh-in keeps the typical bass tournament legal since carrying live fish off the water is not legal for the general angler.
Other proposed changes to tournament rules would include a December 1 submittal date for tournaments the following year and deleting the requirement to submit applications for harvest tournaments 90 days prior to when the tournament is planned.
