Fall is second fishing season for Idaho's reservoirs

With summer winding down, some anglers might assume Idaho's reservoirs are past their prime for fishing. There's still great opportunity for trout fishing during fall in many Idaho reservoirs, and Idaho Fish and Game will continue stocking them with larger rainbow trout in September and October. Most reservoirs are open year round to fishing, but they are typically most popular in the spring when reservoirs are at the highest water level of the year and water temperatures perfect for trout and other game fish. During summer, reservoirs warm and catch rates often slow, especially for trout. Reservoirs used for irrigation are lowered during summer, and some become difficult for boat launching and shore angling. But many reservoirs remain easily accessible and excellent fisheries when the water cools in the fall, and trout become active and feed aggressively in preparation for winter. As a bonus, anglers have the chance to catch larger trout. Trout stocked during spring had all summer to grow, and growth rates of _ to 1-inch per month are common, so most of those fish are now in the 13-inch to 16-inch range. Fish and Game is shifting its usual trout stocking away from the traditional 10-inch rainbows and letting them grow in hatcheries to about 12 inches before releasing them into reservoirs. The department has found larger trout survive better and are 65 percent more likely to get caught than the traditional 10 inchers. "That was the driver for us to make the change at many of our waters," Fish and Game's senior fisheries research biologist John Cassinelli said. "We had to reduce the number of fish to offset the cost and space requirements, but in the end, even with the reduced production, we are seeing a greater number of fish returned to anglers, and they are bigger." Cassinelli also noted that based on tag returns, fish stocked in late summer and early fall are caught at similar rates as those stocked in spring and early summer, and fall-stocked trout also provide fishing for ice anglers during winter. And the lower reservoir levels found during fall aren't necessarily a bad thing. "What we have sometimes seen is increased harvest in the fall because of the reduced water volume," Cassinelli said. Trout aren't the only fish available in reservoirs. Despite the "warmwater" classification, bass fishing can be excellent in the fall, and fishing for popular panfish species, such as perch, bluegill and crappie, can also be productive. Here's a partial list of reservoirs that will be stocked with rainbow trout during fall. For full stocking information for each region, go to http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish/stocking. Month / Water / Length / Number September / Alexander Reservoir / 12 / 5,000 September / Ashton Reservoir / 11 / 7,750 September / Deep Creek Reservoir / 12 / 6,650 September / Devils Creel Reservoir / 12 / 3,600 September / Lake Walcott / 12 / 40,000 September / Lower Twin Lake / 12 / 1,800 September / Manns Creek Reservoir / 12 / 4,000 September / Montpelier Reservoir / 12 / 1,500 September / Salmon Falls Creek Res. / 12 / 14,250 October / American Falls Reservoir / 12 / 43,000 October / Arrowrock Reservoir / 12 / 38,000 October / Blackfoot Reservoir / 12 / 40,000 October / Chesterfield Reservoir / 12 / 27,000 October / Deer Creek Reservoir / 12 / 7,500 October / Deyo Reservoir / 12 / 8,000 October / Elk Creek Reservoir / 12 / 5,000 October / Foster Reservoir / 12 / 2,000 October / Glendale Reservoir / 12 / 3,100 October / Mann Lake / 12 / 7,000 October / Moose Creek Reservoir / 12 / 5,000 October / Spring Valley Reservoir / 12 / 7,500 October / Winchester Reservoir / 12 / 9,000