Fishing should be great for Memorial Day opener

JEROME - Fishing in the Magic Valley Region is great and is only going to get better with the opening of several fishing waters Memorial Day Weekend. Most lakes and reservoirs as well as a few larger rivers are open to fishing year-round in Idaho, but some smaller lakes and a few streams open May 29. Some smaller streams, particularly those flowing through landscapes with southern exposures, will dry up or get real low early in the season. Snow melted early this spring and the streams are running clear. Early season fishing may be unusually good, compared to years when runoff makes them unfishable until mid-summer. Because of low water conditions, throughout most of the Magic Valley Region, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is urging anglers to fish early and often this season. Early snowmelt allowed the Department to stock area reservoirs and streams early this season, producing several great fishing opportunities. Hatchery fish will not be stocked in waters that are expected to be dry early. Some fishing areas may be planted only once if they are likely to be dry by summer. Fish have been stocked in Little Camas Reservoir, Mormon Reservoir, Thorn Creek, and Oackley Reservoir; however these fisheries may be unfishable by mid-July and the Department is urging people to fish these waters early. Waters expected to remain through the summer and fall will receive the rest of this year's hatchery plantings and may hold more fish than usual. Magic Valley Region fishing waters that will be opening this Memorial Day, include:

• Big Wood River from the Richfield Canal Diversion Dam to Magic Dam.
• Gunnell Reservoir or Six Mile
• Malad River, from its mouth to Interstate 84 Bridge at Malad Gorge
• Silver Creek from Highway 93 upstream to the county road bridge north of Picabo and from the county road bridge north of Picabo upstream to the bridge at milepost 187.2 on Highway 20 west of Picabo
• Sublett Reservoir
• Vinyard Creek
• Upper Rock Creek (upstream from Highline Canal)
• South Fork Boise River

Anglers should check the fishing rules brochure for the specific areas they intend to visit. Special rules may apply. For example, rules for certain trophy bass waters may not allow any bass to be kept until later in the season. Fishing rules can be found in the new fishing brochure, available wherever licenses are sold and on the Internet at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov. Fishing licenses remain the same price as last year.