Press Releases and Articles
Most capped elk zone tags go on sale at 10 a.m. MDT July 8; Sawtooth Zone tags on July 10
| idfg-cliess
All capped elk zones, other than the Sawtooth Elk Zone, will go on sale on July 8 at 10 a.m. MDT. Tags are first-come, first-served and available at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com, at all Idaho Fish and Game license vendors, Fish and Game regional offices, on Fish and Game’s mobile app, or by calling 1 (800) 554-8685.
Half… more
Managing Moose Creek Reservoir: Making Fishing Better
| idfg-jbruns
Located near the town of Bovill, Moose Creek Reservoir is a popular family fishing water in the Clearwater Region. However, Moose Creek Reservoir has a history of invasive Pondweed overtaking the fishery, creating poor conditions for both fish and anglers. In November 2024, Fish and Game completed a… more
Found a bat in your home? Don't panic, here are steps to protect yourself and the bat
| idfg-rphillips
Bats are found throughout Idaho, and homeowners may occasionally encounter bats in their houses, garages, outbuildings, or other structures. This can be a more common occurrence if you’re in prime bat habitat near bodies of water, such as lakes, reservoirs, ponds, and rivers, or in forested or agricultural areas.… more
Gaiser Ranch Shooting Area on Craig Mountain WMA Temporarily Closed Due to Dry Conditions
| idfg-jbruns
As dry summer conditions continue across the region, the Gaiser Ranch shooting area at the end of Redbird Road on Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) has been temporarily closed to help reduce wildfire risk. The area is expected to reopen in the fall when conditions become more favorable.
Visitors… more
2026 Dworshak Reservoir Smallmouth Bass Update
| idfg-jbruns
2025 Fishery summary
Smallmouth bass fishing on Dworshak Reservoir in 2025 continued to provide anglers with both high catch rates and excellent trophy opportunities. Anglers reported consistent success throughout the reservoir, with strong numbers of fish available across multiple size classes, including… more
2026 Dworshak Reservoir Kokanee Update
| idfg-jbruns
Last year was an excellent year for anglers seeking larger kokanee in Dworshak Reservoir. While the number of fish available was below average, the fish that were present were noticeably larger than normal.
Age-2 and age-3 kokanee are the primary adult age classes in the fishery and are the fish large enough to… more
Upper Salmon River Chinook fishery update - 6/23/2026
| idfg-gschoby
The upper Salmon River fishery opened last week (6/18/26), and we estimated that 15 hatchery adult Chinook Salmon were harvested during the first four days of the fishery. There were also 4 wild Chinook Salmon that were caught and released. Angler effort was relatively high during the opening weekend with an estimated… more
June 23, 2026 South Fork Salmon River Chinook Update
| idfg-jmessner
South Fork Chinook Update: Better Fishing Ahead?
Hi everyone,
The South Fork Salmon River Chinook fishery opened last Thursday, June 18, and while fishing was a bit slower than I expected during the first four-day interval, there is still plenty of reason for optimism – its only going to get better from… more
Idaho Falls angler lands 43.25-inch lake trout…and returns to the Idaho record books
| idfg-cliess
An Idaho Falls angler miraculously reeled in a new state catch-and-release record lake trout and, even more unbelievably, was able to hoist it up into the boat. Dylan Smith — the lucky angler in question — was fishing on Payette Lake in McCall on May 2 when a 43.25-inch lake trout took the line for a sprint. … more
Walleye are a bad match for Idaho waters, and F&G asks anglers to help stop their expansion
| idfg-rphillips
Walleye are typically a bad match for Idaho because they are native to large Midwestern lakes that have nearly unlimited schools of minnows, shiners and other baitfish that walleye live on. Those large baitfish populations are unavailable in most Idaho waters, which means walleye consume game fish to survive, and most… more
Citizen science is the key to F&G’s hugely successful program, Turkey Tracker
| idfg-cliess
Idaho Fish and Game’s hugely successful project — dubbed Turkey Tracker — launched in the summer of 2024. During its inaugural two years, the project has racked up 2,157 reports of over 15,000 turkeys, all thanks to the public.
Idaho Fish and Game relocates yearling moose from Rupert
| idfg-Kenzie.Baratti
On Thursday, June 18, a yearling moose was relocated after the Magic Valley Region received a report of the moose in a residential yard in Rupert near Interstate 84.
Idaho Fish and Game wildlife staff safely anesthetized and captured the moose before relocating it to more suitable moose habitat in the… more
Fish and Game begins grizzly bear research trapping in the northern Panhandle Region
| idfg-tjross
As part of ongoing efforts to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Selkirk and Cabinet/Yaak Ecosystems, biologists from Idaho Fish and Game have begun research trapping of grizzly bears in the Panhandle Region. Trapping will occur in Boundary County and potentially in portions of Bonner County, the two… more
Saint Maries trio sentenced in North Idaho deer poaching case
| idfg-tjross
On May 11, the final sentencing was issued for one of three individuals involved in the unlawful killing of seven mature white-tailed deer bucks in North Idaho during November 2024.
The individuals involved in the case were Will Clark, Lucas Mitchell and Laura Willis.
Sentencing for Mitchell (Feb.… more
Upper Salmon River Chinook update - 6/17/2026
| idfg-gschoby
Now available: Controlled hunt drawing results for deer, elk, pronghorn, fall bear, turkey, and swan
| idfg-cliess
Results of the deer, elk, pronghorn, fall black bear, fall turkey, and swan controlled hunt drawings are now available. Hunters are encouraged to review their email to verify their results or log into their online account at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com. For more information about how to view your drawing results, visit Fish… more
Pocatello man sentenced to prison for extensive unlawful guiding and wildlife violations in Teton County
| idfg-jbrower
On June 2, 2026, Joelseph Jenkins, of Pocatello, was sentenced for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, felony possession of wildlife taken unlawfully, guiding without a license, and a bear bait site violation in Teton County following an investigation by Idaho Fish and Game Conservation Officers.… more
Niagara Springs Fish Hatchery closed to the public for construction beginning June 22
| idfg-Kenzie.Baratti
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game's Niagara Springs Fish Hatchery will be temporarily closed to the public beginning June 22 while construction crews upgrade the facility's predator exclusion mesh panels. These upgrades are necessary to protect hatchery fish reared at the facility from birds and other wildlife.… more