Fishing Urban Boise

You don't need to head to the mountains, far away rivers or large lakes to find some great fishing. The Boise River, and several urban ponds and reservoirs, provide a great diversity of fishing challenges, within minutes of downtown Boise. This guide will give you some hints of what you will need, where to go, and some angling tips that will help you find and catch fish. So grab a rod and a lunch and let's go fishin'!

1. Riverside Pond
2. Glenwood Pond
3. Veteran's Park
4. Capitol Bridge
5. Barber Park
6. Indian Creek Reservoir
7. Lucky Peak Reservoir

The Basics
A moderately priced 5'-5 1/2' medium-weight rod with an easy-to-use spinining reel will serve for most kinds of fishing and provide you with years of fishing enjoyment. Add to that some 4-8 lb. line, some hooks, sinkers, bobbers, bait and you are ready to go.

How to Find Fish
How to find the fish is the biggest concern of most anglers. Local fishing equipment outlets have current information, and love to talk fishing. Knowing a few key facts will help you in your quest.

• Fish like to feel protected, so look for docks, heavy vegetation, undercut banks, or rocky shorelines.
  
  
• Fish feed most actively in the early morning and late evening. When fishing during midday, you will generally need to fish deeper water.
  
  
• Fish like fresh, clean water, so look for inlets or underwater springs.
  
  
• Fish are mobile and can be picky. Don't be afraid to adjust your baits, techniques and location until you find them.
  
  
• Fish are temperature sensitive. As water temperature changes, the fish will move.
  
  

How to Catch A Fish
Fish have specific food preferences and habits that will determine the type of bait and the technique you will use. Here are some general hints about tackle, equipment and techniques to help you get started.

Cool water Fish
There are four kinds of cool water fish in the Boise area. Rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout, and kokanee salmon.

• Rainbow are by far the most popular and easiest to catch. They will take a variety of lures or flies. The most common baits are worms, or eggs, often with a marshmallow added to hold the bait up off the bottom. They are also attracted to a variety of lures such as rooster tails or red-and-white Mepps spoons. When fishing with lures, you will need to keep them moving, so cast out, then retrieve at varying rates to find what works.

• Ready for flies? You don't need an expensive rod. Simply add a clear bubble and 3'-3 1/2' leader to your spinning outfit and give it a try. Some favorite flies are the renegade, Adams or caddis flies.

• Cutthroat trout will respond to the same techniques as the rainbow. They are aggressive feeders and are great fun to catch once you find them.

• For the more adventurous, the wiley brown trout will provide a special challenge. Best fishing is along cut-banks or areas of dense over-hanging vegetation. Lures or flies are both effective, but add some patience.

• Kokanee are open-water fish and are generally found in deeper water. They have a very "soft" mouth, which allows the hook to tear out easily. Using a rubber snubber on the gear helps to prevent that tearing.

Warmwater Fish

• Largemouth bass, crappie, and bluegill like shallower, warmer waters of ponds and reservoirs. They provide a great fishery for kids just starting out. They can be found readily just off docks, near vegetation, and in the shallower water where the young angler's line is often located. The standard worm or egg with the marshmallow is effective as are a variety of special jigs or lures. Once you find the fish, a bobber will help to keep the bait at the right depth, and also act as a great strike indicator for the young angler.

• When using a lure such as a spinner or plug, keep it moving in a way that will imitate live prey. When jigging, simply retrieve in an irregular motion, and varying speed, which allows the weighted jig to slow and drop slightly, then be picked up again.

Where to Catch Fish
The chart next to the map will summarize the kinds of fish found in each of the urban waters. Here are some hints to help you choose where to fish.

• Boise River: The Boise River is stocked with rainbow trout monthly at the major bridges, such as Barber Park, Capitol and Glenwood. Holding water, pools and under cut banks, close to those areas should be a good bet. In moving water, try lures; in still water, worms or bait can bring success. Note in your regulations pamphlet, the special restrictions near Eagle, and on Loggers Creek.

  Whitefish provide a popular winter fishery on the river. They can be found at the tail of riffles or in the holding water near riffles. Using a fly rod, or the spinner/fly setup, try using nymphs, mealy worms or maggots fishing just below the surface. Be alert, they strike lightly.

• Urban Ponds: Area ponds are the ideal place for the beginning angler to learn the basics, or the more experienced angler to practice new skills. The ponds are the ideal place to take the kids. Easy access and frequent stocking increases the likelihood of success.

  Rainbow trout are regularly stocked in all ponds. At Parkcenter and Veterans Park, you can also try your skill and luck with largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, or bullheads.

• Parkcenter also has channel catfish. Riverside Pond has rainbow and bluegill.

  Remember, when fishing for warm water fish such as bass, crappie and bluegill you will have best success around structure, such as the docks, at any of the ponds, or the underwater brush structures at the southeast corner of Veterans Park.

  If you would like to try your luck with bullheads and channel catfish, you will want to fish the bottom with nightcrawlers or cut bait.

Reservoirs

• Indian Creek Reservoir is located 19 miles east of Boise, just south of Interstate 84. Rainbow trout, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, bullheads and channel catfish all contribute to the diverse, year-round fishery. Shore access is limited and float-tubing is one way to increase the amount of the reservoir which can be fished. Some large trout and bass can be caught in this small reservoir.

• Lucky Peak Reservoir: The largest of the urban fisheries is Lucky Peak. Only 8 miles from Boise on Highway 21, this 28,050-acre reservoir is a very popular trout and kokanee fishery. Fall rainbow fishing is excellent. Early summer smallmouth bass fihsing is also coming on strong.

  Shore anglers can find success fishing for trout, perch and smallmouth bass. The best fishing, however, is from a boat. Trolling for trout or kokanee with popgear, rigged with wedding ring or similar lure, is very effective. In summer, when fish move to deeper water, a downrigger will help get your gear to the right depth. Try fishing the narrow area between the dam and Spring Shores.

  For smallmouth bass, look for rocky shorelines or outcroppings. The area southeast of Spring Shores has been productive.

  Float tubing is a popular activity in most of these reservoirs and is definitely worth trying. The same basic techniques apply when "tubing," and you can reach some otherwise inaccessable areas. Be sure to use tubes designed for safe fishing.

Species	Boise River	Park Center Pond	Riverside Pond	Veterans Park Pond	Indian Creek Reservoir	Lucky Peak Reservoir
Rainbow	X	X	X	X	X	X
Brown Trout		X
Cutthroat					X
Whitefish	X					X
Largemouth Bass		X		X	X
Crappie		X		X	X
Bluegill		X	X	X	X
Bullhead		X		X	X
Channel Catfish		X			X
Kokanee						X
Perch						X
Smallmouth Bass						X