This report highlights a few of the best places to fish, what anglers are using and what they are catching. The information is compiled from regional Fish and Game fishery managers, local tackle shops and anglers.Other general regional information is available below.
Salmon Season: Salmon fishing seasons changing frequently. Please see the rules section for updates on closures, etc.
Snake River: Water is receding. The smallmouth bass fishing is very good. Try crank baits and rubber jigs. Sturgeon fishing pretty good.
Dworshak Reservoir: Bass spawn this time of year in the shallows and move into deeper water. Anglers still catching kokanee.
Lowland Lakes and Ponds: All of our lowland lakes and ponds have been stocked this with trout and are fishing well. This time of year fishing is good before water warms later in the summer.
Most lowland lakes and ponds have good populations of warm water fish, such as largemouth bass, crappie, sunfish and yellow perch. Many of these lakes are managed as Family Fishing Waters, which designates simplified regulations (six trout and six bass bag limit, no length limits, and no special fishing gear restrictions). Besides the simplified regulations, Family Fishing Waters also are a great place to take youngsters to catch a fish. Most have good fishing docks and restroom facilities.
Mountain Rivers and Streams: Folks are fishing, but fishing is expected to be increasingly better as we move further into July.
Mountain Lakes: The Clearwater Region has over 700 mountain lakes, most of which are located in the southern and eastern portion of the region. While most of these lakes are fishless, over 250 of them have fish populations. Westslope cutthroat, brook trout, and rainbow trout are the most common game fish. Lakes without adequate natural reproduction are stocked with westslope cutthroat fry on a three year rotation. Because almost all these lakes are located either on Clearwater or Nez Perce National Forest Service land, an appropriate map is the best way to start a mountain lake fishing adventure. However, don't let the warm summer weather fool you - several roads into the back country that are still closed due to snow. There have been some back country lakes that have just lost the surface ice in the last week or so.
Spring in the Clearwater Region finds hatchery steelhead migrating quickly to areas where they were released as smolts 1 to 3 years earlier. These fish haven't fed since they left the ocean the previous summer and fall, and therefore aren't as frisky as they were when they were fresh out of the salt, but they can still provide some fine sport fishing.
The towns of Orofino, Kooskia, Kamiah, and Riggins are considered "steelhead central" during the spring steelhead season. Consistent springtime hotspots are the mainstem and North Fork Clearwater Rivers in the vicinity around Dworshak National Fish Hatchery, the mainstem and Middle Fork Clearwater Rivers just below Clear Creek near Kooskia, the South Fork Clearwater River, and the Little Salmon River.
The steelhead season closes April 30 on most regional waters, but goes until May 15 on the Little Salmon River. Before you go, take a look at the steelhead regulations and especially remember the "Big Three":
Pinch your barbs down on all hooks you use.
Immediately release any steelhead you catch with an unclipped adipose fin.
Immediately validate your steelhead permit upon retaining a legal steelhead.
Chinook Salmon
A major goal of Idaho fishery managers is to maximize salmon fishing opportunity for Idaho anglers. However, a variety of biological and regulatory factors make setting seasons a complicated process. Because of this, Chinook anglers are encouraged to stay informed of season changes and be flexible in their fishing plans. IDFG will strive to keep anglers informed of preseason runsize predictions, inseason runsize estimates, and fishing regulations.
Chinook generally start appearing in Idaho at Lewiston the last week of April, and fishing can be good through June if you follow the migration upstream. Just like during the spring steelhead season, the towns of Orofino, Kooskia, Kamiah, and Riggins are considered “chinook central” during late May and early June during a good chinook run.
Fishing in the Lewiston area is usually good for only 3 to 4 weeks. After that, fishing shifts to locations near hatchery release areas which include: the South Fork Clearwater River, the North Fork Clearwater below Dworshak Dam, the Middle Fork Clearwater at the mouth of Clear Creek, the Lochsa River at Powell, Hell’s Canyon Dam, and Rapid River Fish Hatchery near Riggins.
Lowland Lakes
Spring brings some of the best fishing of the year at our lowland lakes. These waters provide great fishing opportunities for planted rainbow trout, and most have good populations of largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, sunfish and yellow perch.
Many of these lakes are managed as Family Fishing Waters with simplified regulations that include no length limits, year-round seasons, simple bag limits, and no special fishing gear restrictions. These waters are close to home and provide great places to take youngsters to catch a fish. Most have good fishing docks and restroom facilities.
Below is a list of regional waters and some fish you might expect to encounter at each:
Deer Creek Reservoir - Near Pierce. Family Fishing Water. This is the state's newest fishing lake. Excellent populations of stocked rainbow and cutthroat trout. The reservoir is open all year to fishing, but because of wildlife related road restrictions, the access road will be open to motorized vehicles May 20-September 30 annually. Outside of those dates, anglers and other lake users will need to make a hike of about half a mile to reach the lake.
Elk Creek Reservoir - Near Elk River. Good populations of largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill, brook trout, and stocked rainbow trout. Boats are restricted to electric motors only.
Fenn Pond - Near Fenn Ranger Station on the lower Selway River. Family Fishing Water. Stocked with rainbow trout in the spring.
Mann Lake - Near Lewiston. Mann Lake is an irrigation reservoir and is usually drawn down in the late summer, but it is at full pool in the spring. Good populations of largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, and stocked rainbow trout. Boats are restricted to electric motors only.
Moose Creek Reservoir - Near Bovill. Family Fishing Water. Good populations of largemouth bass, bluegill, and stocked rainbow trout. Boats are restricted to electric motors only.
Soldier's Meadow Reservoir - 20 miles south of Lewiston. Soldier's Meadow is an irrigation reservoir and is usually drawn down in late summer but it is at full pool in the spring. Good populations of black crappie and stocked rainbow trout.
Spring Valley Reservoir - Near Troy. Family Fishing Water. Good populations of largemouth bass, bluegill, and stocked rainbow trout. Boats are restricted to electric motors only.
Tolo Lake - Near Grangeville. It is a fairly turbid natural lake but has been stocked with white crappie, largemouth bass, bluegill, and channel catfish.
Waha Lake - South of Lewiston. Waha is a natural lake and has fair populations of smallmouth bass and stocked rainbow trout.
Winchester Lake - Near Winchester. Family Fishing Water. Excellent populations of largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish, and stocked rainbow trout. Tiger muskellunge have also been stocked in Winchester Lake. Visitors to Winchester Lake will notice numerous floating structures on the lake. These are part of an experimental project to improve water quality and fishing by oxygenating the deeper portions of the lake. Boats are restricted to electric motors only.
Dworshak Reservoir - Near Orofino. At 17,000 surface acres and 54 miles long at full pool, Dworshak Reservoir is the largest lake in the Region. It boasts excellent populations of kokanee salmon, rainbow and cutthroat trout, and smallmouth bass. Dworshak Reservoir from the dam upstream to Grandad Bridge is open to fishing all year, but above Grandad the fishing season runs from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend to November 30. The trout limit in this part of the reservoir is 6 per day, but only 2 of those can be cutthroat.
Water levels in Dworshak are usually down 40 feet or so in the early spring but rise to nearly full pool by June. The best kokanee fishing of the year can be had in April, May and June, with fishing usually starting to get good in middle to late March. Most of the early action is between the dam and Dent Bridge. Our latest kokanee population surveys last fall revealed good numbers of fish, so anglers should expect some great fishing this spring. Rainbow and cutthroat trout fishing can be very good in the spring also. Look for the best action at the mouths of tributary streams.
Smallmouth bass anglers usually start doing well with the onset of warmer weather. The last few years have seen intense interest in the bass fishery, as in 2006 at least two smallmouth over nine pounds were caught in the reservoir. Both of these fish shattered the old state record by over a pound, with the biggest fish pushing the record to 9 pounds, 11 ounces.
The Department and the Army Corps of Engineers started a nutrient enhancement program in 2007 on Dworshak Reservoir. This project essentially involves adding specific nutrients in specific doses to bring the overall nutrient levels in the lake into balance, and promises to improve water quality and fish growth. Results from last summer indicated that densities of high quality zooplankton favored by kokanee increased substantially after the first couple of treatments. Bi-weekly treatments are scheduled throughout this summer, and IDFG will be monitoring the progress on the treatments throughout the year.
Rivers and Streams
In most years, the Memorial Day weekend general stream opener finds area rivers flowing very high, but anglers can still catch some nice-sized cutthroat trout in the Lochsa, Selway, and North Fork Clearwater Rivers. To protect these world-class fisheries, most of these rivers have harvest and gear restrictions on them, so be sure to check the regulations before you go. Anglers are also urged to use caution when fishing in high, cold water conditions.
The under appreciated whitefish is very common in most regional streams. The lower Clearwater below Orofino is one of the best stretches, where whitefish can grow to 22 inches. They are active all year and can provide excellent spring fishing.
The Snake and lower Salmon Rivers have excellent smallmouth bass populations and spring is a great time to catch them as the water warms. Catfishing in the Lewiston area is a popular springtime activity. The channel catfish here average three to five pounds but 15 pounders have been caught.
White Sturgeon
Both the Snake and lower Salmon rivers offer one of the most unique freshwater fishing experiences you can have anywhere: fishing for white sturgeon. Sturgeon can be caught all year but springtime is probably the best time to try to catch one of these giant fish.
The Clearwater Region has perhaps the strongest population of white sturgeon in Idaho in the 105 miles of free-flowing Snake River from Lewiston upstream to Hell's Canyon Dam. The most recent studies estimated that there are from 3000 to 6000 sturgeon between two and eleven feet long in this area. Over half of the fish are less than three feet long, indicating that there is good reproduction in this stretch. Smaller numbers of sturgeon are found in the lower Salmon River.
White sturgeon can live to be over 80 years old and grow very slowly. Because of this, the sturgeon fishery has been managed under a strict catch and release regulation since the 1970's. Any sturgeon caught may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately unharmed. Barbless hooks are also required when fishing for sturgeon.
Sturgeon angling continues to be more popular in Idaho every year. As the number of anglers increases, so does the importance of treating hooked fish properly to insure their survival. If you decide to try your hand at this exciting sport, please use the following tips to ensure you are practicing "low-impact" sturgeon fishing and treating these ancient fish with the respect they deserve:
Hook 'Em Right: (Keep the fish from swallowing the hook)
Use non-offset circle hooks-sizes 7/0 to 13/0. Non-offset circle hooks offer three big advantages over traditional J-hooks for sturgeon fishing:
Fish are almost never hooked deeply with non-offset circle hooks because their unique shape rarely lets the hook point imbed until it catches on the corner of the fish's mouth.
Once solidly hooked, fish rarely become unhooked.
Circle hooks are much less likely to snag on the river bottom.
Circle hooks are very different than J-hooks and require an angler to employ a few different techniques for them to work properly:
First, make sure the hook point is exposed and not covered up with the bait.
Second, when a fish starts to bite, let it mouth the bait a few seconds longer than you would with a J-hook.
Lastly, don't set the hook. Instead, simply start reeling until you come tight on the fish. The hook will catch on the corner of the mouth as you smoothly tighten the line.
For those not yet ready to make the switch to circle hooks, remember that when using a regular "J" hook, it is especially critical to stay attentive to the rod and hook the fish quickly before it has a chance to swallow the bait.
Pinch the Barb - (It’s the law). Pinch the barb down on your hook to ease hook removal and minimize the damage to a sturgeon’s fleshy mouth.
Rig it right. Tie your sinker to a dropper line on a sliding swivel, using at least ten pound test lighter line than your main line. This will minimize the chances of leaving a baited hook rig snagged to the bottom if you break off. We suspect that this "ghost gear" is getting to be a real problem in some popular fishing holes.
Play 'Em Fast: (Avoid overstressing the fish during the fight)
50-80 lb test monofilament lineslines or 130-150 lb test superbraid lines should be considered the minimum size to use. Monofilament has advantages in that it has higher abrasion resistance and its stretch makes it much more forgiving when fighting large fish.
Use heavy gear properly sized to fight powerful fish weighing up to 400 pounds and land the fish as quickly as possible. Lactic acid can build up in the fish's muscles during long fights. A good sturgeon reel needs to be very well built, have a very smooth drag, and hold at least 250 yards of the proper line.
Choose your fishing spot carefully. Be realistic about the chances of landing a large sturgeon when choosing a fishing hole, especially when fishing without a boat. Ask yourself if you will be able to follow the fish if it leaves the hole. Try to avoid having to tell the story of being spooled, leaving 200 yards or more of expensive line hooked to a fish.
Release 'Em Easy: (Ensure the fish will survive to fight another day)
Keep the fish in the water - (It’s the law). Don't pull the fish up on the rocks for a photo. Pulling the fish on the rocks will remove the fish's layer of protective mucous and often will open cuts in the fish's skin, which can lead the way to an infection. The best way to get a great sturgeon photo is to get in the water with the fish. In cold weather, this usually means having some waders handy. Keep water flowing over the gills at all times when removing the hook or snapping a picture.
Don’t tie the fish by the tail. A tail-roped fish can easily be injured, especially if it starts thrashing.
Revive a played-out fish by holding its mouth open in the current so water flows over its gills until it wants to swim away. A tired sturgeon will almost always remain calm when you hold them by the mouth upside down in the water. Keep your hands out of their gills at all times.
Panhandle | 
Clearwater | 
Southwest | 
Magic Valley | 
Southeast | 
Upper Snake | 
Salmon
