Big Wood River

The Big Wood River originates in the Smokey Mountain, Boulder Mountain, and Pioneer Mountain ranges of south central Idaho. The river flows south - south west from its origin to its confluence with the Little Wood River west of Gooding, ID forming the Malad River. The Big Wood River is impounded by Magic Dam located west of state highway 75, forming Magic Reservoir. The river below Magic Reservoir is used extensively for irrigation and no longer consistently maintains water in its channel past the Richfield Canal head gates. Water diverted through the Richfield Canal provides fishing opportunities in the canal during good water years.

Angling Opportunities
The upper Big Wood River throughout the Wood River Valley is well known as productive mountain freestone stream. This section of the river is a destination fishery that attracts anglers from across the country. The Big Wood River provides angling opportunities for rainbow trout, brown trout, and mountain whitefish. The fishery is currently managed under three regulation scenarios including catch-and-release, trophy regulations, and general regulations. Much of the fishery in this section of the river is maintained by natural recruitment. Hatchery rainbow trout are stocked in the North Fork of the Big Wood River. Anglers are advised to consult the Idaho fishing regulations to identify applicable regulations for the area they intend to fish.

The Big Wood River from Magic Reservoir Dam to the Richfield Canal is a popular area and provides good fishing opportunities for rainbow and brown trout. This stretch of river is managed under general stream regulations with six fish allowed for harvest. The Richfield Canal is well known for it high productivity and associated ability to grow large trout. The Richfield Canal is stocked with rainbow trout. However, the canal fishery is dependant on water diversion and is not consistently stocked in low water years due to the limited duration during which the canal holds water.

Angling opportunities in the Big Wood River below the Richfield canal are limited due to dewatering.

Access
The Big Wood River has numerous public access opportunities for anglers. However, anglers should be aware that much of the land adjacent to the Big Wood River in the Wood River Valley is private land. Access to the river is provided by public easement and small parcels of publicly owned land. Anglers are reminded that public access within the river extends to the ordinary high water line and shoreline access on private property requires landowner permission or public easement. A map, listing Big Wood River access areas in the Wood River Valley, is available through the Blaine County Recreation District.

Access to the lower Wood River is primarily by way of state and federal public lands. The Big Wood River from Magic Reservoir Dam to the Richfield canal and the upper Richfield canal are accessible from large tracts of public lands.