Idaho Fish and Game - Lake Pend Oreille Angler Incentive Program

Lake Pend Oreille Angler Incentive Program

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Save the Lake Pend Oreille Fishery!

The populations of Gerrard rainbow and bull trout that made Pend Oreille a world-famous fishery are dependent on an abundant prey-base of kokanee. Unfortunately, an increasing population of lake trout has lead to an overabundance of predators and low kokanee survival.

Anglers can help: The Angler Incentive Program encourages fishing for rainbow and lake trout by paying a reward.

Lake trout of any size and rainbow trout more than 13 inches long harvested from
Lake Pend Oreille pays $15.00!

Rainbow trout more than 13 inches caught in Lower Clark Fork River below the railroad bridge at Clark Fork (open all year) and from Lightning Creek, Grouse Creek and Pack River between April 1 and August 31 are also eligible.

Rules For Getting Paid

Only rainbow and lake trout are eligible.
Rainbow trout heads must be a minimum of 2 3/8 inches long from tip of nose to end of gill cover. Only whole heads with the entire jaw and throat area intact are eligible for payment.
Cutthroat and cutthroat hybrids are not eligible.
Harvesting bull trout, cutthroat or kokanee is illegal, and will be investigated by a conservation officer. Know how to properly identify fish.
Your signature is required. We cannot pay anglers if slips are not signed.
Checks will be mailed to anglers twice a month. Be sure to fill out the angler information slip properly.

Angler Incentive Payment Slip - PDF, 22 KB

Please Follow These Steps To Check Your Fish In

Please clean your fish on the lake – not on the dock or the freezer! Ziploc bags, water-proof slips and pencils are provided at freezer locations.
Leave the head of the rainbow or lake trout in the drop-off freezer, not the whole fish. You may put multiple fish heads in one bag. A headless carcass is legal, as long as the tail is attached. Normally it is not legal to have a trout, bass, salmon or steelhead (any fish with a length limit) in the field or in transit without the head attached.
On the Angler Incentive Payment Slip fill out your name, mailing address, phone number, Idaho fishing license number and date of birth. One slip for each bag. You must sign the payment slip to be eligible for the cash reward.
Put the bag through the small hatch door in the freezer and close the door.

Fish Head Freezer Locations

Holiday Shores Marina - Ellisport Bay
Hope Marine Services - Ellisport Bay
Anchor Gas - Garfield Bay
Hudson's Bay Marina - Bayview
Fish and Game Field Research Station - Bayview
Fish and Game Regional Office - Coeur d'Alene

Pend Oreille Fishery Recovery Newsletter - 2011 [PDF, 96 kb]

Spaghetti Tagged Fish

Some rainbow trout have been tagged behind the dorsal fin with green spaghetti tags worth $100 when turned in to Idaho Fish and Game. We are no longer paying for any spaghetti tags from lake trout. Anglers should mail the spaghetti tag and information about the fish species, length, weight and date the fish was caught to: