Fishing Idaho

Places to go fishing in Idaho

Idaho may not be anywhere near the size of some other states in the US, but it sure does battle for having the most fishable waters in the US. Idaho is home to more than 26,000 miles of rivers and streams, 3,000 natural lakes and a whopping 250,000 acres of ponds and reservoirs to go fishing in. Those are just incredible numbers for the size of the state. 

Within all of that fishable area, you can target up to 42 different freshwater species of fish, including White Sturgeon (trophy-sized for sure), trout, Catfish, Kokanee Salmon, Smallmouth Bass and Steelhead Salmon.

One of the best features of fishing in Idaho is that it allows anglers the opportunity to fish year-round. Now, even though you can fish throughout all seasons in Idaho, there are certain bodies of water that have specific seasons, rules and regulations that can be viewed on their online Idaho Fishing Rule Book.

For a list of licenses, fees and where to buy, see our Idaho Fishing License page.

The locations below are listed alphabetically and just a sampling of the many places to go fishing and some of the species you can catch in Idaho. 

Places To Go Fishing In Idaho

American Falls Reservoir

Popular Species To Catch: Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Brown Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout

American River

Popular Species To Catch: Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout, Steelhead

Black Canyon Reservoir

Popular Species To Catch: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Bullhead Catfish, Yellow Perch, Mountain Whitefish, White Crappie

Brownlee Reservoir

Popular Species To Catch: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Bullhead Catfish, Yellow Perch, White Crappie, Rainbow Trout, Catfish

CJ Striker Reservoir

Popular Species To Catch: Rainbow Trout, White Crappie, Smallmouth Bass, Mountain Whitefish, Yellow Perch, Largemouth Bass, White Sturgeon, Bullhead Catfish, Bluegill

To see the full list of Idaho fishing licenses and prices, please visit our Idaho Fishing License page.

Many more locations to come. If you have any favorite spots or bodies of water that you think should definitely be on this page, please send us a note. 

Also, if you are a private club or guide service that would like to be featured on any “Places To Fish” page, or other page within the StartFishingToday™ website, let us know.

Please contact us at startfishingtodayusa@gmail.com.

Thank you!