IFG to stock area waterways
A youth fishes for trout at a pond stocked by the Idaho Department of Fish & Game.
(Photo courtesy IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF FISH & GAME)
Summer isn't quite over yet! It's time to grab your fishing gear and enjoy the last days of summer while you can! Fish and Game staff will be stocking nearly 15,000 catchable-size (10- to 12-inch) rainbow trout at a dozen locations across the Panhandle Region in September.
Sites set to be stocked are Antelope Lake, Sept. 6-10, 500 trout; Post Falls Park Pond, Sept. 6-10, 1,000 trout; Smith Lake, Sept. 6-10, 900 trout; Snow Creek Pond, Sept. 6-10, 300 trout; Gene Day Pond, Sept. 6-10, 1,000 trout;
Avondale Lake, Sept. 13-17, 1,620 trout; Fernan Lake, Sept. 13-17, 3,000 trout; Lower Twin Lake, Sept. 13-17, 995 trout; Mirror Lake, Sept. 13-17, 1,080 trout; Round Lake, Sept. 13-17, 540 trout; Fernan Lake, Sept. 20-24, 3,000 trout; and Lower Twin Lake, Sept. 20-24, 990 trout.
Stocking of all waters is tentative and dependent on water conditions; dates may change due to weather or staffing constraints.
For maps of these fishing locations and other angling destinations in Idaho please visit the Idaho Fish Planner. To learn more about high alpine lake fishing, check out our "Alpine Lakes Fishing" website.
Many of the waters highlighted are easy to access, family-friendly fishing destinations. All you need to get started is a fishing license and some basic tackle. Annual adult fishing licenses cost around $30, junior licenses (ages 14-17) cost $16, and youth under 14 fish for free.
To purchase a license:
• Online
• Phone: 800-554-8685
Fishing for stocked rainbow trout, particularly in community ponds, is a great way to introduce new anglers to the sport by using simple (and relatively thrifty) set-ups like worm/marshmallow combinations or commercial baits like Power Bait or Crave, either near the bottom or below a bobber. The Learn to Fish webpage offers diagrams for basic bait rigs.
Most Idaho waters are open to fishing year-round, but some may have slightly different rules. Be sure to pick up a 2019-21 Idaho Fishing Seasons and Rules Booklet, which outlines season dates, special regulations and bag limits at any Idaho Fish and Game offices or most sporting goods stores statewide.
Need a little help reading Idaho's fishing regulations? Head to Idaho Fish & Game's YouTube channel to view a short video on how to use the fishing season and rules book.
Contact the Panhandle Region office at 208-769-1414 and follow us on the Panhandle Fish and Game Facebook page for regular news and updates.
T.J. Ross is senior fisheries research biologist for Idaho Department of Fish & Game.