Idaho Fish Report

ANGEL LAKE

CAVE LAKE

COLD CREEK RESERVOIR

The reservoir is currently sitting at approximately 40 to 50% of capacity, though it has come up a bit with the recent moisture, and is mostly ice free with shore access for fishing.  One angler reports fair fishing last week here using small dark emerger flies.  For bait anglers, the usual worms or PowerBait would be a good place to start as well as small spinners or rooster tails.   A total of 4,050 Rainbow Trout were stocked into the reservoir in 2020.  Expect some skim ice along the shore in the mornings, but open water for much of the day.

COMINS LAKE

Comins is mostly covered with five to six inches of safe ice though there are some isolated spots that have open water and/or thin ice.  Please advance cautiously and drill a test hole or two in the area you want to fish.  Worms seem to work best through the ice though PowerBait can work as well.  Jigging with minnow imitations can also work.  Anglers please note that NDOW has placed radio tags in several Northern Pike.  These pike will have an orange floy tag near their dorsal fin and a small antenna coming from their stomach. Please return these fish to the water for research purposes.  If it doesn’t have the transmitter tag, please humanely dispatch the fish.  Don’t put it back in the lake.  

ILLIPAH

IlIllipah is covered in unsafe ice.  Expect it to be unsafe until after New Years.

JAKE'S / BOIES RESERVOIR

The reservoir is 90% covered in unsafe ice.  Fishing is done here until the ice is safe, which may be sometime between Christmas and New Year’s depending upon the weather. 

JIGGS / ZUNINO RESERVOIR

The lake is iced over with unsafe ice, except where the aerator is. Due to the aerator and the size of the lake, ice is generally never safe for ice fishing.  The water level is very low so pray for a good winter to fill this reservoir up. 

MOUNTAIN STREAMS

HIGH ALPINE LAKES

With snow on the mountains only the most experienced backcountry travelers should attempt to reach the lakes. The lakes are now frozen and fishing is done for the winter.  There will be no more fishing reports for the high alpine lakes until late spring or early summer depending upon the winter.

RUBY LAKE NWR

The collection ditch was mostly ice free as of December 23.  Fishing has been good for 10 to 16-inch trout at the collection ditch which was stocked with approximately 7,000 trout in October.  Anglers report catching fish averaging about two pounds at the collection ditch using balanced leeches.  Water level in the collection ditch has improved but it has been a bit turbid which is good news for anglers. Small brightly colored spinners were doing well. Anglers need to use sub-surface flies such as leech patterns, wooly buggers or crystal buggers.  Other flies working include the usual small nymphs such as PT’s, hares ears, olive soft hackles, red or blue copper Johns, prince nymphs and egg patterns. 

SOUTH FORK RESERVOIR

With the warmer temperatures and the wind, the ice receded at Jet Ski Beach and there was a large are of open water for fishing there.  Fishing was fair to good depending upon time of day, with anglers doing best before 10:00 am.   If there is still open water there this weekend, the usual rainbow sparkle PowerBait fished off the bottom using a slip sinker should work.  Worms can be tried as the sun gets high in the sky and things warm up.  For fly rodders chironomid patterns, copper Johns, small hare’s ears, pheasant tail nymphs and balanced leeches should be tried.  Fishing below the dam in the river has been slow with very low flows. South Fork was stocked with almost 107,000 trout in 2020.

WILDHORSE RESERVOIR

While fishing for both perch and trout has been good, the ice hasn’t been so good.  Due to warmer daytime temperatures and sunny days this week, ice thickness decreased, especially off the state park access.  Thicknesses ranged from one to six inches and it is not recommended to go onto the ice off the state park at this time.   Ice in the Penrod and Hendricks Arms appears to be more stable averaging four to six inches, but still drill test holes before venturing too far upon it.   Anglers fishing the Hendricks arm on Thursday were doing well for both perch and trout.  Perch were being caught in about 25 feet of water using small plastic grubs tipped with a bit of worm close to the bottom.  Trout were being caught in the same area but were cruising just about five feet under the ice.  Worms were working for trout.   Many perch between nine and 11 inches were caught.  Trout were averaging between 14 and 18 inches.  The river below the dam has low flows and the shorelines are very icy but fishing the pools has been fair to good using streamer patterns and nymphs for fly fishermen and minnow imitation lures for spin fishermen.  Wildhorse was stocked with just over 100,000 trout in 2020.

WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR

No fish

WILSON RESERVOIR

No recent report, but this lake often mimics South Fork so expect it to be covered in unsafe ice. At last report, fishing was fair to good for 12 to 15-inch trout and bass fishing was very slow.  Black leeches  and chironomid patterns were working for trout. or dark green spinners with contrasting spots are working for spin fishermen.  Of course the usual worms and PowerBait should work.  Expect the road to be 4WD only with the recent precipitation.