Idaho Fish Report

Sign up for a hunter ed field day
 

If you were unable to complete a field day last year due to COVID restrictions, you’re not off the hook. The temporary rule expires on March 31, and you’ll still need to complete a field day before you can hunt this fall. Find a field day.

Best bets for fishing

• Winter steelhead are spread throughout most basins. There’s weather coming, however, that may blow some rivers out be late Saturday or Sunday. But look for fishing to improve early next week as water levels begin to drop.
• The shot of colder weather should also shore up ice conditions, which deteriorated at some locations during the recent warm spell. As always, be sure to check ice conditions before heading out to fish.
• Winter trout anglers should focus on lower elevation lakes that don’t freeze and that were heavily stocked throughout the year. There should be holdover fish in most of these locations. Focus on low-and-slow presentations that give fish plenty of time to consider your lure.
• Trout anglers who prefer moving water, should focus on rivers that are open year-round and fish throughout the winter. Likely suspects include the lower Deschutes, Crooked, Metolius, Fall, Blitzen, Chewaucan and Wallowa rivers.    Here are a few tips for winter trout fishing.

Apply for a spring bear tag

Applications are due Feb. 10

Spring bear is a popular “first of the season” hunt. Here are some tips to increase your chances of success.