Idaho Fish Report

Recent precipitation and the cooler temperatures late in the week helped hold the surface water temperatures to around 60 degrees, perfect trout temperatures.  Fishing for both trout and bass continues to be fair to good.  Anglers are having success with both worms and PowerBait catching fish averaging 15 to 18 inches and a few over 20.  Flies that have caught fish include leech patterns, red copper Johns, wooly buggers, hares ears and chironomids (midge larva) patterns. Midges are hatching with this warm weather and can make up almost 50% of a trout’s diet on our high desert reservoirs year-round and up to 80% in the spring and fall.  Fly rodders should be fishing midge patterns for success.  Ice cream cones, red butt buzzers, red and silver zebra midges, red brassies and frostbite chironomids are all working.  Red seems to be the magic color.  Fishing at Jet Ski Beach has been fair to good depending upon the day.  Fishing on either side of the dam has been good as has been the south end of the lake where the river empties into the lake. Flows in the river above and below South Fork were approximately 150 cfs on Thursday, May 20.  Definitely fishable flows and expect fishing to be fair to good in the river.  The boat ramp at Jet Ski Beach is not useable due to a drop off at the end of the ramp which will get your trailer tires stuck.  No black bass may be kept until July 1.  They must be released immediately after being caught.