Idaho Fish Report

Fishing in hot water

With extreme temperatures in the forecast, fish will start feeling the heat. Give them a break by remembering these five tips for fishing when water temperatures are high.

Anglers: Know before you go

The best advice for fishing this weekend is to “know before you go.” Hot and dry conditions continue to make for challenging fishing. Check the zone reports to get the latest updates on water conditions, run updates, boat launch availability and access – wildfires this year and last have closed access to some locations. Oh, and there be a few recent reports of angler success as well.

Best bets for weekend fishing

As the hot, dry conditions continue fishing is getting tough. But there are a few bright spots, such as:

• Resident and sea-run cutthroat in coastal rivers and streams.
• Trout in higher elevation locations like Diamond Lake, Applegate Lake and Lost Creek Reservoir.
• Smallmouth bass in the Coquille and South Umpqua.
• Chinook and steelhead in the North Fork Santiam.
• Fly-fishing on the Upper Williamson River and Wood River where grasshopper populations have exploded.
• Ocean salmon and rockfish.
• Crab on the central coast.

Be sure to check the zone reports for more options!

Fall black bear season opened Aug. 1

The statewide black bear season opened Monday and extends through the end of the year. The deadline to buy your first tag is Sept. 30. You can buy an additional tag throughout the season but only if you buy a general season tag by Sept. 30.

Popular Buoy 10 fishery opened Aug. 1

Buoy 10, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific, gives you the chance to catch Chinook and coho salmon fresh from the ocean. Here are 10 tips for Buoy 10 fishing.