Idaho Fish Report

Leftover tags go on sale July 1

Leftover big game tags are available online beginning July 1 at 10 a.m. Remaining tags will be available from license vendors beginning July 2. Here’s how to purchase.

Things are good at the coast

• Razor clamming should be good with a week of negative tides beginning Saturday. Enjoy a last hurrah before the annual conservation closure begins on July 15.
• Surfperch, including red tailed, striped and pink fin, are a short cast away from many beaches along the coast.
• Charter services are available out of most major ports and are a great way to spend a day on the water chasing halibut, bottomfish and ocean salmon.

Best bets for weekend/holiday fishing

With a summer holiday coming up, we sure hope there’s some fishing in your future. Here’s just a few opportunities:

• Stocked trout. Don’t overlook places that were stocked heavily earlier this spring. Many of those fish are still around. Check the stocking schedule.
• Resident and sea-run cutthroat in coastal rivers and streams. Here’s some tips to catch them.
• Bass and warmwater fishing is heating up in rivers, lakes and reservoirs throughout the state. Check the zone reports for a spot near you.
• Spring Chinook are still running in locations like the Nestucca, Trask, Siletz, and the upper and middle Rogue Rivers, and in Tillamook Bay
• Summer steelhead season is getting underway in several coastal rivers.
• Native redband trout are available in several eastside rivers including the lower Deschutes, Metolius, Chewaucan, Blitzen, Wood and Williamson rivers, and Deep Creek.

Apply for sage-grouse hunting permit, July 1- Aug. 13

Sage-grouse may just be the upland bird hunting trip of a lifetime. Permits are limited, so before you apply, make sure you have the will and/or ability to travel to wild, remote places. 

Register for a shotgun skills class

In this hands-on class, you’ll learn proper shotgun safety, use, handling and shooting of moving targets. Learn more and register.

Learn the basics of Oregon hunting

If you’re new to hunting, or are just thinking about it, this two-hour seminar will cover what you can hunt for and where, equipment, regulations and ethics. Learn more and register.