Idaho Fishing Charters and Guides

You might think that Idaho is famous for its potatoes, but actually, it’s more famous for its great Idaho fishing opportunities and any of the local Idaho fishing charters and guides will second that statement. The state’s craggy mountain area is home to more than 1,000 lakes, and Idaho’s wild trout streams are legendary. Several have achieved the blue-ribbon rating. One of the best things about fishing in Idaho is that most of the fishing venues are open to the public.

Idaho is a rugged state, with wide expanses of pristine wilderness areas – some of the largest in the United States. The landscape is made up of the Rocky Mountains, raging rivers, deep mountain lakes, and Hells Canyon - the deepest canyon in the nation. All types of outdoor recreation are available, and at the top of that list is fishing. The most sought after fish species are trout and salmon.

Idaho is the only inland state in the west with steelhead trout and salmon returning from the ocean. Other trout species in the state include rainbows, brooks, cutthroat, browns, and lake trout. Salmon include Atlantic, Coho, and Chinook.

Idaho Fishing Guides and Charters

If you’re serious about landing a trophy trout or salmon in Idaho, hire a reputable fishing guide. Experienced fishing guides know the areas that hold the biggest and the most fish, and they know how to catch them.

Top Idaho Fishing Areas, Idaho Rivers and Lakes

Big Wood River – Near Ketchum, Big Wood covers lots of submerged timber, which trout love. This water holds lots of rainbows and brown trout, but don’t expect to catch any monster trout here.

Warm Lake – This lake is located in southwestern Idaho, east of Cascade. You’ll find a numerous supply of lake trout here, but you probably won’t catch any big fish.

Silver Creek – This spring creek is located just south of Sun Valley. Silver Creek holds lots of rainbows, some measuring up to 20 inches. You’ll also find a healthy population of brown trout, along with a few brook trout.

Priest Lake – If you want to fish for lake trout, try this lake. The state record lake trout was landed here, weighing in at over 57 pounds. Local anglers say there aren’t any fish that size left in the lake, but there are still plenty of trout in the 7-10 pound range.

Bear Lake – Bear Lake is on the Idaho-Utah border and is a natural lake that’s over 250,000 years old. This cold water lake has native cutthroat trout weighing up to seven pounds, along with lake trout weighing up to fifteen. The preferred bait with many anglers at Bear Lake is a small fish called the “cisco.” The cisco is found only in this locale, and the trout love them!

Snake and Clearwater Rivers – Both of these are good places to catch Chinook salmon. The Chinook spend a year or so in the ocean, then return to Idaho via the Salmon, Snake, and Clearwater rivers. These fish might be over three feet long and weigh more than 25 pounds. The fishing seasons are determined by the number of fish that return to the state.