Fly Fishing in Idaho

A regional note specific to this state: the trout fishing here is concentrated in a single high-quality tailwater, and the state agency has invested heavily in that tailwater, which is why the catch rate is consistently high and the average fish size is larger than the national average. Idaho trout fishing is one of the most diverse in the country, ranging from the silver-creek spring creeks of the Wood River Valley to the trophy trout fisheries of the Henrys Fork. The state has more than 30,000 miles of fishable trout water, including the legendary Henrys Fork, the Silver Creek, the South Fork of the Snake, the Big Wood, and dozens more. The most famous trout river is the Henrys Fork, a spring creek that runs through the high-desert plateau of eastern Idaho and produces wild rainbows and browns averaging 16 inches. The state's trout program is administered through the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the agency stocks the put-and-take lakes and rivers while managing the wild trout water through a combination of slot limits and special regulations. A regular Idaho fishing license is required, and the cost is $30 for residents and $98 for non-residents, and the daily limit is 6 trout combined in most waters with special regulations on the wild trout water. The unique regional quirk is that Idaho has the most diverse trout habitat in the West, from the spring creeks of the Wood River Valley to the high-desert tailwaters of the Snake River Plain, all within a few hours' drive.