Idaho angler lands record trout at Payette Lake — for the second time
An Idaho angler had a bit of déjà vu last month while fishing on Payette Lake when he landed a lake trout that set a state record — for the second time in a decade.
Dylan Smith, of Idaho Falls, was fishing at the McCall lake on May 2 when he caught a 43.25-inch lake trout, also known as a mackinaw trout, according to an Idaho Department of Fish and Game news release.
Smith’s fish beat the previous 42-inch record set by Aaron Goettsche last year on the same lake, and it returned him to the top of Fish and Game’s catch and release record book, where he’d previously held the title with a 41.5-inch fish caught on Payette Lake in 2018.
Lake trout aren’t native to Idaho, and Fish and Game has worked to manage their population at Payette Lake by removing younger fish. In the news release, the agency said its efforts have led to lower predation on native Kokanee salmon as well as more trophy lake trout like Smith’s.
