Fishing report: Safe ice has arrived in Idaho! Here’s where to go.
It has been a chilly holiday season thus far, but those bitter mornings and frosted windshields do come with a benefit — we have safe ice on several fisheries, a few weeks ahead of what we’d see in a typical year. Here are some pointers on where and how to enjoy the early ice, along with tips for December fishing in Idaho:
Ice fishing
As always, safety should be top-of-mind when ice fishing. The minimum thickness required for fishing is four inches, and while we have that on several lakes, anglers should proceed with caution early in the season. Be careful around the edges, drill test holes as you go and use the buddy system. Here are some reports as of this writing:
Henrys Lake is completely safe — it has been frozen for a month. It’s a nearly six-hour trek from Boise, but the trophy cutthroat, brook and cutbow hybrid trout that live there make it worth the journey. On my annual Henrys ice trip, my group had success using small jigs tipped with worms and/or Power Bait. Note: New Year’s Day marks the end of ice fishing season on Henrys.
Horsethief Reservoir has about five inches of ice. Stay away from docks and other obstructions in the water, which prevent safe ice from forming. Anglers at Horsethief can expect good catch rates on small to medium-sized rainbow trout and Kokanee salmon. Big fish are hard to come by, but it’s a good place to take kids and beginners. Small, brightly colored jigs tipped with a night crawler or mealworm have been productive for me in the past.
Lake Cascade is building ice from both ends, with some open water remaining in the middle. A few brave souls have been on the north end of the lake already, but I’d recommend waiting another week or two. For the latest reports and conditions, call Tackle Tom’s at (208) 382-4367.
Update, Dec. 8 at 8:50 a.m.: Cold temps at Cascade have accelerated ice building over the last few days. The north end of the lake has solid ice and the entire lake should be walkable by this weekend.
Magic Reservoir and Mormon Reservoir have four to six inches of ice. Both lakes are home to trout and yellow perch. I would anticipate moderate catch rates on pan-sized rainbows at Mormon, with an occasional keeper-sized perch in the mix. Magic has bigger trout and a much larger perch population, but fishing is restricted to the southern half of the lake because of low water conditions. I recommend setting out a few “dead stick” bait rods and moving around with a jig tipped with worm or perch meat to try and locate fish with a flasher.
If you want to learn more about hardwater fishing, check out my Ice Fishing 101 class in January!
Trout
Trout fishing remains excellent. Bundled up anglers are still catching rainbows and browns on flies (primarily nymphs and occasional streamers) in the Boise and Owyhee rivers; trolling with pop gear and spinners has been hot at C.J. Strike Reservoir (although there may be some ice buildup around boat ramps if the cold temperatures continue); and trout are the most common catch for ice anglers.
Steelhead
Catch rates remain decent, with anglers averaging 5 to 11 hours per fish on the Snake River and 7 to 14 hours per fish on the North Fork Clearwater and main Clearwater. There are also a few steelhead still being caught in the Boise River after recent urban stocking efforts. Fish with roe, jigs and bobbers, streamers, wobbling plugs or Rapala-style jerk baits. A steelhead permit is mandatory and barbless hooks are required everywhere except the Boise. Get the latest details on the Fish and Game website. Tight lines!
Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters since he was a teen. Share your fish stories, adventures, tips and tricks with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com or visit www.tightlines208.com.
This story was originally published December 8, 2020 at 6:00 AM.