Fall in love with autumn fishing in Idaho when bass and trout are at their best

Our faces were still cold from the chilly morning boat ride when my best friend Abe and I arrived at a prime Snake River fishing hole. I positioned the boat along a rocky outcropping and tossed a crankbait toward the bank. Before my lure made it back to the boat, a big smallmouth bass pounced on it — and a half-dozen similar-sized buddies gave chase, aggressively trying to steal his “meal.”

Abe, who was visiting from Nebraska, watched intently as the underwater scene unfolded. Eventually, we hefted a gorgeous 3-pound smallmouth into the boat.

“This,” I chuckled, “is why I love September!”

If you’re an angler, there are lots of reasons to look forward to this time of year. September and the first half of October are arguably the best six weeks of all-around fishing southern Idaho has to offer. Here are a few reasons why:

It’s football season!

I love bass fishing pretty much year-round, but nothing compares to a September smallmouth bite. As the days grow shorter and water temperatures cool, bass appetites kick into overdrive as the fish stockpile calories for the leaner winter months ahead. Just about every bass you catch in the fall — even small ones — will be at its maximum weight, with a fat belly and a gullet full of crayfish. (Seriously, look down their throat and you’ll likely see some antennae or pincers!)

Big bass also have a tendency to congregate in the fall. Most of the time, I’d expect to cover several miles of shoreline to find six big fish like the ones Abe and I saw chasing my first catch. Once we knew they were there, we stayed put and boated more than 20 pounds of bass in an hour and a half. That’s some truly incredible Snake River smallmouth fishing — well worth the trip from Nebraska!

A trout stream runs through it

Bass aren’t the only fish aggressively feeding in the fall. Trout are fired up, too, and river flows in our regional fisheries are usually ideal this time of year.

My favorite kind of trout fishing is walking along a picturesque stream and thinking, “Man, there’s got to be a fish sitting in that hole” as I approach an emerald-green pool, cut bank or riffle. And then, sure enough, a fish quickly snaps up my lure, bait or fly, and that same scenario repeats itself as I work my way along the river.

Abe and I also managed to fit in a trout session during his visit, and it felt just like our good old days at Boy Scout camp, when we would knock out five merit badges on day one and then spend the rest of the week wading alpine creeks for brookies and cutthroats. This time, we were catching rainbows and browns — a few of which were already putting on their stunning fall spawning colors — but the vibes were déjà vu of the best kind.

Perfect weather

I’ll fish in any weather, but it’s always more enjoyable on a picture-perfect day. Both outings with Abe featured textbook September conditions — temperatures in the 70s, sunny skies, and just enough crisp air to pack a jacket for the morning hours. Just a few weeks ago, we Idaho anglers were roasting in 100-degree heat, and before long, we’ll be bundling up to ice fish our favorite frozen lakes. But for now, keep the bluebird days of early autumn coming, please! It simply doesn’t get better than this. Tight lines!

Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters since he was a teen. Share your fish stories, adventures and questions with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com, or visit www.tightlines208.com for the latest local fishing reports and upcoming class offerings.

This story was originally published September 26, 2023 at 4:00 AM.