Fish rap: The dish on fish in Treasure Valley ditches
Considering Idaho’s dry summers and agricultural prowess, the abundance of irrigation canals makes sense. It also can make for some interesting fish stories.
Years ago, I floated an eastern Idaho canal with some friends. I was a skeptic — until a monster trout spooled me less than 10 minutes into our float.
I’ll admit I still don’t spend a lot of time fishing in canals. But I have seen some really nice fish come out of ditches that most anglers wouldn’t think twice about.
Canals come in many shapes and sizes, but they originate in rivers and reservoirs, so there’s usually something swimming in them. Heck, there’s a tiny canal near my house that you can jump across, and it’s full of invasive weather loaches, big bullfrogs and who knows what else.
A handful of anglers are dialed in on fishing their favorite canals year-round. But it’s the annual fall ditch draining that really catches people’s interest, so I called Idaho Fish and Game to get the scoop on tips for fishing canals:
Know the rules: Always read the regulations before you go. Most canals aren’t listed in the regs, which means general rules apply. You do need a license to fish in canals.
Get permission: Many canals run through private property. Unless you are fishing on public land, make sure you have permission from the land owner or canal company before you start fishing.
Salvaging fish: Fish and Game usually opens drained canals to salvage rules. You still need a license, but you can net, snag or spear fish that often get stranded in small pools. Those fish will eventually die and go to waste, so anglers are encouraged to harvest them. There are no bag limits, but protected sturgeon and bull trout must be left in the water and reported to Fish and Game.
Saving fish: When I was in Boy Scouts, I organized a project to save stranded trout from a canal and put them back in the river. We rescued some beautiful rainbows and browns. But transporting live fish is illegal without a permit, so make sure you get one from Fish and Game. Local fishing clubs can be good resources for helping organize conservation projects.
Local scoop: This year in the Southwest Region, most ditches are open to salvage rules from Oct. 1 to Nov. 15. There is no date when salvage rules automatically go into effect each fall, so check with your regional Fish and Game office before you go. The Southwest Regional Office number is (208) 465-8465.
Fishing canals may not seem glamorous, but they really can produce some nice fish. It’s shaping up to be a beautiful weekend, so grab your fishing gear and “ditch” the yard work.
Tight lines!
This story was originally published October 14, 2015 at 12:00 AM.