LET’S GO FISHING IDAHO.
Your first fish is closer than you think.
Idaho Fish and Game stocks over 30 million fish yearly in rivers, ponds, lakes, reservoirs, and mountain lakes. With numbers like that, your odds of catching a fish — are pretty great!
Locate your next fishing hole near you with these handpicked locations highlighting family-friendly waters and easy access points.
Family fun for all ages.
Kids 13 and under fish for free!
Before you go.
A fishing license is required before you drop a line. You can purchase online, at a retailer, or by phone.
Purchase by phone:1-800-554-8685
| ADULT | $30.50 |
| ADULT 3-YEARS | $73.75 |
| ADULT 1-DAY | $13.50 |
| DISABLED VETERANS | $5.75 |
| DISABLED PERSONS | $5.75 |
| SENIOR | $13.75 |
| JUNIOR (14-17) | $13.75 |
| JUNIOR (14-17) 3-YEARS | $37.75 |
| 13 YEARS AND UNDER |
NO LICENSE NEEDED |
Additional pricing options are available online for residents and nonresidents. A depredation management/access fee is required when purchasing an annual fishing license. There is a processing fee for purchases made online or by phone.
Save your license on your phone.
Download the Go Outdoors Idaho app and instantly save your license to your phone, locate fishing holes, view seasons and rules, and more.
Free Fishing Day
June 10, 2023
That’s right, each year everyone can fish without a license on every second Saturday of June. All other fishing regulations apply including closures, bag limits, and size restrictions.
Don’t have the gear? We’ve got you covered!
Grab the Fishing Regulations.
Familiarize yourself with the state’s fishing seasons, rules, and license options. Download them straight to your phone for easy access wherever you go.
Did you know?
Kokanee fish are landlocked sockeye salmon that live in lakes and reservoirs instead of the ocean.
Fish tend to face upstream into the current. Casting upstream will help present your bait naturally.
Salmon that return to Idaho’s rivers and streams, spawn within feet of where they were originally born!
Idaho Fish and Game introduced 18 new fish species to Idaho, bringing a total of 42 fish species for you to catch.
Fish do not have eyelids, and they can’t close their eyes when they are resting.
Cutthroat trout is Idaho’s state fish. There are three types of cutthroats in Idaho, Yellowstone, West Slope and Bonneville cutthroat.
Sturgeon are living dinosaurs! They can live to be 100 years old and can grow as big as 20 feet long.
Of the 4,000 eggs that a salmon lays, only two adult fish will return from the ocean.
That slime on a fish is not snot! It’s their protective mucus to help them not get sick. So before you hold a fish, be sure to wet your hands.
Fish burp! They have a gas-filled organ called the swim bladder. It can help them float at different levels.
Idaho anglers, hunters and trappers fund Idaho Fish and Game’s conservation efforts for all wildlife through license sales.
Lonesome Larry was the only sockeye salmon to return, swimming 900 miles to reach Idaho in 1992.
Smallmouth bass are one of the hardest-fighting freshwater species and can fall for various types of bait.
Want to see a sturgeon, Lonesome Larry, rainbow trout and more?
Get a glimpse of Idaho's many landscapes and abundant wildlife at the MK Nature Center. Located in Boise, Idaho, the Nature Center is a 4.6-acre site that sits along the Boise River Greenbelt. Visitors can experience the Stream Walk, on their own, from sunrise to sunset every day. Tours and scheduled programs are also available.
