Fishing in Nez Perce County, Idaho
County seat: Lewiston. Population 42,090.
- 4lake pages
- 9launch sites
- 6river pages
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Nez Perce County through an Idaho angler's windshield
The 2020 Census tallied 42,090 people in Nez Perce County, whose seat is Lewiston. The IDFG Clearwater Region takes in 100% of the waters the Planner lists for the county; the remainder follows other region tables.
4 lakes and reservoirs here have a full page, together 354 Planner acres, led by Mann Lake. IDFG names steelhead or salmon on Salmon River, Clearwater River and Potlatch River. Boaters get 9 launch sites from the agency layers, split as 8 IDFG and 1 BLM. Without a boat, the IDFG layer offers 5 walk-in access sites.
Census 2020 population and county seat; IDFG Idaho Fishing Planner (list of Idaho waters), read November 7, 2026. IDFG Fishing and Boating Access Sites layer (ArcGIS service), read November 7, 2026.
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IDFG Fishing and Boating Access Sites, BLM and Forest Service launch points, Fishing Planner lake points (outlet) and stream midpoints. Checked November 2026.
Lake guides covering Nez Perce County
| Lake | Acres | Launches | Kind | Game fish IDFG names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mann Lake | 136 | 1 | lake | bluegill and sunfish, bullhead, largemouth bass |
| Soldiers Meadow Reservoir | 112 | 1 | reservoir | bullhead, largemouth bass, yellow perch |
| Lake Waha | 94 | 1 | lake | kokanee, yellow perch, smallmouth bass |
| Levee Pond | 12 | 0 | lake |
Surface acres as listed in the IDFG Idaho Fishing Planner, read November 7, 2026. Game fish are the Planner’s recommended species; IDFG prints no lake depths there.
Game fish IDFG names most around Nez Perce County
Across lake guides inside 50 miles of Lewiston, rainbow trout is named more than any other game fish.
IDFG Fishing Planner recommended game fish and stocking rows, counted per lake page within 50 miles; not a creel survey.
Other Nez Perce County water listed by IDFG
A further 5 lakes in Nez Perce County are listed but thin on facts.
| Water | Acres | Kind | Nearest town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Lake (Nez Perce County) | 6 | lake | Lapwai |
| Mud Lake (Nez Perce County) | 5 | lake | Lapwai |
| Kiwanis Park Pond | 4 | lake | Lewiston |
| Dobbyns Pond | 0 | lake | Lapwai |
| Hidden Lake (Nez Perce County) | 0 | lake | Lewiston |
IDFG Idaho Fishing Planner (list of Idaho waters), read November 7, 2026.
Creeks and forks of Nez Perce County
- Salmon RiverIDFG recommended water, steelhead or salmon listed, 4 USGS gauges, 425.3 mi Planner length
- Clearwater RiverIDFG recommended water, steelhead or salmon listed, 3 USGS gauges, 74.8 mi Planner length
- Potlatch RiverIDFG recommended water, steelhead or salmon listed, 1 USGS gauge, 56.9 mi Planner length
- Snake River1 launch, 14 USGS gauges
- Grande Ronde River205.2 mi Planner length
- Lapwai Creek1 USGS gauge, 32.9 mi Planner length
More creeks and forks of Nez Perce County (101)
- Union Flat Creek71.7 mi
- Big Canyon Creek33.8 mi
- Mission Creek24.4 mi
- Cottonwood Creek20.2 mi
- Webb Creek19.9 mi
- Little Canyon Creek18.8 mi
- Little Potlatch Creek18.7 mi
- Cow Creek17.9 mi
- Tenmile Creek17.7 mi
- Deer Creek17.1 mi
- Asotin Creek15.3 mi
- Eagle Creek14.9 mi
- Tammany Creek14.4 mi
- Hatwai Creek12.5 mi
- Cook Creek11.8 mi
- Cherry Creek11.5 mi
- Louse Creek11.4 mi
- Pine Creek11.2 mi
- Rock Creek10.9 mi
- Couse Creek10.8 mi
- Bedrock Creek10.1 mi
- Cedar Creek10 mi
- Sixmile Canyon10 mi
- Catholic Creek9.9 mi
- Jacks Creek9.8 mi
- Sweetwater Creek9.4 mi
- Captain John Creek8.9 mi
- China Creek8.6 mi
- East Fork Sweetwater Creek8.4 mi
- Tenmile Canyon8.3 mi
- West Fork Sweetwater Creek8.3 mi
- Lindsay Creek8.2 mi
- Howard Gulch7.4 mi
- Corral Creek6.7 mi
- Fisher Gulch6.4 mi
- Unnamed Stream6.2 mi
- North Fork Tom Beall Creek6 mi
- Coyote Creek5.9 mi
- Mill Creek5.9 mi
- South Fork Tom Beall Creek5.9 mi
- Garden Gulch5.8 mi
- Packers Gulch5.6 mi
- West Fork Deer Creek5.4 mi
- China Garden Creek5.2 mi
- Cottonwood Creek5.2 mi
- Redbird Creek5.2 mi
- South Fork Captain John Creek5.2 mi
- Leopold Creek5 mi
- Thiessen Gulch5 mi
- Beardy Gulch4.8 mi
- Cave Gulch4.7 mi
- Lake Creek4.6 mi
- Wapshilla Creek4.5 mi
- Billy Creek4.2 mi
- Dough Creek4.2 mi
- Madden Creek4.2 mi
- Middle Fork Tom Beall Creek4.2 mi
- Cache Creek4.1 mi
- Garden Creek4.1 mi
- Chimney Creek4 mi
- Magpie Creek4 mi
- Pickle Canyon3.9 mi
- Middle Creek3.6 mi
- Schoolhouse Draw3.5 mi
- Star Mill Creek3.5 mi
- Big Cougar Creek3.4 mi
- Rattlesnake Canyon3.4 mi
- Shovel Creek3.4 mi
- Birch Creek3.3 mi
- Lyle Gulch3.3 mi
- Wheeler Canyon3.2 mi
- Pruit Draw2.9 mi
- Swamp Creek2.9 mi
- Cole Canyon2.7 mi
- Crowers Canyon2.7 mi
- Banks Creek2.6 mi
- Frenchy Creek2.6 mi
- Short Canyon2.6 mi
- Browns Creek2.5 mi
- Camp Creek2.5 mi
Current discharge from Nez Perce County gauges
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Snake River At Mcduff Rapids At China Garden Id | 12,700 cfs, 5.02 ft gage height | Nov 13 10:45 pm |
| Clearwater River Nr Peck Id | 3,590 cfs, 3.98 ft gage height | Nov 13 10:30 pm |
| Clearwater River At Spalding Id | 3,500 cfs, 3.40 ft gage height | Nov 13 11:00 pm |
| Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Cr Nr Spalding | 26 cfs, 5.34 ft gage height | Nov 13 10:45 pm |
| Lapwai Creek Nr Lapwai, Id | 12 cfs, 2.36 ft gage height | Nov 13 10:45 pm |
| Big Canyon Creek Nr Peck Id | 5 cfs, 3.20 ft gage height | Nov 13 10:45 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 13, 2026 11:33 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
IDFG Idaho Fishing Planner (list of Idaho waters), read November 7, 2026. Stream lengths as printed in the Planner; USGS gauges live.
Nez Perce County rivers that list steelhead or salmon
- Salmon RiverIDFG Southwest Region
- Clearwater RiverIDFG Clearwater Region
- Potlatch RiverIDFG Clearwater Region
Steelhead and salmon need a Commission season to be open, and those proclamations sat behind IDFG maintenance when this page was written. Idaho steelhead and salmon rules
IDFG Idaho Fishing Planner (list of Idaho waters), read November 7, 2026.
What IDFG hatcheries put into Nez Perce County
Across 7 waters, 2,781 IDFG releases put 159,738,823 fish into Nez Perce County water.
- Salmon RiverRainbow Trout – Triploid, 26 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), November 5, 2026
- Snake RiverRainbow Trout – Triploid, 500 fish, Catchable (12-14 inches), October 27, 2026
- Snake RiverRainbow Trout – Triploid, 21,576 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), October 22, 2026
- Snake RiverRainbow Trout – Triploid, 5,846 fish, Catchable (12-14 inches), October 21, 2026
- Lake WahaRainbow Trout – Triploid, 2,093 fish, Catchable (12-14 inches), October 15, 2026
- Salmon RiverCutthroat Trout – Westslope, 38,679 fish, Fry (0-3 inches), October 13, 2026
- Soldiers Meadow ReservoirRainbow Trout, 4,968 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), October 6, 2026
- Salmon RiverRainbow Trout – Triploid, 1,066 fish, Catchable (12-14 inches), August 11, 2026
- Mann LakeChannel Catfish, 1,000 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), August 11, 2026
- Salmon RiverRainbow Trout – Triploid, 2,451 fish, Catchable (12-14 inches), August 7, 2026
- Salmon RiverRainbow Trout – Triploid, 424 fish, Catchable (12-14 inches), August 4, 2026
- Salmon RiverRainbow Trout – Triploid, 423 fish, Catchable (12-14 inches), August 3, 2026
Stocking rows as printed on the IDFG Fishing Planner water pages (date, species, number and size as listed), read November 7, 2026. Newest releases first.
Access inventory for Nez Perce County
- Beardy Gulch boat ramplaunch site, IDFG, fishing access, restroom, camping
- Cherry Lane boat ramplaunch site, IDFG, boating access, ramp, restroom
- Gibbs Eddy boat ramplaunch site, IDFG, boating access, ramp, restroom, camping
- Lenore boat ramplaunch site, IDFG, boating access, ramp, restroom
- Mann Lake boat rampMann Lake, IDFG, fishing access, ramp, dock, restroom
- Soldiers Meadow Reservoir boat rampSoldiers Meadow Reservoir, IDFG, boating access, ramp, dock, restroom, camping
- Upper Hog Island boat ramplaunch site, IDFG, boating access, ramp, restroom, camping
- Waha Lake boat rampLake Waha, IDFG, boating access, ramp, dock, restroom, camping
- Harpers Bend Recreation Site launchlaunch site, BLM, boat launch
Bank sites across Nez Perce County (5)
- Lower Hog Island fishing accessfishing access, restroom
- McKays Eddy – Myrtle fishing accessfishing access, restroom, camping
- Railroad Bridge fishing access on Levee Pondfishing access, restroom
- Arrow Bridge fishing accessfishing access
- Clearwater Confluence fishing accessfishing access, restroom
IDFG Fishing and Boating Access Sites layer (ArcGIS service), read November 7, 2026. BLM and Forest Service points as published; lanes and ramp counts are not fields in any layer.
Daily limits for Nez Perce County water
Use the IDFG Clearwater Region block as the starting point in Nez Perce County, then look for a printed rule on the water itself. Budget the statutory $28.75 resident or $106.25 nonresident annual fishing fee from Idaho Code 36-416, plus whatever the vendor tacks on.
| Group | Rule as printed |
|---|---|
| Bass | In rivers and streams, no bag, length or possession limits; In lakes and reservoirs, limit is 6, both species combined |
| Brook Trout | Brook Trout limit is 25; Harvest allowed during any open season unless otherwise noted under Special Rules – if gear or bait restrictions are listed, they apply when fishing for Brook Trout |
| Bull Trout | Bull Trout – catch-and-release |
| Kokanee | Kokanee limit is 25 |
| Salmon | Spring and summer Chinook Salmon seasons and limits are set by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission and issued in separate brochures; Seasons and limits for fall Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon can be found here; Sockeye Salmon fishing is prohibited. Defined as ocean-run Oncorhynchus nerka longer than 14 inches in the Snake River drainage below Hells Canyon Dam, the Salmon River drainage (excluding above Mosquito Flat D |
| Steelhead | Defined as Rainbow Trout longer than 20 inches in the Snake River drainage below Hells Canyon Dam, the Salmon River drainage (excluding lakes and reservoirs), and the Clearwater River drainage (excluding that portion above Dworshak Dam, and lakes); Fishing for steelhead is prohibited unless a steelhead season is specifically opened for that water. See fishing regulations for details |
| Sturgeon | Sturgeon – catch-and-release; Sturgeon must not be removed from the water and must be released upon landing; Barbless hooks, sliding swivel device to secure a weight, and a lighter test line to secure weight to sliding swivel device are required. See fishing regulations for details |
| Tiger Muskie | Tiger Muskie limit is 2, none under 40 inches |
| Trout | In rivers and streams, trout limit is 2, all species combined; In lakes, reservoirs, ditches and canals, trout limit is 6, all species combined; Bull Trout and Brook Trout are listed separately |
| Walleye | No bag, length, or possession limits. Harvest is encouraged (Stocked illegally in this Region. May be harmful to existing fisheries.) |
| Whitefish | Whitefish limit is 25; Harvest allowed during any open season unless otherwise noted under Special Rules – if gear or bait restrictions are listed, they apply when fishing for whitefish |
| Protected Nongame Fish | May not be harvested or possessed |
| All Other Fish Species | No bag, length, or possession limits |
Where Nez Perce County water departs from the region table (6)
- Clearwater RiverAll Waters Open All Year
- Grande Ronde RiverAll Waters Open All Year
- Mann LakeElectric motors only
- Potlatch RiverAll Waters Open All Year
- Salmon RiverAll Waters Open All Year
- Snake RiverAll Waters Open All Year
Region bag limits from Idaho Fishing Seasons and Rules, 2025-2027 for the Clearwater Region, as printed on IDFG Fishing Planner water pages (the brochure PDF on idfg.idaho.gov was unreachable during site maintenance), read November 7, 2026. Fishing license fees as set in Idaho Code 36-416 (statute; IDFG sale prices add vendor and processing fees), read November 7, 2026.
Recent Idaho records near Nez Perce County
Nothing in Nez Perce County made the 2026 record announcements, but these nearby waters did.
| Species | Record | Kind | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 20.03 pounds | certified weight | Dworshak Reservoir | Jan. 13, 2026 |
Idaho state record fish, read November 8, 2026. A partial list: records IDFG announced in 2026.
Shops and outfitters listing Nez Perce County
Shop listings for Nez Perce County
- Camp Cabin & Home Incbait and tackle shop, Lewiston
- Red Shed Fly Shopfly shop, Peck
- Sportsman's Warehousebait and tackle shop, Lewiston
- Tackle Boxbait and tackle shop, Lewiston
- The Tackle Boxbait and tackle shop, Lewiston
Yellow Pages and chain store listings, guide listings (city of business); retrieved November 7, 2026.
Beyond the edge of Nez Perce County
Overnight bases in Nez Perce County
- Lewistonpop. 34,203
- Lapwaipop. 1,169
Counties bordering Nez Perce County
- Lewis County17 miles southeast
- Latah County34 miles north
- Clearwater County58 miles northeast
- Benewah County61 miles north
A Piscifun spinning kit for the run up to Nez Perce County
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Reservoirs, alpine lakes and canyon runs close to Nez Perce County, in pictures
Photo: Bonnie Moreland, Public domain
Photo: Sam Beebe, CC BY 2.0
Photo: David Dugan, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: BLMIdaho, CC BY 2.0
What Idaho anglers ask about Nez Perce County
Do IDFG, BLM or the Forest Service run the launches in Nez Perce County?
9 launch sites; 8 IDFG and 1 BLM.
Which Nez Perce County reservoir shows the most acres?
Mann Lake, at 136 acres in the IDFG Fishing Planner.
What tops the game fish tally for Nez Perce County?
Rainbow trout lead the count of lake pages within 50 miles, followed by largemouth bass, bluegill and sunfish and bullhead.
Where does a Gem State angler restock in Nez Perce County?
Camp Cabin & Home Inc is one of 5 shops listed here.
Is there an Idaho fishing guide with a Nez Perce County address?
No outfitter gives a city in the county.
Which Idaho town keeps the Nez Perce County courthouse?
Lewiston, home of the courthouse.
Which Idaho license covers a Nez Perce County trip?
Budget the statutory $28.75 resident or $106.25 nonresident annual fishing fee from Idaho Code 36-416, plus whatever the vendor tacks on.
Which Idaho counties meet the Nez Perce County boundary?
The list above starts with Lewis County, Latah County and Clearwater County.
Under which IDFG region is most Nez Perce County fishing?
Most listed waters (100%) fall in the IDFG Clearwater Region; region lines follow drainages.
Which Nez Perce County lakes or creeks carry their own IDFG rule block?
The Planner prints special rules for 6 county waters with a page here, starting with Clearwater River; the list above shows the first ones.
When was Nez Perce County water last stocked?
2,781 IDFG releases listed on Planner pages, 159,738,823 fish; the newest went into Salmon River on Nov. 5, 2026.
Are there steelhead or salmon in Nez Perce County?
The Planner lists steelhead or salmon on Salmon River, Clearwater River and Potlatch River. The Commission opens steelhead and salmon by separate proclamation; check IDFG before fishing them, as those pages were offline when this was built.
Fish the reservoirs and trout creeks of Nez Perce County
Each launch opens with a directions link.