Fishing in Payette County, Idaho
County seat: Payette. Population 25,386.
- 1lake pages
- 3launch sites
- 3river pages
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Fishing Payette County from the valley floor to the high country
County government for Payette County meets in Payette; the 2020 count found 25,386 residents. Of the waters the Planner lists for the county, 100% sit in the IDFG Southwest Region, the region whose limits most of it follows.
Of 1 lake with pages, spanning 6 acres combined, Payette Greenway Pond comes first by size. 3 launch sites appear on the access layers here, 3 IDFG. The IDFG layer adds 3 walk-in access sites with no ramp, built for bank fishing.
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.
Where to wet a line across Payette County, plotted
IDFG Fishing and Boating Access Sites, BLM and Forest Service launch points, Fishing Planner lake points (outlet) and stream midpoints. Checked November 2026.
Still water guides inside Payette County, biggest first
| Lake | Acres | Launches | Kind | Game fish IDFG names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payette Greenway Pond | 6 | 0 | lake | bluegill and sunfish, largemouth bass, rainbow trout |
With few lake pages inside Payette County, the closest ones over the line follow, measured from Payette.
| Lake | From Payette | Acres | Launches | Kind | Game fish IDFG names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buttermilk Slough Lake | 8 miles north | 34 | 0 | lake | |
| Barton Reservoir | 17 miles north | 66 | 0 | reservoir | |
| Paddock Valley Reservoir | 19 miles northeast | 1,190 | 1 | reservoir | bluegill and sunfish, bullhead, largemouth bass |
| Soulen Reservoir | 21 miles northeast | 118 | 0 | reservoir | |
| Bitter Creek Lake | 21 miles east | 58 | 0 | lake | |
| Mann Creek Reservoir | 22 miles north | 269 | 0 | reservoir | largemouth bass, rainbow trout, white crappie |
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.
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Lake pages up to 50 miles from Payette were counted by species, and bluegill and sunfish leads.
IDFG Fishing Planner recommended game fish and stocking rows, counted per lake page within 50 miles; not a creel survey.
IDFG-listed rivers with their own guide in Payette County
- Payette RiverIDFG recommended water, 4 USGS gauges
- Snake River1 launch, 14 USGS gauges
- Malheur River186.1 mi Planner length
Creeks of Payette County still without an IDFG guide (41)
- Big Willow Creek40.7 mi
- Little Willow Creek33.5 mi
- Black Canyon Canal27.3 mi
- Noble Canal20 mi
- Sand Hollow12.8 mi
- Bolton Canal12.4 mi
- Sand Hollow12.2 mi
- Indian Creek12.1 mi
- Coyote Gulch10.9 mi
- Dry Creek10.8 mi
- Locket Gulch10.2 mi
- Homestead Gulch8.3 mi
- Sucker Creek8 mi
- Holland Gulch7.9 mi
- Fourmile Creek7.8 mi
- Rock Quarry Gulch6.8 mi
- Sheep Gulch6.6 mi
- Stone Quarry Gulch6.4 mi
- Canyon Number 16.2 mi
- Hurd Gulch6.2 mi
- Alkali Creek5.5 mi
- Forty-nine Slough5.4 mi
- Unnamed Stream5.4 mi
- Ashlock Gulch5.3 mi
- Heart Gulch5.3 mi
- Unnamed Stream5 mi
- Cherry Gulch4.5 mi
- Cherry Gulch4.4 mi
- Farmers Cooperative Sebree Canal Extension4.4 mi
- Graveyard Gulch3.4 mi
- Rattlesnake Creek3.2 mi
- South Fork Jacobsen Gulch3 mi
- North Fork Alkali Creek2.8 mi
- Wet Gulch2.7 mi
- Alley Gulch2.5 mi
- Hog Cove Creek2.5 mi
- McIntyre Gulch2.4 mi
- Road Gulch2.2 mi
- Ringer Gulch2 mi
- Dead Ox Canal0.5 mi
- Stewart Carter Ditch0.1 mi
How Payette County rivers are running
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Payette River Nr Payette Id | 1,200 cfs, 4.99 ft gage height | Nov 12 7:30 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 12, 2026 8:32 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.
Recent IDFG hatchery releases in Payette County
Payette County water took 8,175,560 hatchery fish in 817 listed releases, spread over 3 waters.
- 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
- Payette Greenway PondRainbow Trout – Triploid, 213 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), October 13, 2026
- Snake RiverRainbow Trout – Triploid, 2,000 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), June 3, 2026
- Snake RiverRainbow Trout – Triploid, 2,500 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), May 21, 2026
- Payette Greenway PondRainbow Trout – Triploid, 348 fish, Catchable (12-14 inches), April 15, 2026
- Snake RiverBrown Trout, 20,000 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), April 9, 2026
- Snake RiverBrown Trout, 21,502 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), April 8, 2026
- Snake RiverBrown Trout, 22,566 fish, Fry (0-3 inches), April 8, 2026
- Payette Greenway PondRainbow Trout – Triploid, 364 fish, Catchable (12-14 inches), March 12, 2026
- Payette Greenway PondRainbow Trout – Triploid, 294 fish, Catchable (12-14 inches), November 20, 2025
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.
Where to back a trailer down in Payette County
- Blacks Bridge boat ramplaunch site, IDFG, boating access, ramp
- Falk Bridge boat ramplaunch site, IDFG, boating access, ramp, restroom
- Fifty-two Bridge boat ramplaunch site, IDFG, boating access, ramp, restroom
IDFG access sites, Payette County (3)
- Birding Island West fishing accessfishing access
- Payette Greenbelt Pondfishing access, restroom
- Birding Island North 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.
Tackle stores closest to Payette County
- Bi-Mart Weisersporting goods store, Weiser, 12 miles
- Kamakazee Bait Cobait and tackle shop, Emmett, 23 miles
- Bi-Mart Emmettsporting goods store, Emmett, 26 miles
- Anglers Habitatbait and tackle shop, Caldwell, 31 miles
- Bi-Mart Caldwellsporting goods store, Caldwell, 31 miles
Yellow Pages and chain store listings; straight-line miles from Payette only for shops with an exact point.
The 2025-2027 limits behind Payette County fishing
The table below is the IDFG Southwest Region block of the 2025-2027 brochure, the one that governs most of the county's listed waters; a lake or stream in another region follows that region's block. Idaho Code 36-416 fixes the annual fishing license fee at $28.75 for residents and $106.25 for nonresidents, and IDFG vendors add their own handling charge.
| Group | Rule as printed |
|---|---|
| Bass | Bass limit is 6, both species combined; None under 12 inches |
| 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 6 |
| 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 illegal. 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 Dam) |
| Steelhead | Defined as Rainbow Trout longer than 20 inches in the Salmon River drainage (excluding lakes and reservoirs). Between Hells Canyon Dam and Oxbow Dam and the Boise River from its mouth upstream to Barber Dam during steelhead seasons, steelhead are Rainbow Trout over 20 inches with the adipose fin clipped (as evidenced by a healed scar); Fishing for steelhead is prohibited unless a steelhead season is specifically open |
| 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 | Trout limit is 6, all species combined; Chinook Salmon and steelhead placed in ponds are counted in the trout bag limit; 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 |
Exceptions printed for Payette County water (3)
- Malheur RiverAll Waters Open All Year
- Payette RiverAll Waters Open All Year
- Snake RiverAll Waters Open All Year
Region bag limits from Idaho Fishing Seasons and Rules, 2025-2027 for the Southwest 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.
Record fish IDFG announced near Payette County
The 2026 announcements name no Payette County water; these neighbours within 80 miles do.
| Species | Record | Kind | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullhead Catfish | 17 inches | catch-and-release (length) | Cascade Reservoir | Sept. 5, 2026 |
| Lake Trout | 43.25 inches | catch-and-release (length) | Payette Lake | date not printed |
Idaho state record fish, read November 8, 2026. A partial list: records IDFG announced in 2026.
Idaho places beside Payette County worth a look
Where to sleep in Payette County
- Payettepop. 8,127
- Fruitlandpop. 6,072
- New Plymouthpop. 1,494
Counties ringing Payette County
- Gem County18 miles east
- Canyon County26 miles south
- Washington County31 miles north
- Ada County46 miles southeast
Piscifun tackle lined up for a day on Payette County
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Benchland and bank around Payette County, seen through a lens
Photo: Tamanoeconomico, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Tamanoeconomico, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Charles Knowles, CC BY 2.0
Pinning down the details of fishing Payette County
Does IDFG manage any boat access in Payette County?
The layers hold 3 launch sites: 3 IDFG.
Which Payette County lake is largest on the IDFG Fishing Planner?
Payette Greenway Pond, at 6 acres in the IDFG Fishing Planner.
What do Idaho anglers catch around Payette County?
Bluegill and sunfish lead the count of lake pages within 50 miles, followed by largemouth bass, rainbow trout and channel catfish.
Does Payette County have an Idaho fly shop or bait counter listed?
Every Yellow Pages tackle listing sits outside this Idaho county.
Which guide businesses list an address in Payette County?
Outfitters in the listings work from other counties.
In which Idaho town do Payette County commissioners sit?
The county courthouse stands in Payette, Idaho.
What license fee applies to Payette County anglers?
Idaho Code 36-416 fixes the annual fishing license fee at $28.75 for residents and $106.25 for nonresidents, and IDFG vendors add their own handling charge.
Which Idaho counties share a border with Payette County?
Gem County, Canyon County and Washington County lie closest.
Which IDFG region sets the limits for Payette County?
The IDFG Southwest Region, with 100% of the listed waters.
Does IDFG set special limits anywhere in Payette County?
The Planner prints special rules for 3 county waters with a page here, starting with Malheur River; the list above shows the first ones.
Which Payette County waters get hatchery fish?
817 IDFG releases listed on Planner pages, 8,175,560 fish; the newest went into Snake River on Oct. 27, 2026.
Plan an Idaho day on Payette County water
Launch pages give the agency, facilities and directions.