Idaho Steelhead and Salmon Rules
Region-table definitions, permit validation, barbless hooks and the Snake River listings; no season dates.
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Idaho steelhead and salmon rules this site could read
Idaho opens steelhead and salmon fishing by Commission proclamation, river section by river section, and posts those seasons on idfg.idaho.gov. That site showed a maintenance notice on 6 to 8 November 2026, so this page prints no season, no open water and no limit. What it does print: how the region tables define steelhead and salmon, the IDAPA rules on permit validation and methods of take, and the federal listings.
Before fishing, read the current proclamation at idfg.idaho.gov/fish/steelhead or idfg.idaho.gov/fish/salmon.
Steelhead and salmon lines in the Idaho region tables
| IDFG region | Group | Line as printed |
|---|---|---|
| IDFG Clearwater Region | 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 |
| IDFG Clearwater Region | 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 |
| IDFG Southwest Region | 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 |
| IDFG Southwest Region | 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) |
| IDFG Salmon Region | Steelhead | Defined as Rainbow Trout longer than 20 inches in the Salmon River drainage (excluding the Lemhi and Pahsimeroi rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and ponds); Fishing for steelhead is prohibited unless a steelhead season is specifically opened for that water. See fishing regulations for details |
| IDFG Salmon Region | 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 Salmon River drainage (excluding above Mosquito Flat Dam); Fishing for salmon is prohibited unless a salmo |
Region bag limits from Idaho Fishing Seasons and Rules, 2025-2027, as printed on IDFG Fishing Planner water pages (the brochure PDF on idfg.idaho.gov was unreachable during site maintenance), read November 7, 2026.
IDAPA 13.01.11.403 and 405
Section 403: For each anadromous game fish hooked, landed, and reduced to possession, the angler hooking the fish must immediately validate their salmon or steelhead permit with the appropriate species, month, day, and river location code (listed by Commission proclamation). Paper validation requires entering in permanent ink. Electronic validation requires submission via the Department’s official mobile app. (7-1-24) 404. IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIES IN POSSESSION AND DURING TRANSPORTATION OR SHIPMENT. 01. Provisions for Processi
Section 405: In addition to take restrictions for all game fish, the following apply to anadromous game fish: (7-1-24) 01. Hooks. Anadromous game fish may be taken only with barbless hooks in the Salmon, Clearwater, and Snake River drainages downstream of Hells Canyon Dam. (7-1-24) 02. Retention. Any anadromous game fish caught must be released or, provided it is legal to possess, killed immediately. (7-1-24) 03. Cease Fishing. Once an angler has attained their bag, possession or season limit on those waters Section 346 Page 9 IDAHO ADMINISTRATIVE CODE IDAPA 13.01.11 Department of Fish and Game Rules Governing Fish with anadr
IDAPA 13.01.11, Rules Governing Fish section 13.01.11.403, current text (adminrules.idaho.gov PDF), read November 7, 2026.
IDAPA 13.01.11, Rules Governing Fish section 13.01.11.405, current text (adminrules.idaho.gov PDF), read November 7, 2026.
Snake River runs under the Endangered Species Act
| Run | Status | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Snake River Basin Steelhead | Threatened | 1997-08-18 (62 FR 43937); 2006-01-05 (71 FR 833); updated 2014-04-14 |
| Snake River Sockeye Salmon | Endangered | 1991-11-20 (56 FR 58619); 2005-06-28 (70 FR 37159); updated 2014-04-14 |
| Snake River Fall-run Chinook Salmon | Threatened | 1992-04-22 (57 FR 14653); 2005-06-28 (70 FR 37159); updated 2014-04-14 |
| Snake River Spring/Summer-run Chinook Salmon | Threatened | 1992-04-22 (57 FR 14653); 5-year review 2022-08-18 kept it threatened |
NOAA Fisheries listing records (source), read November 7, 2026.
Idaho rivers where IDFG lists steelhead or salmon
- American RiverIDFG Clearwater Region
- Bear Valley CreekIDFG Southwest Region
- Clearwater RiverIDFG Clearwater Region
- Crooked CreekIDFG Clearwater Region
- East Fork Potlatch RiverIDFG Clearwater Region
- East Fork Salmon RiverIDFG Salmon Region
- East Fork South Fork Salmon RiverIDFG Southwest Region
- Little Salmon RiverIDFG Southwest Region
- Lochsa RiverIDFG Clearwater Region
- Loon CreekIDFG Salmon Region
- Middle Fork Clearwater RiverIDFG Clearwater Region
- Middle Fork Salmon RiverIDFG Salmon Region
- Niagara SpringsIDFG Magic Valley Region
- North Fork Clearwater RiverIDFG Clearwater Region
- North Fork Salmon Falls CreekIDFG Magic Valley Region
- North Fork Salmon RiverIDFG Salmon Region
- Orofino CreekIDFG Clearwater Region
- Potlatch RiverIDFG Clearwater Region
- Rapid RiverIDFG Southwest Region
- Salmon Falls CreekIDFG Magic Valley Region
- Salmon RiverIDFG Southwest Region
- Secesh RiverIDFG Southwest Region
- South Fork Clearwater RiverIDFG Clearwater Region
- South Fork Salmon RiverIDFG Southwest Region
- Sulphur CreekIDFG Southwest Region
- Valley CreekIDFG Salmon Region
- Yankee Fork Salmon RiverIDFG Salmon Region
IDFG Fishing Planner game fish lists on each river page, read November 7, 2026; a listing is not a season.
Idaho Steelhead and Salmon Rules, with Idaho lakes and rivers in pictures
Photo: mypubliclands, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Idaho Fish and Game, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Vladsinger, CC BY-SA 4.0
Idaho steelhead and salmon questions
When does Idaho steelhead season open?
It is set by Commission proclamation for each river section; idfg.idaho.gov, where it is posted, was down for maintenance when this page was built, so no date is printed here.
Do I need a separate permit?
Yes. Steelhead and salmon fishing takes a permit on top of the license, and IDAPA 13.01.11.403 requires validating it right after keeping a fish.
Must I use barbless hooks?
Yes, in the Salmon, Clearwater and Snake River drainages downstream of Hells Canyon Dam, under IDAPA 13.01.11.405.
How does IDFG define a steelhead?
As a rainbow trout longer than 20 inches in the listed anadromous drainages; the exact wording differs by region table.
Can I fish for sockeye?
No. The region tables say sockeye salmon fishing is prohibited.
Are wild steelhead protected?
Snake River Basin steelhead are listed as threatened by NOAA Fisheries; check the proclamation for which fish may be kept.
Can I validate electronically?
Yes. IDAPA 13.01.11.403 allows electronic validation through the IDFG mobile app; paper permits take permanent ink.
Which rivers list steelhead or salmon?
27 river pages here, the Salmon, Clearwater and Snake among them.