Bluegill and Sunfish in Idaho
Where to find bluegill and sunfish in Idaho and what may be kept.
- no limitbag
Pick for bluegillPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of the fish, not an Idaho water: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Idaho Bluegill and Sunfish: rules, waters, records
Keep as many bluegill and sunfish as you like: the region blocks print no cap. Quoted from the IDFG Panhandle Region: "No bag, length, or possession limit".
Of 110 Idaho waters where IDFG recommends it, Lake Pend Oreille, Coeur d'Alene Lake and Cascade Reservoir come first by size. IDFG released it in 5 stocking rows on these waters, the latest on October 7, 2025. Taxonomic name on IDFG lists: Lepomis.
For the bluegill herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Bluegill and Sunfish bag lines from the seven IDFG regions
| IDFG region | Line as printed |
|---|---|
| IDFG Panhandle Region | No bag, length, or possession limit |
| IDFG Clearwater Region | No bag, length, or possession limits |
| IDFG Southwest Region | No bag, length, or possession limits |
| IDFG Magic Valley Region | No bag, length or possession limit |
| IDFG Southeast Region | No bag, length or possession limit |
| IDFG Upper Snake Region | No bag, length or possession limit |
| IDFG Salmon Region | No bag, length, or possession limits |
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.
Bluegill and Sunfish releases on Idaho Planner pages
| Water | Release as printed |
|---|---|
| Payette Greenway Pond | Bluegill, 476 fish, Fry (0-3 inches), October 7, 2025 |
| Esther Simplot Pond | Bluegill, 4,976 fish, Fry (0-3 inches), October 7, 2024 |
| Parkcenter Pond | Bluegill, 3,732 fish, Fry (0-3 inches), October 7, 2024 |
| Bannock Reservoir | Bluegill, 84 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), July 11, 2024 |
| Snake River | Bluegill, 150 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), May 20, 1979 |
Stocking rows as printed on the IDFG Fishing Planner water pages (date, species, number and size as listed), read November 7, 2026.
Where to aim for bluegill and sunfish in Idaho
Still water where IDFG recommends bluegill and sunfish
- Lake Pend Oreille92,764 acres
- Coeur d'Alene Lake27,911 acres
- Cascade Reservoir27,152 acres
- Priest Lake23,335 acres
- Brownlee Reservoir10,995 acres
- Lake Lowell8,826 acres
- Lake Walcott8,248 acres
- C. J. Strike Reservoir6,760 acres
- Hayden Lake3,797 acres
- Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir2,753 acres
- Crane Creek Reservoir2,315 acres
- Chatcolet Lake1,643 acres
- Spirit Lake1,535 acres
- Hells Canyon Reservoir1,254 acres
- Paddock Valley Reservoir1,190 acres
- Black Canyon Reservoir892 acres
- Murtaugh Lake829 acres
- Round Lake (Benewah County)801 acres
- Cave Lake750 acres
- Lower Salmon Falls Reservoir723 acres
- Oxbow Reservoir581 acres
- Anderson Lake541 acres
- Hauser Lake539 acres
- Upper Twin Lake525 acres
Moving water IDFG suggests for bluegill and sunfish
- Clearwater RiverClearwater County
- Kootenai RiverBoundary County
- Payette RiverBoise County
- Pend Oreille RiverBonner County
- Saint Joe RiverBenewah County
- Saint Maries RiverBenewah County
IDFG Fishing Planner recommended game fish on each water page, read November 7, 2026; largest lakes and best-served rivers first.
Bag-group partners of bluegill and sunfish
- Black CrappiePomoxis nigromaculatus
- BullheadAmeiurus
- Channel Catfish
- White CrappiePomoxis annularis
- Yellow PerchPerca flavescens
What the water by Bluegill and Sunfish looks like in daylight
Photo: Tamanoeconomico, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Cecelia Alexander, CC0 1.0
Photo: M. Beeton, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Where Idaho bluegill and sunfish show up, briefly
How many bluegill and sunfish may I keep in Idaho?
No numeric bag ("No bag, length, or possession limit").
Did anyone set an Idaho bluegill and sunfish record in 2026?
This site found no 2026 record for it; IDFG holds the complete list.
What Idaho lakes hold bluegill and sunfish?
Begin with Lake Pend Oreille, Coeur d'Alene Lake and Cascade Reservoir (110 pages in all).
Where were bluegill and sunfish stocked lately?
Yes, with 5 rows; see Payette Greenway Pond (October 7, 2025).
Do special rules cover bluegill and sunfish anywhere?
No rule block on a built page mentions it; the region table applies.
Are bluegill and sunfish on a federal list?
Not listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Which Idaho license lets me chase bluegill and sunfish?
Fishing here takes an Idaho fishing license; Idaho Code 36-416 sets the annual statutory fee at $28.75 for residents and $106.25 for nonresidents, and steelhead or salmon fishing takes its own permit.
How do I claim an Idaho bluegill and sunfish record?
Either weigh it on a certified scale at an IDFG office or measure total length and release it for the catch-and-release list.
Go after Idaho bluegill and sunfish
Ramps, gauges and rules sit on the pages above.