Brown Trout in Idaho
Gem State brown trout: region lines, waters, stocking.
- 6 a daybag
Pick for brown troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of the fish, not an Idaho water: USDAgov, Public domain
_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}
What Idaho says about Brown Trout
Look up brown trout in 7 region blocks to find the count IDFG allows. One region, the IDFG Panhandle Region, says "Trout limit is 6, all species combined; Bull Trout and Brook Trout are listed separately".
IDFG names it a recommended game fish on 34 Idaho water pages here, Lake Pend Oreille, American Falls Reservoir and Palisades Reservoir first. 493 stocking rows for it appear on Planner pages, most recently June 16, 2026. IDFG pairs it with the scientific name Salmo trutta.
For the brown trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Region-by-region Brown Trout rules for Idaho
| IDFG region | Line as printed |
|---|---|
| IDFG Panhandle Region | Trout limit is 6, all species combined; Bull Trout and Brook Trout are listed separately |
| IDFG Clearwater Region | 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 |
| IDFG Southwest Region | 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 |
| IDFG Magic Valley Region | Trout limit is 6, all species combined; In rivers and streams, only 2 of the 6 trout may be Cutthroat Trout; Bull Trout and Brook Trout are listed separately |
| IDFG Southeast Region | Trout limit is 6, all species combined; In rivers and streams, only 2 of the 6 trout may be Cutthroat Trout; Brook Trout are listed separately |
| IDFG Upper Snake Region | Trout limit is 6, all species combined; Bull Trout and Brook Trout are listed separately |
| IDFG Salmon Region | 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 |
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.
IDFG Brown Trout stocking, newest first
| Water | Release as printed |
|---|---|
| Horsethief Reservoir | Brown Trout, 13,456 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), June 16, 2026 |
| Billingsley Creek | Brown Trout, 6,029 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), May 7, 2026 |
| Rock Creek | Brown Trout, 3,014 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), May 7, 2026 |
| Little Wood River | Brown Trout, 6,029 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), May 6, 2026 |
| Snake River | Brown Trout, 20,000 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), April 9, 2026 |
| Snake River | Brown Trout, 21,502 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), April 8, 2026 |
| Snake River | Brown Trout, 22,566 fish, Fry (0-3 inches), April 8, 2026 |
| Horsethief Reservoir | Brown Trout, 10,070 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), June 23, 2025 |
| Little Wood River | Brown Trout, 6,104 fish, Fry (0-3 inches), May 8, 2025 |
| Billingsley Creek | Brown Trout, 6,115 fish, Fry (0-3 inches), May 7, 2025 |
| Rock Creek | Brown Trout, 3,030 fish, Fry (0-3 inches), May 7, 2025 |
| Horsethief Reservoir | Brown Trout, 14,400 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), June 18, 2024 |
| Billingsley Creek | Brown Trout, 6,031 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), May 8, 2024 |
| Billingsley Creek | Brown Trout, 2,455 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), October 3, 2023 |
| Rock Creek | Brown Trout, 1,500 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), October 3, 2023 |
| Little Wood River | Brown Trout, 3,005 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), September 15, 2023 |
| Billingsley Creek | Brown Trout, 6,000 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), May 11, 2023 |
| Boise River | Brown Trout, 3,824 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), November 9, 2022 |
| Billingsley Creek | Brown Trout, 2,978 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), October 6, 2022 |
| Rock Creek | Brown Trout, 1,489 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), October 6, 2022 |
| Little Wood River | Brown Trout, 2,978 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), October 5, 2022 |
| Billingsley Creek | Brown Trout, 3,980 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), October 7, 2021 |
| Rock Creek | Brown Trout, 2,464 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), October 7, 2021 |
| Boise River | Brown Trout, 1,895 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), October 7, 2021 |
Stocking rows as printed on the IDFG Fishing Planner water pages (date, species, number and size as listed), read November 7, 2026.
Picking Idaho water for brown trout
Idaho lakes with brown trout as a pick
- Lake Pend Oreille92,764 acres
- American Falls Reservoir55,291 acres
- Palisades Reservoir15,949 acres
- Magic Reservoir3,580 acres
- Chesterfield Reservoir1,246 acres
- Cocolalla Lake804 acres
- Ashton Reservoir372 acres
- Horsethief Reservoir258 acres
- Montpelier Reservoir131 acres
- Sublett Reservoir80 acres
Idaho rivers with brown trout as a pick
- Billingsley CreekGooding County
- Bear RiverBear Lake County
- Big Wood RiverBlaine County
- Camas Creek (Blaine County)Blaine County
- Clark Fork RiverBonner County
- Cocolalla CreekBonner County
- Cub RiverFranklin County
- Grove CreekBlaine County
- Henrys Fork Snake RiverFremont County
- Hoodoo CreekBonner County
- Little Wood RiverBlaine County
- Loving CreekBlaine County
- McTucker CreekBannock County
- Montpelier CreekBear Lake County
- Pend Oreille RiverBonner County
- Portneuf RiverBannock County
- Priest RiverBonner County
- Rock CreekCassia County
IDFG Fishing Planner recommended game fish on each water page, read November 7, 2026; largest lakes and best-served rivers first.
Lakes and rivers with their own brown trout wording
- South Fork Snake RiverIDFG Upper Snake Region
Rule blocks printed on IDFG Fishing Planner water pages (2025-2027), read November 7, 2026.
Fish sharing a region line with brown trout
- Arctic GraylingThymallus arcticus
- CutbowOncorhynchus clarkii x O. mykiss
- Cutthroat TroutOncorhynchus clarkii
- Lake TroutSalvelinus namaycush
- Rainbow TroutOncorhynchus mykiss
- Redband TroutOncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri
- Tiger TroutSalmo trutta x Salvelinus fontinalis
Camera stops along the water by Brown Trout
Photo: Tamanoeconomico, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Sidpatchy, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Tamanoeconomico, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Idaho brown trout queries with plain answers
Which Idaho limit covers brown trout?
The IDFG Panhandle Region, for one: "Trout limit is 6, all species combined; Bull Trout and Brook Trout are listed separately".
Has IDFG certified a brown trout record lately?
None in the 2026 announcements; see the IDFG list for older marks.
Which Idaho pages list brown trout as a pick?
Lake Pend Oreille, American Falls Reservoir and Palisades Reservoir lead the 34 pages where IDFG recommends it.
Has IDFG released brown trout recently?
Yes, 493 rows; latest Horsethief Reservoir, June 16, 2026.
Do some Idaho waters set their own brown trout rule?
It shifts on 1 water, for example South Fork Snake River.
Is brown trout federally listed?
It carries no federal status.
What does an Idaho license for brown trout cost?
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.
What does an Idaho brown trout record need?
IDFG offers certified scales at its Panhandle, Clearwater, Nampa, Boise headquarters, Jerome and Pocatello offices.