Bull Trout in Idaho
Region bag lines and IDFG picks for bull trout.
- release onlybag
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of the fish, not an Idaho water: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CC BY-SA 2.0
Idaho Bull Trout, the essentials
No Idaho region table allows bull trout to go home in a cooler. A sample, from the IDFG Panhandle Region: "Bull Trout – catch-and-release".
Lake Pend Oreille, Dworshak Reservoir and Arrowrock Reservoir lead the 43 Idaho pages where the Planner recommends it. Hatchery crews logged 238 stocking rows of it on Planner pages, latest June 30, 2010. The Endangered Species Act status is threatened, per USFWS. Scientific name in the Planner: Salvelinus confluentus.
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| IDFG region | Line as printed |
|---|---|
| IDFG Panhandle Region | Bull Trout – catch-and-release |
| IDFG Clearwater Region | Bull Trout – catch-and-release |
| IDFG Southwest Region | Bull Trout – catch-and-release |
| IDFG Magic Valley Region | Bull Trout – catch-and-release |
| IDFG Upper Snake Region | Bull trout – catch-and-release |
| IDFG Salmon Region | Bull Trout – catch-and-release |
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.
Hatchery Bull Trout released into Idaho water
| Water | Release as printed |
|---|---|
| South Fork Salmon River | Bull Trout, 2 fish, Adults, June 30, 2010 |
| Salmon River | Bull Trout, 23 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), September 16, 2009 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 422 fish, Adults, September 10, 2009 |
| South Fork Salmon River | Bull Trout, 7 fish, Adults, June 28, 2009 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 1 fish, Adults, August 5, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 1 fish, Adults, July 25, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 6 fish, Adults, July 15, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 8 fish, Adults, July 14, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 6 fish, Adults, July 11, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 6 fish, Adults, July 10, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 24 fish, Adults, July 7, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 30 fish, Adults, July 4, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 30 fish, Adults, July 3, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 20 fish, Adults, July 2, 2008 |
| South Fork Salmon River | Bull Trout, 2 fish, Adults, July 2, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 19 fish, Adults, July 1, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 3 fish, Adults, June 27, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 5 fish, Adults, June 26, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 3 fish, Adults, June 25, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 1 fish, Adults, June 24, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 10 fish, Adults, June 23, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 15 fish, Adults, June 21, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 20 fish, Adults, June 20, 2008 |
| Rapid River | Bull Trout, 8 fish, Adults, June 19, 2008 |
Stocking rows as printed on the IDFG Fishing Planner water pages (date, species, number and size as listed), read November 7, 2026.
Idaho water IDFG recommends for bull trout
Lakes the Planner suggests for bull trout
- Lake Pend Oreille92,764 acres
- Dworshak Reservoir16,484 acres
- Arrowrock Reservoir3,015 acres
- Deadwood Reservoir2,997 acres
- Redfish Lake1,505 acres
- Upper Priest Lake1,340 acres
- Alturas Lake836 acres
- Warm Lake412 acres
- Pettit Lake400 acres
- Yellow Belly Lake193 acres
- Williams Lake180 acres
- Little Redfish Lake67 acres
- Perkins Lake (Blaine County)50 acres
Rivers the Planner suggests for bull trout
- North Fork Clearwater RiverClearwater County
- Clark Fork RiverBonner County
- Clearwater RiverClearwater County
- Cocolalla CreekBonner County
- Crooked CreekIdaho County
- Crooked River (Idaho County)Idaho County
- East Fork Salmon RiverCuster County
- East Fork South Fork Salmon RiverValley County
- Gold Fork RiverValley County
- Kelly CreekClearwater County
- Lemhi RiverLemhi County
- Little Lost RiverButte County
- Little North Fork Clearwater RiverClearwater County
- Little Salmon RiverAdams County
- Lochsa RiverIdaho County
- Middle Fork Boise RiverElmore County
- Middle Fork Clearwater RiverIdaho County
- Middle Fork Payette RiverBoise County
IDFG Fishing Planner recommended game fish on each water page, read November 7, 2026; largest lakes and best-served rivers first.
Gem State water near Bull Trout, on camera
Photo: Tamanoeconomico, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photo: Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Photo: Cecelia Alexander, CC0 1.0
Photo: Intermountain Forest Service, USDA Region 4 Photography, Public domain
Before targeting bull trout in Idaho
Can bull trout be kept in Idaho?
You may not keep it ("Bull Trout – catch-and-release").
Which water gave up a record bull trout in 2026?
None turned up in the 2026 IDFG announcements read for this site; the full list is on idfg.idaho.gov.
Where do bull trout turn up in Idaho?
Try Lake Pend Oreille, Dworshak Reservoir and Arrowrock Reservoir; 43 pages list it.
Does IDFG stock bull trout?
The Planner shows 238 rows, most recently South Fork Salmon River (June 30, 2010).
Where does the bull trout rule change in Idaho?
No special rule cites it here.
Does the Endangered Species Act cover bull trout in Idaho?
USFWS gives it threatened status (U.S.A., coterminous (lower 48 states)).
Do visitors need a license for Idaho bull trout?
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.
Can a released bull trout set an Idaho record?
IDFG keeps two lists: certified weight, on a certified scale, and catch-and-release, by total length of a fish released alive.
Choose a bull trout water in Idaho
Each water above has launches and rules on its page.