Mountain Whitefish in Idaho
mountain whitefish under the 2025-2027 Idaho rules.
- 25 a daybag
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Mountain Whitefish in Idaho, summed up
A daily number for mountain whitefish appears in 7 Idaho region tables. For the IDFG Panhandle Region, IDFG prints "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".
Start with Lake Pend Oreille, Cascade Reservoir and C. J. Strike Reservoir; 70 Idaho pages carry it as a recommended fish. Planner stocking tables on built waters hold 50 stocking rows for it, the newest dated August 19, 2009. IDFG uses the name Prosopium williamsoni for it.
How each Idaho region handles Mountain Whitefish
| IDFG region | Line as printed |
|---|---|
| IDFG Panhandle Region | 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 |
| IDFG Clearwater Region | 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 |
| IDFG Southwest Region | 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 |
| IDFG Magic Valley Region | 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 |
| IDFG Southeast Region | 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 |
| IDFG Upper Snake Region | Whitefish limit is 25 – see Big Lost River exception; 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 |
| IDFG Salmon Region | 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 |
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.
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| Water | Release as printed |
|---|---|
| Salmon River | Whitefish, 6 fish, Fry (0-3 inches), August 19, 2009 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 1 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), September 4, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 1 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), August 29, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 2 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), August 28, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 1 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), August 25, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 3 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), August 19, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 2 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), August 17, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 4 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), August 12, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 1 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), August 10, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 2 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), August 9, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 2 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), August 4, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 1 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), August 1, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 7 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), July 28, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 4 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), July 27, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 2 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), July 25, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 1 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), July 23, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 4 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), July 22, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 7 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), July 21, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 3 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), July 16, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 2 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), July 15, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 1 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), July 14, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 2 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), July 13, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 27 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), July 12, 2006 |
| East Fork Salmon River | Whitefish, 4 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), July 11, 2006 |
Stocking rows as printed on the IDFG Fishing Planner water pages (date, species, number and size as listed), read November 7, 2026.
Idaho pages that list mountain whitefish
Reservoir pages naming mountain whitefish
- Lake Pend Oreille92,764 acres
- Cascade Reservoir27,152 acres
- C. J. Strike Reservoir6,760 acres
- Arrowrock Reservoir3,015 acres
- Deadwood Reservoir2,997 acres
- Lucky Peak Reservoir2,766 acres
- Black Canyon Reservoir892 acres
- Warm Lake412 acres
- Stoneridge Reservoir58 acres
Stream pages naming mountain whitefish
- Blackfoot RiverBingham County
- North Fork Clearwater RiverClearwater County
- American RiverIdaho County
- Bear RiverBear Lake County
- Big Wood RiverBlaine County
- Breakfast CreekClearwater County
- Bruneau RiverOwyhee County
- Brushy Fork CreekIdaho County
- Clark Fork RiverBonner County
- Clearwater RiverClearwater County
- Crooked CreekIdaho County
- Crooked ForkClearwater County
- Crooked River (Idaho County)Idaho County
- East Fork Salmon RiverCuster County
- East Fork South Fork Salmon RiverValley County
- East Fork Wood RiverBlaine County
- Falls RiverFremont County
- Grimes CreekBoise County
IDFG Fishing Planner recommended game fish on each water page, read November 7, 2026; largest lakes and best-served rivers first.
Water-specific mountain whitefish rules in Idaho
- Bear LakeIDFG Southeast Region
- Big Lost RiverIDFG Upper Snake Region
- Dry Fork CreekIDFG Upper Snake Region
- East Fork Big Lost RiverIDFG Upper Snake Region
- North Fork Big Lost RiverIDFG Upper Snake Region
- Star Hope CreekIDFG Upper Snake Region
- Wildhorse CreekIDFG Upper Snake Region
Special rules for every Idaho water
Rule blocks printed on IDFG Fishing Planner water pages (2025-2027), read November 7, 2026.
Reservoirs, alpine lakes and canyon runs close to Mountain Whitefish, in pictures
Photo: Kencf0618, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Miscellaneous contributor, CC0 1.0
Photo: Tamanoeconomico, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photo: Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Gem State mountain whitefish, question by question
What is the Idaho bag on mountain whitefish?
Each region differs; IDFG Panhandle Region: "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 whit".
What is the latest Idaho mountain whitefish record?
No new mark appears in the 2026 news read here.
Best Idaho water for mountain whitefish?
Lake Pend Oreille, Cascade Reservoir and C. J. Strike Reservoir, plus more: 70 pages.
Are mountain whitefish on the Planner stocking tables?
Yes; 50 rows, the newest into Salmon River on August 19, 2009.
Any Idaho water with a mountain whitefish exception?
7 waters do, Bear Lake among them.
Is mountain whitefish a protected fish in Idaho?
No federal listing applies to it.
Which Idaho license covers mountain whitefish?
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.
Who certifies Idaho mountain whitefish records?
Yes for length: IDFG runs a catch-and-release list by total length; weight records need a certified scale.