Eastern Idaho Fly Fishing

Idaho offers some of the most diverse fishing opportunities in the world. Whether you’re fishing remote high-mountain streams or lowland desert reservoirs, you’ll find trophy trout, behemoth bass and much, much more.

Overview
From jewel-like alpine lakes to the streams flowing in the bottoms of some of America's prettiest canyons, trout of all types lure anglers to Eastern Idaho’s waters. With a lifetime of waters to explore, you’ll have no shortage of scenic spots loaded with plenty of fish.

A fishing license is required to fish in Idaho, and specific regulations vary from spot to spot.

While we’ve highlighted a few of the Eastern Idaho’s best spots below, this is by no means a definitive guide. Check in with local guide services for more information.

Hiring a Guide
Since hatches often vary from one spot to another, having a guide who is tuned into the local patterns is a great idea. Most guides are happy to either suggest locations or work with you to set up a trip to a spot of your choosing.

Henry’s Fork
Although the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, located in Island Park, has good fishing all along it, the best fishing is below Island Park Reservoir near Last Chance and Harriman Ranch, where you’ll find excellent flat-water fishing for monster rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout. That said the faster-moving stretches just below Island Park Reservoir and through Box Canyon are still good for float fishing with less-picky fish (be aware that parts of the section below the Reservoir are catch and release only).

Henry’s Lake
This world-renowned 6,000-foot high mountain lake between the Centennials and Henry’s Lake Mountains is possibly the best lake fishing in Idaho. The shallow, nutrient-rich water provides the perfect habitat for rainbow, cutthroat, brook and hybrid trout to thrive, and to call the surroundings simply spectacular would be an injustice. Despite the low depth of the lake, a boat or float tube is really needed to fish Henry’s Lake because private land surrounds much of the lake, limiting access. Fishing season opens in May and runs through November, but the best fishing is usually late June through the fall.

Fall River
The largest tributary or the Henry’s Fork, Fall River, is in the southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park and takes its name from the abundance of tumbling waterfalls that can be found along it. If you’re looking for a quiet spot, this is one of the least fished tributaries of the Henry’s Fork, mainly due to the longer, more difficult access. Despite this, it still has great fishing for 10-inch rainbow and cutthroat trout. Little to no fast currents makes this clear river perfect for wading.

South Fork of the Snake
This long section of the Snake River has challenging trout fishing (due to rapids, fast water and river debris) in beautiful, deep, forested canyons that provide some of the area’s best bald eagle habitat. Sections are both float- and wader-friendly, although some stretches provide technical boat navigation. The South Fork River Basin's strong native population of cutthroat trout provides what is perhaps the best cutthroat fishing in the west.

Teton River
The easy-going Teton River is a picturesque river for summer fishing, with the western Tetons and the Big Hole Mountains cradling the Teton River as it meanders through the fields and farmlands of Teton Valley, Idaho before dropping down into deeper canyons as it heads northwest. The at times shallow and slow moving water is perfect for catarafts or drift boats. Locals can often be found casting their lines in the Bitch Creek stretch while sipping a local beer of the same name, but don’t ignore the rest of this valley river. Teton River is open for rainbow, cutthroat, brook and cuttbow trout and whitefish from Memorial Day weekend through November.