Dust off the fishing rod and plan your next family fishing outing this spring

Maybe ol’ Saint Nick delivered a new fishing pole to a kid during Christmas, or your trusty old fishing rod has been stuck in the rafters since last year, but either way, the time is here to get out on the water and try to catch some fish.

Spring fishing is an exceptional opportunity for new or seasoned anglers wanting to get back on the water with their friends or families.

Trout are a favorite quarry in early spring because they remain active year-round, but they perk up as water starts to warm after the cold winter. Fish and Game stocks tens of thousands of trout for anglers every month, and spring and early summer are the busiest time of year for hatchery crews.

But trout aren’t the only type of fishing available. Warmwater fishing can bounce back remarkably fast with a streak of warm, sunny weather, and many other species, such as perch, crappie and bluegill, become very active during spring. 

A good rule of thumb is fish like warming or stable weather during spring, but fishing tends to fall off when there’s a cold spell. With so many fishing opportunities near Idaho’s cities and towns, spring is a good chance to check out your local waters.

Not sure where to go fishing? Check out these easily accessible and regularly stocked lakes and ponds around the state. 

Dworshak Reservoir

Looking for a big body of water in the heart of Clearwater country? Dworshak Reservoir in central Idaho along the North Fork of the Clearwater River offers anglers both picturesque mountain views and chances at hooking several species of fish, most notably smallmouth bass and kokanee. 

Dworshak Reservoir will provide excellent fishing opportunities once again in 2025. Kokanee anglers should see improved opportunities from the previous two years, and smallmouth bass anglers should continue to experience excellent bass fishing with trophy opportunities. Higher abundances of rainbow trout stocking will also continue to provide opportunities for both boat and shore anglers.

Bass fishing will start to heat up early spring when the water temperature hits around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Oftentimes areas closer to shore heat up quicker, so these shallower areas can be productive fishing for bass this time of year.

Anglers have also recently reported that kokanee fishing has turned on with fish being caught in the 9- to 11-inch range.

Middle Fork Clearwater and Lochsa Rivers

The Middle Fork of the Clearwater River is a great spot for springtime fishing. Whether you’re fly fishing, spinning, or baitcasting, your chances of getting a bite here are good. There’s a large variety of fish species including the chance to catch a bass, whitefish, or trout. So, grab your favorite fly-fishing rod and reel and head out to the Middle Fork Clearwater River this season.

In addition, the Lochsa River is known for excellent trout fishing on an easily accessible river as it follows portions of Highway 12 through this scenic river corridor. It draws avid anglers and novices alike and is home to native trout species as well as mountain whitefish. Springtime conditions can produce high flows, yet when the water level drops, this can be an excellent place to find good spring fishing access.

Some of these areas get overlooked in the early spring, yet larger trout tend to move down and school up in the lower sections of river this time of year. Anglers could have the potential to catch some of these bigger fish without a lot of effort.