Idaho
Game Fisheries
Idaho's fisheries are divided into 8 large-scale regions that are shown on the map at right. Click on each region for information on fish. These units are managed by the Idaho Department of Fish & Game under Title 36 of the Idaho Code which mandates the preservation, protection and perpetuation of such wildlife. Fish & Game has responsibility for 83 species of fish in Idaho, including 14 species of native game fish and 28 species that have been introduced. Fish populations occur throughout the 26,000 miles of rivers and creeks, 225,000 acres of lakes, and 239,000 acres of reservoirs found in the state.
Fishery
Types
Fisheries are divided into
one of four categories determined by the dominant type(s) of fish found within
their waters: cold water, warm water, anadromous, and mixed. Populations of
special concern (such as introduced or endangered species) are monitored in
each fishery, and are reported as unique categories.
Cold
Water:
Fisheries supported by resident populations of salmonid game fish including
trout, char, nonanadromous salmon (kokanee, coho, chinook), and whitefish (family
Salmonidae).
Warm
Water:
Fisheries supported by warm water or cool water game fish including bass, crappie,
sunfish, catfish, northern pike, tiger muskie, walleye, and yellow perch (families
Centrarchidae, Ictaluridae, Percidae, and Esocidae).
Mixed:
Fisheries supported by a combination of cold water and warm water fish species
Anadromous:
Fisheries supported by anadromous salmonids (steelhead trout, chinook salmon,
and sockeye salmon). See below for detailed information.
Introduced
Species:
Introduced fish,
such as brown trout, lake trout, brook trout, landlocked coho and chinook salmon,
bass, sunfish, perch, crappie, catfish, walleye, northern pike, and tiger muskie,
provide sport fisheries where habitat conditions are unsuitable for native species.
Species
of Concern:
A small group of fish species
have been designated as "Species of Special Concern" because of limited
range in Idaho, low populations, or threats to their existence.
Primary species of concern for Idaho's fisheries include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, bull trout, steelhead trout, chinook salmon, kokanee salmon, sockeye salmon, whitefish, and white sturgeon (all native fish). Idaho Coho salmon were declared extinct in 1985.
Different fish populations exist in Idaho's different drainages, as a result of the hydrologic and geologic history discussed above. Human influence and the introduction of species has also affected the balance of fish populations.
Anadromous Fish: