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United States · ID
Idaho
Idaho Fish and Game
Rules change by area and can change mid-season. We explain what the rules mean and always link you to the official source — we never copy a limit table and call it current.
Licences — what you need
- • A fishing licence is required statewide; salmon and steelhead need separate permits and punch-style tags, and fishing for them without the permit in possession is a violation even if you release everything.
- • A two-pole validation is available but is void on salmon and steelhead waters.
How the rules are organized
- • Rules are organized by region (Panhandle, Clearwater, Southwest and so on), each with general rules plus water-specific exceptions.
- • Salmon seasons are set in-season by commission action as runs actually arrive — they are announced, not printed.
Good to know — common mistakes
- • Barbless hooks are required for salmon and steelhead fishing.
- • Snagging is prohibited and foul-hooked fish must be released — in crowded salmon holes this rule is actively enforced.
- • Steelhead are managed as hatchery-keep / wild-release in most fisheries — check the fin clip and the stretch of river.
- • Tribal fisheries (notably Nez Perce and Shoshone-Bannock) operate under their own rules on ceded waters.
Official links
Fishing locations covered in this guide
This page is a plain-language summary, not the law. Regulations change — including in-season by official notice — and if anything here disagrees with the official source, the official source governs.
AnglerPlan is an information service, not a regulator. If anything here disagrees with an official source, the official source wins — and please tell us so we can fix it.