Still Water

Still Waters, May 9th, 2023

The latest stocking information for IDF&G’s Upper Snake and Southeast Regions follows. We post this here because it applies mostly to still waters. Many of these are great locations for family fishing. Some of these still waters host hold-over trout from previous stocking which can grow to trophy sizes. Some not yet stocked cannot be reached until roads open.

Ashton Reservoir – 38,751 rainbow trout

A scenic 400-acre reservoir on the Henry’s Fork, this waterbody is known for rainbow trout and is also home to the state-record brown trout.

Birch Creek – 4,750 rainbow trout

A productive spring creek in a high-desert basin, this small stream is ideal for kids and less experienced anglers. Rainbow trout are stocked heavily around access areas, and wild brook trout are fairly common.

Blue Creek Reservoir – 2,000 rainbow trout

This reservoir is located approximately 15 miles north of St. Anthony and is part of the Sand Creek Wildlife Management Area. Fish will be stocked when access/road conditions allow. There are additional ponds in close proximity that will also be stocked and provide additional fishing opportunities. These include:

• Sand Creek MWA Pond #1 – 3,500 rainbow trout
• Sand Creek WMA Pond #4 – 2,700 rainbow trout

Henrys Fork – 10,000 rainbow trout

World-famous for trout fishing! The river is suitable for wade fishing, bank fishing and fishing from a boat.

Mackay Reservoir – 4,200 rainbow trout

In the high desert of the Big Lost River Valley, fishing is popular from a boat and from shore on this 1,100-plus-acre reservoir.

Ririe Reservoir – 18,000 rainbow trout and 3,600 tiger trout

This waterbody provides an exceptional and diverse fishery. Springtime is ideal to troll for kokanee and rainbow trout.

Teton River – 1,000 rainbow trout

This river drains the west slope of the Teton Range and provides excellent fly fishing opportunities for all skill levels. Fish will be stocked in the Rexburg area. Check out this video showing the magic of fly fishing! 

Trail Creek Pond – 450 rainbow trout

Also known as Victor Kids Pond, this small, scenic pond is located in the lush Teton Basin. One of the most consistent kids fisheries in the area, it is easily fished from the bank, with trails and picnic tables around the perimeter.

Bannock Reservoir – 1,000 rainbow trout

Located within the Portneuf Wellness Complex near the County Fairgrounds in Pocatello, this community park offers good trout fishing. Multiple docks provide fishing access around the 5-acre pond.

Bear River below Oneida Dam – 3,000 rainbow trout

These fish will be stocked in the very scenic Oneida Narrows reach of the river below the dam. This popular section of the river offers the longest continuous public access along the entire Bear River.

Dike Lake – 1,500 rainbow trout

Located adjacent to the Blackfoot Reservoir Campground, this waterbody gets stocked once a year. This yields high catch rates for a limited time, so catch ‘em before they’re gone!

Dingle Gravel Pond – 1,000 rainbow trout

This pond is located adjacent to the Bear River east of Dingle in Bear Lake County.

Kelly Park Pond – 500 rainbow trout

Located in Soda Springs, accessing this pond requires a short walk, but it offers a great kids fishing opportunity. Lace up the boots, grab the fishing poles and take the kids on a nature walk!

McTucker Pond – 1,500 rainbow trout

Located near Springfield, there are many places for kids to fish from docks or the bank.

Montpelier Rearing Pond – 500 rainbow trout

This little fishing spot is tucked into a scenic high desert canyon in the hills east of Montpelier. It’s a great spot to take kids fishing.

Still Waters, May 6th, 2023

Still water fly fishers are yearning for so many waters to open and offer good fishing. Here is some info we have gathered on status of the most popular of these.

Ice is leaving Chesterfield Reservoir. See picture above (courtesy of Dave Whitworth) taken last Wednesday. At that date, it was about 80% iced over. Road to the boat dock is open, and ice should be gone for the upcoming week.

Twenty-Four Mile Reservoir is likely totally iced over, and the road to it can be damaged by travel. So it is in best interest to wait until ice leaves and the road dries out.

Blackfoot Reservoir remains iced over. Contact Bingham and Caribou county web sites for road conditions.

The Dairy Creek Road leaving just below Hawkins Reservoir and making a short cut to Daniels Reservoir is open, but rough in places. It is being fished ( mostly Utah anglers) but offers spotty fishing to date.

Hawkins Reservoir has been stocked with hatchery catchable rainbows, and fishing action is picking up.

Springfield Reservoir offers spotty fishing with early AMs and evenings being best time for action. Try midge pupa patterns under indicators at these times.

Still Waters, April 22nd, 2023

If you are looking to try for trout in still waters your choice right now is in the “Slim Pickings Range.” The only open waters nearby are Hawkins and Springfield Reservoirs. Hawkins is scheduled to receive a plant of about 1600 IDF&G rainbows. Give them a chance to equilibrate, and they will provide some action to supplement that from hold-overs. Springfield has been spotty in providing action with AM and evening hours being the best times.

Still Waters, April 11th, 2023

Springfield Reservoir provides the best access these days. Early AMs and evenings seem to offer best fishing. Present midge pupa patterns at the taking depth. Some success is possible through nymphing or by presenting black or olive leach patterns and fly rod jigs.

Still Waters, September 20th, 2022

Currently Daniels Reservoir seems to be the ” star of the still water show” in our area. With cooling weather, fish are moving from depths to shallower water where midge activity is ongoing and leeches and scuds occupy vegetation. Thus there could be two strategies for success: indicator fishing with midge life cycle patterns to find the taking depth or intermediate line use to probe leech, scud and fly rod jig patterns around submerged vegetation.

Still Waters, September 10th, 2022

Aldous Lake

Still waters, and irrigation reservoirs in particular, are at the top of the list of waters needing a change in the weather to cooler conditions. For example, when irrigation draw-down increases water temperature into the seventy degrees Fahrenheit range, fish caught and released have a diminished chance of survival. The same can happen in shallow natural still waters especially during unseasonably warm weather such as we have just experienced.

There are a few still waters that appear to escape this warming and they are mostly a higher elevations. Local examples include, Aldous Lake and Paul’s Reservoir, and each now offers good fishing. Aldous Lake is a mile and a quarter walk from its trail head and is best fished through using a packed in flotation device,. A decent gravel road goes to Paul’s Reservoir, and it an be fished from the shoreline. Yellowstone cutthroat trout inhabit both these still waters. .

Still Waters, September 6th, 2022

The comments we made on the impact of shorter daylight hours and cooler nights applying to the South Fork and the Henry’s Fork with respect to improving fishing conditions also apply to our irrigation reservoirs. Diversion for irrigation purposes will decrease meaning more impounded water which will cool enough to move fish away from depths to seek food forms being more abundant in shallower water.. .

Still Waters, August 27th, 2022

With near surface water temperatures in most irrigation reservoirs (i.e. Chesterfield, Daniels, Springfield, Treasureton, Twenty-Four Mile) above 70 0 degrees F. , it is no wonder fish are hanging deep. As daylight hours decrease and nights cool, near surface water surface temperatures will soon be on the rise and so will fish..

Still Waters, July 26th, 2022

Reservoirs owned by irrigation companies are being drawn down to satisfy agricultural demands. Fish in such as such as Chesterfield, Twenty-Four Mile, Treasureton and Hawkins Reservoirs will move to cooler, deeper water. Fish in smaller, shallower still waters not subjected to irrigation draw down such as Horseshoe and Teardrop Lakes and the Sand Creek Ponds and the Harriman Fish Pond will become less active during daytime hours. For any of these still waters fishing is most successful early in the day after surfaces have cooled through radiating heat away during night time.

So the old saying “The Early Bird Gets The Worm ” applies to fishing still waters during the summer dog days!

Still Waters, July 16th, 2022

The Sand Creek Ponds are now open to non-motorized boat fishing unless there are posted restrictions for protecting wildlife. As with all our still waters, the currently high air temps warm water enough to move fish to deepest areas. However, speckled dun and damselfly activity will bring fish to less deep water during mornings and evenings. Life cycle patterns for these insects, small leach, small streamer, and traditional nymph patterns will work. The ponds are not very deep, so presenting flies on a floating line works when there is surface activity or when fishing shallower water. Switch to an intermediate line if there are no rising fish, and concentrate on fishing deeper water.