Idaho
20
20
Owyhee River
Just on the other side of the border in Eastern Oregon, the Lower Owyhee is known for its large brown trout, rainbows, and carp. Focus on the 10-mile stretch above Snively Hot Springs, which passes through a scenic canyon. And come with grasshoppers in the summer.
Boise River
An urban trout fishery with wild and stocked rainbow and brown trout, the Boise offers quick and easy access via city parks and green spaces. Choose your method, whether it’s walk and wade or float and cast.
South Fork of Boise River
It’s all about the massive rainbows on this river that’s surrounded by national forest and BLM land making it an ideal candidate for an overnight backpacking or ATV fishing trip. No guiding is allowed on this river, so it’s up to you to find gold. There’s a 10-mile section below Anderson Dam with constant dirt road access, making it an ideal spot for wade access.
The Big Wood River
A central Idaho gem full of wild trout that rambles between the Boulder and Smoky Mountains north of Sun Valley, the upper reaches are a walk and wade stream amongst cotton-woods, providing for a scenic setting while you’re casting for large browns and rainbows.
Silver Creek
Close to Sun Valley, Silver Creek is a spring-fed river that’s gin-clear and ripe with brown and rainbow trout. You have plenty of wade-fishing opportunities and small mayflies hatch through spring and summer. The river snakes through Picabo Valley, a wide, green valley flanked by rolling hills. Bonus: You’ll get to fish the same banks that Ernest Hemingway fished back in the day.
Big Lost River
The Upper Big Lost is a true wilderness experience known for its high diversity of fish. The remote river lures hardy anglers looking to score the “Lost River Slam,” by catching a rainbow, west slope cutthroat, Snake River Fine Spotted Cutthroat, Brook, Cutt-Bow, Grayling, and Mountain Whitefish in a single day.
South Fork of the Snake
The Upper South Fork is the most accessible stretch of this pristine tailwaters fishery and has excellent wade fishing opportunities for fish that are actively hunting for dry flies. If you want to float, hit the lower South Fork, dubbed the Canyon, which offers a day’s worth of casual casting and floating. The scenery is top notch, as you’ll witness a mix of farmland, mountains and rugged canyons. July means stonefly hatches which drives the fish crazy.
Yellowstone River
The longest undammed river in the lower 48, with its headwaters are in Yellowstone National Park, the Yellowstone is “wild” in every sense of the word. It gets thick with whitewater in Yankee Jim Canyon, but you can drift boat the mellow stretches or raft the whitewater in rafts with fly fishing frames. Guides can point you towards sections you can wade fish, too. You’ll fish for rainbow, brown, and native cutthroat trout. It’s all about the dry fly from Spring through Fall.
Henry’s Lake
This shallow lake in Eastern Idaho is known for its oversized hybrids and Yellowstone cutthroat. Scientists estimate there are more than a million trout living in the lake, so your odds are pretty good. If you’re looking to catch a trophy on a fly, this is your spot.
Fish Fact
The salmonfly hatches at the end of June each year, giving you a chance to catch really large fish on a really large dry fly on the Madison.
Fish Fact
The Brown Drake hatch, on Silver Creek, is an experiential event as the insects are so active, and so numerous, they’ve been known to obscure the sun.
Three Rivers Ranch Outfitters
Three Rivers Ranch Outfitters has fly shops in five locations across Idaho, from Driggs to Boise.
Picabo Angler
The Picabo Angler is located directly on Silver Creek, offering a full service fly shop and guided adventures.
Idaho Falls
The Snake River runs through the heart of downtown Idaho Falls, and the city has made the most of it, developing five miles of paved trails along both sides of the river connecting parks, neighborhoods, restaurants, and shops.
BOISE
The state capitol and arguably one of the coolest mountain cities in the west, Boise is a hotbed of culture, food and adventure. The city’s Ridge to Rivers trail system offers 190 miles of trails connecting neighborhoods with the foothills surrounding town. Make time for Boise’s Whitewater Park, a man-made wave on the Boise River that changes shape daily to accommodate surfers or kayakers.
Big Springs Campground
On the headwaters of the Snake River, where 20 million gallons of water come bubbling out of the earth, this primitive Forest Service campground is set within a stand of lodgepole pines and meadows that are full of wildflowers in the summer.
Big Lost River Lower Access Campground
This campground offers dispersed camping on forest service land mostly used by guides looking to get an early start. The fishing access is right out of your tent, there are views of towering cliffs, and the entrance road is narrow enough to keep bigger RVs out. Plus it’s free. Off Highway 93, just outside of Mackay.
Oregon
Montana
the new spirit of fly fishing
To explore the full map and learn more visit
of fly fishing
Swipe to see more of the trout highway
Idaho
20
20
Owyhee River
Just on the other side of the border in Eastern Oregon, the Lower Owyhee is known for its large brown trout, rainbows, and carp. Focus on the 10-mile stretch above Snively Hot Springs, which passes through a scenic canyon. And come with grasshoppers in the summer.
FPO
Boise River
An urban trout fishery with wild and stocked rainbow and brown trout, the Boise offers quick and easy access via city parks and green spaces. Choose your method, whether it’s walk and wade or float and cast.
FPO
South Fork of Boise River
It’s all about the massive rainbows on this river that’s surrounded by national forest and BLM land making it an ideal candidate for an overnight backpacking or ATV fishing trip. No guiding is allowed on this river, so it’s up to you to find gold. There’s a 10-mile section below Anderson Dam with constant dirt road access, making it an ideal spot for wade access.
FPO
The Big Wood River
A central Idaho gem full of wild trout that rambles between the Boulder and Smoky Mountains north of Sun Valley, the upper reaches are a walk and wade stream amongst cotton-woods, providing for a scenic setting while you’re casting for large browns and rainbows.
FPO
Silver Creek
Close to Sun Valley, Silver Creek is a spring-fed river that’s gin-clear and ripe with brown and rainbow trout. You have plenty of wade-fishing opportunities and small mayflies hatch through spring and summer. The river snakes through Picabo Valley, a wide, green valley flanked by rolling hills. Bonus: You’ll get to fish the same banks that Ernest Hemingway fished back in the day.
FPO
Big Lost River
The Upper Big Lost is a true wilderness experience known for its high diversity of fish. The remote river lures hardy anglers looking to score the “Lost River Slam,” by catching a rainbow, west slope cutthroat, Snake River Fine Spotted Cutthroat, Brook, Cutt-Bow, Grayling, and Mountain Whitefish in a single day.
FPO
South Fork of the Snake
The Upper South Fork is the most accessible stretch of this pristine tailwaters fishery and has excellent wade fishing opportunities for fish that are actively hunting for dry flies. If you want to float, hit the lower South Fork, dubbed the Canyon, which offers a day’s worth of casual casting and floating. The scenery is top notch, as you’ll witness a mix of farmland, mountains and rugged canyons. July means stonefly hatches which drives the fish crazy.
FPO
Teton River
A tributary to Henry’s Fork, the Teton gets a ton of rainfall and boasts rainbow, cutthroat, brook, and whitefish that grow large thanks to the big hatches from spring to fall. The spring-fed river has one of the strongest populations of native cutthroat trout in the west. The upper section of the Teton is mellow as it wends through forests of aspen while the lower section is punctuated with big whitewater.
FPO
Fall River
A tributary of the Henry’s Fork Snake River, the headwaters begin in Yellowstone National Park and the river stays relatively primitive throughout its course. This is backcountry fishing at its best with mostly walk-in access with little traffic. The river is punctuated with waterfalls too, like the 20-foot Cave Falls.
FPO
Firehole River
Inside Yellowstone National Park, the Firehole flows through three active geyser basins (thus, the name), so if you’re wade fishing, you’ll encounter hot springs and the occasional mud pit. The wildlife spotting might be as good as the fishing: elk, bison, and bear all love the place. The river is loaded with small and feisty brown and rainbow trout.
FPO
Yellowstone River
The longest undammed river in the lower 48, with its headwaters are in Yellowstone National Park, the Yellowstone is “wild” in every sense of the word. It gets thick with whitewater in Yankee Jim Canyon, but you can drift boat the mellow stretches or raft the whitewater in rafts with fly fishing frames. Guides can point you towards sections you can wade fish, too. You’ll fish for rainbow, brown, and native cutthroat trout. It’s all about the dry fly from Spring through Fall.
FPO
Hebgen Lake
This 16-mile-long lake near West Yellowstone sees plenty of action, and for good reason; the lake is full of big rainbows and browns. If all goes well, you’ll be hauling in browns that are 18 inches long and rainbows well over a foot. Whitefish and westslope cutthroat also thrive in this lake.
FPO
Madison River
A 120-mile-long Blue Ribbon Trout Stream, the water on the Madison shifts from smooth, drift boat-friendly to class V hair-boating. The water is shallow and full of trout—an estimated 5,000 of them per mile. If you’re into drifting, head to the Upper Madison.
FPO
Henry’s Lake
This shallow lake in Eastern Idaho is known for its oversized hybrids and Yellowstone cutthroat. Scientists estimate there are more than a million trout living in the lake, so your odds are pretty good. If you’re looking to catch a trophy on a fly, this is your spot.
FPO
Henry’s Fork of the Snake River
So famous, locals just call it “The Hank.” You can fish the Box Canyon of the Henry’s Fork, but everyone gets excited when The Ranch section of the river opens on June 15, running through Harriman State Park. You’ll need a drift boat to do this river justice.
FPO
Fish Fact
Idaho is the only landlocked state in
the west where salmon and steelhead trout
can be found.
Fish Fact
The salmonfly hatches at the end of June each year, giving you a chance to catch really large fish on a really large dry fly on the Madison.
Fish Fact
65% of Idaho is public land
Fish Fact
The Pale Morning Dun, a mayfly, hatches on the Teton River at the end of June.
Fish Fact
The Brown Drake hatch, on Silver Creek, is an experiential event as the insects are so active, and so numerous, they’ve been known to obscure the sun.
Montana Angling Co.
Montana Angling Co. knows the ins and outs of the Madison and Yellowstone Rivers and will put you on the native cutthroat.
FPO
Jimmy’s Fly Shop
Jimmy’s Fly Shop has real time fishing reports for waters from Henry’s Lake to Yellowstone Park. They offer classes on casting and fly tying and have every fly you’ll need to match the hatch.
FPO
Three Rivers Ranch Outfitters
Three Rivers Ranch Outfitters has fly shops in five locations across Idaho, from Driggs to Boise.
FPO
Picabo Angler
The Picabo Angler is located directly on Silver Creek, offering a full service fly shop and guided adventures.
FPO
Driggs, Idaho
In the heart of Teton Valley surrounded by the Tetons and Big Hole Mountains, Driggs is an epicenter of adventure with hiking and mountain biking trails starting just outside of town. Catch a movie at Spud Drive In, which is only open in the summer, or get some lift-served downhill bike laps in at nearby Grand Targhee Resort.
FPO
Idaho Falls
The Snake River runs through the heart of downtown Idaho Falls, and the city has made the most of it, developing five miles of paved trails along both sides of the river connecting parks, neighborhoods, restaurants, and shops.
FPO
Mackay
Tiny Mackay is a launching point for exploring ghost towns in the mountains. It’s also a hotbed of rodeo culture with regular rodeos most weekends during the summer.
FPO
ketchum
Ketchum is the cultural hub of Sun Valley, with a downtown along the Big Wood River, big-name festivals (come back for the Jazz and Music Festival in October), and the most eclectic food scene you’ll find in the mountains. Hit the Rickshaw for Southeast Asian inspired small plates.
FPO
BOISE
The state capitol and arguably one of the coolest mountain cities in the west, Boise is a hotbed of culture, food and adventure. The city’s Ridge to Rivers trail system offers 190 miles of trails connecting neighborhoods with the foothills surrounding town. Make time for Boise’s Whitewater Park, a man-made wave on the Boise River that changes shape daily to accommodate surfers or kayakers.
FPO
Slocum Campground
Oregon’s Slocum Creek Campground has sites inside the Owyhee Canyon putting you within striking distance of the Lower Owyhee and the steaming pools of Snively Hot Springs. Sites are primitive, free, and first come/first serve.
FPO
Big Springs Campground
On the headwaters of the Snake River, where 20 million gallons of water come bubbling out of the earth, this primitive Forest Service campground is set within a stand of lodgepole pines and meadows that are full of wildflowers in the summer.
FPO
Warm River Campground
Inside the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, this developed campground has all the amenities, but the real draw is the immediate access to the Warm River, which is a hotbed of fishing and tubing.
FPO
Big Lost River Lower Access Campground
This campground offers dispersed camping on forest service land mostly used by guides looking to get an early start. The fishing access is right out of your tent, there are views of towering cliffs, and the entrance road is narrow enough to keep bigger RVs out. Plus it’s free. Off Highway 93, just outside of Mackay.
FPO
wood River Campground
The Big Wood River flows right through the middle of this 30-site campground (all first come, first serve). And that’s just the obvious draw. Hiking trails lead to remote lakes and the Hemingway-Boulder Wilderness. Ketchum is 10 miles away.
FPO
Oregon
Montana
the new spirit of fly fishing
To explore the full map and learn more visit
of fly fishing
Swipe to see more of the trout highway