Blackfoot Reservoir

[Fishbouy]

I don't see much ever posted on here about blackfoot but trust me it is producing some nice rainbows for the bankfisherman right now. Not lots of fish but what you do catch are in the 20inch + range, Worms, minnows.

went out and stripped some streamers,it was slow but did produce a 20 and 24. it's closer than Henrys!
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[curt69]

Thanks for the report .
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[Bmarsh]

There's a reason you don't see much......hidden gem. All I can say is if I got a choice between heading north out of Idaho Falls or southeast.....its a no brainer. Big Bows that fight hard, carp for bowfishing and none of the crowds.
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[curt69]

I think I will head up there Friday . Waiting for Henry's to freeze .
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[ironrod]

It was good too me today...throwing hardwaretoo![]
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[fairweatherman]

were do you go the north end or by the dam? I haven't had much luck
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[Bmarsh]

I'm guessing if they managed that res for a trophy lake ie drop the 6 fish limit we would see some hogs come out of it. Lots of feed for big fish with all the carp minnows. Best tasting rainbows in the south half of the state come out of that system.
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[lucabrasi]

Aww, gee now.
Quite often you get there and find it isn't fishable because of water levels, rattlesnakes, or moss from major algae blooms everywhere. I have even seen tracks from herds of Chupacabra there too. The best place to go is by the BLM campground for sure.
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[dtayboyz]

My family had a cabin by the dike for years and I agree with the best tasting fish in Idaho. The problem I always saw was the pelicans and low water years. Those dam birds would wait for the fish truck and then they'd eat so much they couldn't fly. The fish grow fast because of the insects. We always did the best with sucker meat between the dike and the river. Leave the arrowheads lay, they've closed access in the past because of people digging.
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[Phission]

Nice job Fishbouy! Over the last 15 years I have seen at most 2 other anglers at the spot on this reservoir I like to fish. The last 3 trips I shared the spot with 6, then 11 and last Monday 15 others. Why? Loose lips. Anglers with teenage girl blab tendencies. Hell, why not take out an ad in the outdoor section of the paper and hang some banners? Know how to keep an Idaho gem a gem? Try pushing some fishhooks through your lips and fingers...
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[Bmarsh]

[quote dtayboyz]My family had a cabin by the dike for years and I agree with the best tasting fish in Idaho. The problem I always saw was the pelicans and low water years. Those dam birds would wait for the fish truck and then they'd eat so much they couldn't fly. The fish grow fast because of the insects. We always did the best with sucker meat between the dike and the river. Leave the arrowheads lay, they've closed access in the past because of people digging.[/quote]

Not saying I condone the behavior but I have heard that those big birds make mighty fine .308 long range targets. Again not saying but just saying the bobbing action might be hard to time some days

And yes some of the bank spots get overkilled, there is the snakes, algae blooms, Sasquatch, and don't forget the tire popping rocks that cover the roads up there. Yup more I think about it better stick to the pavement and head to Palies.


A few things I would like to see in that whole area is get the water flowing back to how it was prior to diverting greys lake over to it. Then some effort put into improving the habitat above the res to get the cutties more spawning habitat. Cut the limit in half or do a slot limit. Open season put on the pelicans, more duck/goose boxes put in, and since I am already wishing for the whole nine yards, more camping options than pebble beach.

Not asking too much am I?

Almost forgot a decent ramp down by the dam for when water is low and poison creek is sketchy.
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[cpierce]

Well, at least you get some of your wish for improving the habitate upstream. Hopefully with time there will be more wishes fulfilled for all of us.


http://idahotrout.org/2013/05/16/blackfo...nitiative/

Blackfoot River Home Rivers Initiative Blackfoot River Project by Matt Woodard Blackfoot Home Rivers Initiative Project Manager
Two irrigation diversions were completely rebuilt to improve fish passage. One diversion on Diamond Creek, another on Lanes Creek now utilize instream rock weirs for elevating water to the correct level for irrigation while providing excellent fish passage. New diversions will now incorporate fish screens as part of each improvement. This work has opened up approximately 25-30 miles of new fish spawning and rearing habitat that was previously blocked!
The next fish habitat improvement is to rebuild 5-6 miles of Upper Lanes Creek. This aspect will completely fence off the stream project area, build new off-site water installations and incorporate rebuilding quality fish habitat that removes in-stream sediments and stabilizes the banks. These improvements will have big implications for downstream landowners.
Efforts continue in working with the Bear Lake Grazing Company to re-meander a section of Sheep Creek, a tributary to lower Lanes Creek. This project could be another big win for Yellowstone Cutthroat trout. Sheep Creek historically produce large numbers of native fish in the Upper Blackfoot. Sheep Creek was straighten out over time and subsequently lost its ability to dissipate energy. Rebuilding Sheep Creek is another big step in restoring Yellowstone Cutthroat trout populations within the Blackfoot watershed.
The Blackfoot HRI is working with IDFG on the Pelican issue. One goal is an attempt to restore some sort of balance to the pelican population on the Blackfoot Reservoir.
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[Bmarsh]

That's awesome to see. I've said it more than once but I would like to see more resources pulled from stocking and into re vitalizing spawning habitat. More bang for the buck long term .
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[curt69]

Kind of like giving a man a fish or teaching him how .
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[cpierce]

[quote Bmarsh]That's awesome to see. I've said it more than once but I would like to see more resources pulled from stocking and into re vitalizing spawning habitat. More bang for the buck long term .[/quote]

I totally agree with you, but it takes a lot of time and resources. The really BIG problem is that most of the resources that need "fixing" are on private lands, not public. So it takes a cooperative effort of a lot of people and money. The good thing is that it is a win situation for the farmers also.

There are hundreds of these types of fixes going on. For example, in the Gentile Valley area of the Bear River, Fish and Game with the help of Pacificorp have a stellar native Bonneville Cutthroat stocking and reintroduction program going on. The fish planted are no longer rainbows, but are the native fish that they are trying to get reproducing on their own

They have identified and collected the fish locally that they are trying to reestablish in the spawning streams. Blockages on many of the streams are being removed. One stream was narrowed, deepened, and habitat improved. One stream was taken out of a concrete channel through a corral and restored to it's stream bed. Two major springs and streams on the main river have been opened for fish passage and spawning. They were recently restocked with Bonnevilles. I know of at least 3 or 4 irrigation diversion fixes or screenings that are done or going on there. Conservation easements and fencing of the banks along with re-vegetating are an on going process. Hopefully with time the system and fish will be able to run on their own. That is everybody's goal.

These projects are going on all over the state. It takes time, cooperation, money, and volunteers!
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