BOISE, Idaho — This is one of my favorite fishing months of the year! September brings a wealth of angling opportunities across our region, and while it’s still hot out, the days are getting shorter and the morning and evening hours are perfect fishing weather. As you plan your trips, here are some ideas to get you started:
Eastern Idaho (Trout)
September is a great month to fish the blue-ribbon trout streams of eastern Idaho. I recently visited some old stomping grounds along the Henrys Fork of the Snake River, where my buddy Caleb and I caught lots of rainbows and browns on crankbait and jerk bait patterns. The Rapala Shad Rap, Countdown and floating models are all good bets, as is the Berkley Flicker Shad. Baby trout patterns are a great place to start, but experimenting with other colors can pay off, too. Fly-fishing is also a popular option, and don’t overlook streamers—the fly equivalent of a minnow presentation! In addition to the Henrys Fork, the South Fork of the Snake offers outstanding fall fishing for browns and cutthroats, and September is also a productive month to fish legendary Henrys Lake for trophy class cutthroat and brook trout. Flies, Rapalas, spinners, jigs and bait will catch fish on the South Fork and at Henrys Lake.
Owyhee Reservoir & River (Mixed Bag)
Bass fishing is picking up at Owyhee Reservoir, and the fall bite should provide some of the best action of the season. On a recent trip, I caught a nice mixed bag of largemouth and smallmouth, mostly throwing crankbaits along rocky shorelines. Bottom-bouncing deeper water with Ned rigs, Carolina rigs and other soft plastics is a good strategy at Owyhee, and while my group caught a few fish that way, the bass were in a chasing mood during our morning session. Crappie action is good, too. We found some massive schools of fish, but many of them were very small. If you catch a couple dinks, keep moving until you find the keeper-sized fish. Baits aren’t complicated—tie on your favorite panfish jigs, and you should be good to go. I’m also seeing good reports from the Owyhee River, where anglers are catching brown trout and occasional rainbows on flies, crankbaits and micro plastics. Remember: browns are catch-and-release only, and an Oregon license is required to fish both the Owyhee River and the reservoir.
Boise River (Trout)
Fishing has been good on the Boise River, and with float season winding down and the weather (finally) cooling, it should only get better moving forward. Flows are higher than usual for this time of year, the result of work going on at Lucky Peak Dam. But the water is clear and very fishable. Rapalas, spinners, jigs and bait rigs will get bites on spinning gear. If you’re fly-fishing, bring an assortment of tricos, PMDs, hare’s ear, pheasant tails, frenchies and a few streamer patterns. Don’t overlook crayfish imitating lures—big trout absolutely love to eat them!
Lake Cascade (Perch)
Early fall is a great time to fish Lake Cascade, especially casting for jumbo perch. Look for schools near the bottom in 15 to 25 feet of water, and target them with panfish jigs, Ned rigs, blade baits or live nightcrawlers. Bonus smallmouth bass and rainbow trout are a strong possibility this time of year, too. Keep an eye on fire conditions and any related road closures, but the fishing should be good for a while, especially as temperatures cool off. Tight lines!
Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters for 25 years. Share your fish stories, adventures and questions with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com, or visit www.tightlines208.com for the latest local fishing reports and upcoming class offerings.