The Blackfoot River and Reservoir
The Blackfoot River and Reservoir are located in a fairly isolated region of South Eastern Idaho about an hour and half drive from the Fly Shop here in Swan Valley. We obtained a permit to guide there in 1998 and have enjoyed very productive fishing since then. The Blackfoot River/Reservoir trip makes for a very enjoyable trip and offers our guests another option and change of scenery from the South Fork.
The Blackfoot Reservoir is a very fertile lake that has produced Cutthroats up to 15 pounds! The fishery collapsed in the 80's due to over harvest by fisherman and drought. The lake is definitely on the rebound. In 1990 the Fish & Game Dept. instituted trophy regulations on the lake to protect the wild cutthroat. The regulations state that all wild Cutthroat trout must be released, and the possession limit is three trout per person.
The Blackfoot Reservoir has several different areas of interest to the fly fisherman. It has a very good population of rainbow and cutthroat trout up to about five pounds. The most effective method for catching trout is stripping leeches, woolly buggers, and damsel fly patterns with a sinking line. During July there is also some very good dry fly fishing as well with callabaetis, trico, and damsel fly patterns. The fish work the surface when the lake is smooth, usually early in the morning and late evening, when the wind is calm. We have also discovered an excellent population of Giant Carp! That’s right carp. If you have not tried carp on a fly you should; it can produce some very exciting action. The carp move into the shallow bays and mud flats to feed and can often be seen tailing. Sight fishing for carp is just like fishing for bonefish!
The section of the Blackfoot river that we float is from Blackfoot Dam to Coral Creek, a distance of 14 miles. The river is floatable all the way down to Morgan Bridge, 17 miles below Coral Creek. Floating is not recommended below coral creek. The river flows through a beautiful basalt canyon, and the scenery is breathtaking. The Blackfoot River is quite a bit smaller than the South Fork. Summer flows range from 200 to 400 c.f.s. The river is full of rock gardens and giant boulders and cannot be floated if flows drop below 100 c.f.s. If you are not an expert oarsman floating is not recommend. There are several class III rapids that require considerable skill in order to negotiate with a drift boat.
The most effective flies seem to be streamers and wet flies. The best patterns are the Super X, Girdle Bugs, Marabou Streamers and Crayfish patterns. Early in June there is a good stonefly hatch of both Goldens and Salmonflies that can produce some dry fly action. Most of the fish are Yellowstone Cutthroats, although there are Rainbows and a few Brookies as well. The fish average about 12-14", though a 20" fish is not uncommon.
The quality of the fishing from year to year is dependent on the amount of precipitation and the snowpack level. During years when water is scarce and the Blackfoot Reservoir is drawn down for irrigation purposes, the river below the dam is shut down to almost no flow during the winter months in order to fill the lake. We expect the fishing to decline a little bit when this situation occurs.
The best opportunity for wade fishing on the Blackfoot is on the river above the lake. In the 80's the upper river suffered due to the decline of the lake, drought, and overgrazing. In 1995 the Idaho Fish & Game Dept. helped negotiate the purchase of the 1,720 acre Stocking Ranch located on the Blackfoot River downstream from the confluence of the tributaries of Lanes and Diamond Creeks. The banks were fenced to protect against cattle, and the fishing was closed during 1995 to help the river recover. In 1996 the regulations were changed to no bait fishing and catch & release. Since these changes were made the fishery has really come back. If you are in the area and have exploring on your mind, a trip to the Blackfoot is a must!
For more guide trip information please read through our Guided Services pages, refer to the various stretches of water that we provide day and 1/2 day trips, or call us at:
1 800.788.4479.
