Idaho Fish and Game Issues Emergency Wildlife Warning—What Hunters and Hikers Must Know Now

Boise, Idaho—Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) is launching a busy summer schedule packed with new opportunities for anglers and hunters while sounding the alarm about dry, hot conditions that could curb some outings. IDFG crews will stock more than 91,000 catchable-size rainbow trout across the Southwest Region this month, with popular stops at Lucky Peak, Payette River, Lake Lowell and family-friendly ponds from Weiser to Mountain Home. Biologists say early-morning or late-evening trips will give anglers the best shot as water temperatures climb. Saturday, June 13 is Free Fishing Day statewide, allowing residents and non-residents to wet a line without purchasing a license. Conservation officers and volunteer instructors will host loaner-gear stations and short clinics at parks, reservoirs and community ponds to help first-timers get started. Hunters have key deadlines on the horizon: • June 1–5 – second Super Hunt application window for elk, deer, pronghorn and moose once-in-a-lifetime tags. • June 5 – final day to apply for fall black bear, fall turkey and swan controlled hunts. Winners will be posted online by mid-June, giving successful applicants time to scout before seasons open. To plan the rest of the year, sportsmen can now download the 2026 Big Game Seasons and Rules booklet, which bundles updated tag quotas, weapon restrictions and chronic wasting disease protocols into one digital guide. At the same time, fisheries managers warn that a lingering drought and forecast triple-digit heat could trigger emergency closures or creel-limit reductions if stream flows drop and dissolved-oxygen levels fall. Anglers are urged to check the IDFG website and regional social-media channels before traveling, especially to low-elevation lakes and rivers. Looking further ahead, IDFG is drafting a new 2026–2030 Strategic Plan and is asking hunters, anglers and wildlife-watchers to weigh in on habitat priorities, license structures and enforcement goals through an online survey and a series of town-hall meetings scheduled for late July. Quick tips to stay legal and safe this summer • Carry a copy of your fishing or hunting license unless enjoying Free Fishing Day. • Barbless hooks are required on many salmon and steelhead waters—read the specific water-body rules. • Pack out all trash and discarded fishing line; monofilament recycling tubes are installed at most major boat ramps. • Keep coolers stocked with ice to preserve your catch and reduce waste during hot afternoons. • Report poaching or suspicious activity to the Citizens Against Poaching hotline (1-800-632-5999); rewards are available. With trout trucks rolling, big-game drawings imminent and a free pass to introduce friends and family to fishing, June offers Idaho’s outdoors community plenty to celebrate—so long as everyone keeps an eye on the thermometer and the latest IDFG updates.