Salvage fishing during summer is an unfortunate reality in Idaho. Somewhere in the state, a fishing water becomes too low to support fish, too warm, or both, which leads to salvage fishing. 

This is when Idaho Fish and Game temporarily suspends all bag limits and size limits in that body of water. Anglers can also take the fish by any method other than firearms, explosives, chemicals, electric current, or prohibited baits.

Not an easy decision, but the right one

The decision to allow fish salvage is not taken lightly, and it can be controversial, but biologists have a long history of experience to guide them. 

If there is a reservoir, lake or pond that’s destined to be drained by the end of summer, or otherwise become uninhabitable to fish, fish managers have limited options: trap and relocate the remaining fish, offer salvage fishing, or make no changes to the regulations. Sometimes, it’s a combination of those. Each has its pros and cons. 

Whether to salvage or "save"

The decision to trap and relocate fish is based on two questions:

First, can the fish be captured and transported effectively and efficiently? A variety of factors are considered, such as how accessible the fish are for capture, whether fish are too stressed to safely capture and transport, and whether there are personnel and equipment available to do it. 

Second, will relocation significantly improve fishing where the fish are moved? There’s often pressure from anglers to “save” all the fish, even though those fish may offer little, if any, benefit to anglers if moved to another location. 

“Anglers sometimes say we’re reluctant to trap and relocate fish, but under the correct circumstances, it can be a viable option,” Fish and Game’s State Fisheries Manager Joe Kozfkay said. “If it’s feasible and provides benefit to anglers, relocating stranded fish is a good use of our resources.”

Getting fish out of the water can be challenging because boat ramps are often out of the water, and there’s often a ring of soft mud surrounding the remaining water, which makes it challenging getting equipment in and the fish out.

“We face a cost/benefit decision,” Kozfkay said. “But we also realize it can be difficult for anglers to understand, and they may perceive those fish as ‘going to waste,’ even if relocation would be costly and unlikely to improve fishing elsewhere.”

Allowing salvage fishing allows most, or at least some, of the fish to be harvested knowing the rest will likely die due to poor water conditions. 

Not salvaging may mean a few fish survive, and when conditions improve, the reservoir (or pond) refills, and the remaining fish restart the population, often with help from Fish and Game restocking it. 

We provide the fish, but don’t own the water

It’s common for anglers to be frustrated when they see one of their favorite fisheries withering away during summer, but most Idaho reservoirs were built to store and deliver irrigation water. 

No one wants to see fish die offs due to low water and warm temperatures, but Fish and Game provides those fishing opportunities knowing future conditions are uncertain, and they may periodically lose fish populations and have to restart them.

The reason fishing exists at all in many reservoirs is because water owners and managers have cooperated with Fish and Game to provide fishing opportunities and access. But a water manager’s obligation is to deliver irrigation water, not provide fishing and protect fish populations. 

After salvage fishing is allowed, it’s typically a fairly short-term setback that requires the reservoir to refill, and be restocked with catchable trout or fingerlings. Warmwater fish may also be transplanted, such as bass and panfish, which will often restart a self-sustaining population within a few years if conditions allow.