Fishing in Boise: the river, the ponds, and beyond

Can you fish the Boise River in town?

Yes. The Boise River runs through the middle of Boise, and you can fish it from spots along the Greenbelt path. Idaho Fish and Game stocks rainbow trout in stretches of the river during the year. The river is busy with floaters in summer months, so early mornings and the off-season are quieter.

Are there steelhead in the Boise River?

Yes, for a few weeks each fall. Idaho Fish and Game traps hatchery steelhead at Hells Canyon Dam and releases them into the Boise River in late fall. In November 2025, about 200 steelhead were released at five spots, including Barber Park and below the Broadway Avenue Bridge behind Boise State.

To fish for them, you need a fishing license and a steelhead permit. The limits are 2 fish per day, 6 in possession, and 20 for the fall season. Hatchery steelhead are missing their adipose fin, the small fin behind the back fin.

Where can kids fish in Boise?

Idaho Fish and Game lists several easy-access Family Fishing Waters in and around Boise:

• Quinn's Pond, a 23.4-acre pond next to the Boise River with a dock
• Veterans Park Pond, off Veterans Memorial Parkway on the north side of the river
• Riverside Pond and Park Center Pond in Boise
• Settlers Park Pond and McDevitt Pond in Meridian
• Merrill Pond in Eagle

Kids 13 and under who live in Idaho don't need a license, and they get their own limit.

Where do people go fly fishing near Boise?

The South Fork of the Boise River below Anderson Ranch Dam is the big one. Idaho Fish and Game calls it a nationally known tailwater trout fishery, and it was the first river section in the region managed for trophy trout. It's known for large rainbow trout. Special rules apply, including no bait, one barbless hook, and catch-and-release for trout from December through March. It's a day trip from Boise.

Do you need a fishing license in Idaho?

Yes, if you're 14 or older. You can buy one online, by phone, at a Fish and Game office, or from license vendors around the valley.

If you're moving to Idaho from another state, you pay nonresident rates at first. Idaho counts you as a resident after you've lived here for six months with the intent to stay, and you'll need an Idaho driver's license or state ID to buy resident licenses from a vendor.

Where should anglers live in Boise?

If you want to fish before or after work, look at homes close to the river and the ponds:

• Near Barber Park and the Boise River in Southeast Boise
• Near Veterans Park Pond in Northwest Boise
• Near Settlers Park Pond in Meridian
• Near Merrill Pond in Eagle

Tell me where you like to fish, and I'll send you homes close to it.