Community Fishing
Sometimes you don’t have to travel very far to get good fishing! Here are some fun community fisheries that offer convenient escapes close to home.
This 3-acre pond is located just minutes from downtown Pocatello. Located within the 40-acre Edson Fichter Nature Area, this pond features several docks and a paved trail for access around the pond. Your dog is welcome to be your fishing buddy—on a leash while on the pond and on the trails. However, if they need to cool off or want to practice their retrieving skills, there is a “puppy pond” and an off-leash area built just for them on the same property.
Located within the Portneuf Wellness Complex Park near the county fairgrounds in Pocatello, this community park offers trout fishing with many recreational amenities nearby. The 6-acre fishery is surrounded by playgrounds, soccer fields, basketball courts, running and biking trails, and an amphitheater for community events. Several piers provide fishing around the reservoir.
Tucked away on the northern edge of Malad City, this 23-acre reservoir provides a great local fishing spot for the lone angler or the whole family. Rainbows abound in this fishery, but anglers have also caught bluegill and largemouth bass.
McTucker Pond
Located on land managed by the Bureau of Reclamation, this pond was once a series of eight smaller bodies of water but is now a connected body of water covering more than 8 hectares.
Anglers can reel in rainbow trout, bluegill, sunfish, largemouth bass, bullhead, and channel catfish. Although the site is dominated by willow and cottonwood trees, there are plenty of open spaces on the banks to plant a camp chair and cast a line. It’s a great fishery for kids, too!
There is a nearby camping area and vault bathrooms available. Visitors are treated to views of moose, deer, pheasants, beavers, and a variety of waterfowl.
Snake River below American Falls Dam
Whether you’re into bass, rainbows, cutties, or browns, this fishery has something for everyone. Who knows, you might even reel in some crappie or perch! Looking for a place to catch sturgeon? You can do the same along this river.
If the tide is high or you don’t have a boat, don’t worry—there are places to fish from the shore and from the docks. But, keep in mind that this section of the river has some special rules.
- From the lower part of the Gifford Springs boat fishing zone (western boundary) upstream to Eagle Rock, the bass limit is 2, any size.
- The trout limit is 6; only two can be cutthroat trout.
- From Eagle Rock upstream to American Falls Dam, the trout limit is 0 this year (catch-and release only).
- From the Saturday before Memorial Day, the trout limit is 2 to Oct. 15.
