The South Fork of the Boise River from Anderson Ranch Dam to Neal Bridge is southwest Idaho’s premier wild rainbow trout fishery. Located less than a 90-minute drive from downtown Boise, the South Fork has been a highly valued fishery for many anglers for 30 years since blue ribbon fishing rules were instituted. This river corridor is a designated state-protected river and qualifies as a candidate for Federal Wild & Scenic designation.   

Recent evidence suggests that this fishery may be in decline due to experiencing significant increases in recreational use. The Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission recently produced a video on the South Fork Boise River. The video urges responsible recreational behavior as the area continues to see increased use: 

We are excited to announce that, in 2023, TU and partners will begin a new program focused on the South Fork Boise River. With funding secured from the US Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program, TU will seek out and involve a diverse group of interests including the Shoshone-Bannock and Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, landowners, local and federal governments, water use interests, and recreation and conservation groups.   

We will establish a new watershed group to foster collaboration, trust, outreach, planning, and solutions in the South Fork Boise River Watershed. A long history of uses, including road building, recreation, and water management have resulted in riparian and aquatic habitat degradation among other issues. The watershed group will identify and prioritize major watershed concerns, including degraded water quality; aquatic, riparian, and wetland habitat degradation; loss of stream function; bank and channel instability; and impacts of climate change. 

For more information – contact us via our general distribution email at southforkboise@cableone.net or you may contact Anthony Prisciandaro (TU staff) at anthony.prisciandaro@tu.org about involvement in the collaborative or sponsorship opportunities.