Blackfoot River

Type
Freestone river, Idaho (West)
Designation
Featured sport-fishing water · Special-regulation trout water
USGS gauges
4 live
Guides
None listed
Shops
3 nearby

Today on the Blackfoot River

Reading the gauge…

Regulations & access Guides & shops

The Blackfoot River is a freestone river in Idaho, listed as Featured sport-fishing water by Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

More about the Blackfoot River

4 USGS gauges on the water report flow; Idaho Department of Fish and Game lists 3 species, including cutthroat trout, mountain whitefish and rainbow trout. 3 shops nearby are listed here.

Updated · Sources: IDFG Recommended Fishing Waters (Idaho Fishing Planner), IDFG Recommended Fishing Waters (Idaho Fishing Planner), USGS Water Data

Representative photograph of similar water; not a photograph of this place.
Representative photograph, not this water.
Where it is

Blackfoot River is a freestone river in Idaho.

Flow now at 4 gauges
Reading the gauges…

Follow Blackfoot River for flow alerts

Pick one of its USGS gauges and hear from us when the flow moves into or out of its usual range for the date, or crosses a flow you set. We check the public USGS reading every 2 hours and email only when it crosses, at most once every 6 hours. Flow alone is not a fishing forecast or a safety call.

Follow this water

Signed in: one step. Otherwise we email a confirmation link first. Every alert has one-click links to stop it.

Where to fish

About this

Start from the agency's public access map. Nothing on this page grants or implies access: check the agency map, posted signs and landowner permission before you fish.

Nothing on this page grants or implies access.

Blackfoot River on the map

About this

Gauges, shops and guides within 40 miles

Map of Blackfoot River: gauges, shops and guides

RestroomsAccess map

Map of Blackfoot River with 4 USGS gauges, and shops and guides with an exact address within 40 miles.

Restrooms near Blackfoot River

Restrooms near Blackfoot River

Restrooms within 2 miles of Blackfoot River in a straight line, nearest first, with what anglers found when they went. The map says a restroom is there, not whether it is clean or open today.

Map of 3 restrooms near Blackfoot River

Skip the map; every place is in the list below

Map of 3 restrooms near Blackfoot River, numbered as in the list, with the water’s point marked.

  1. Restroom

    1.9 mi away in a straight line
    • Wheelchair accessible (mapped)

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Flush or vault?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  2. Restroom

    1.9 mi away in a straight line
    • Wheelchair accessible (mapped)

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Flush or vault?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  3. Restroom

    2.0 mi away in a straight line

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Flush or vault?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?
    • Step-free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

Restroom locations and map details: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License, read Oct 24, 2026. Ratings, answers and photos are members' own; who shared them is never shown, and every photo is reviewed before it appears. Visits older than 18 months no longer count. Distances are straight-line miles, not driving. Nothing here grants access to private land. Community guidelines.

More water near Blackfoot River

  • The South Fork of the Snake River braiding around green islands, seen from a lava rim at sunsetSpecial-regulation trout waterRepresentative photo · not Willow Creek
    Photo credit

    The South Fork of the Snake River, Idaho (BLM). Photo: Bob Wick / Bureau of Land Management, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Not Willow Creek.

    Willow Creek

    Idaho · about 20 mi

  • Marshy shallows at the edge of Henrys Lake, with the Henrys Lake Mountains behindFeatured sport-fishing waterRepresentative photo · not Ririe Reservoir
    Photo credit

    Henrys Lake from Henrys Lake State Park, Idaho. Photo: James Postema, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Ririe Reservoir.

    Ririe Reservoir

    Idaho · about 24 mi

    Rainbow trout, smallmouth bass & panfish

  • Ennis Lake partly iced over in early spring, with the snow-covered Madison Range across the waterFeatured sport-fishing waterRepresentative photo · not Chesterfield Reservoir
    Photo credit

    Ennis Lake, Montana, in March, with the Madison Range beyond. Photo: Gloria Cabada-Leman, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr Not Chesterfield Reservoir.

    Chesterfield Reservoir

    Idaho · about 26 mi

    Rainbow, brown & cutthroat trout

  • The Teton River flowing calm past pasture with grazing cattle, with hills behindFeatured sport-fishing waterRepresentative photo · not Toponce Creek
    Photo credit

    The Teton River near Driggs, Idaho. Photo: Waldemarpaetz, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Toponce Creek.

    Toponce Creek

    Idaho · about 29 mi

    Rainbow, brown & cutthroat trout

  • Navajo Lake's blue water and mesa shoreline seen through juniper from Navajo Lake State ParkFeatured sport-fishing waterRepresentative photo · not Blackfoot Reservoir
    Photo credit

    Navajo Lake from Navajo Lake State Park, New Mexico. Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Blackfoot Reservoir.

    Blackfoot Reservoir

    Idaho · about 33 mi

    Rainbow trout, cutthroat trout & smallmouth bass

  • Silver Creek winding in slow, mirror-like bends through willows and meadow, with sagebrush hills and mountains beyondFeatured sport-fishing waterRepresentative photo · not Portneuf River
    Photo credit

    Silver Creek near Picabo, Idaho. Photo: Sam Beebe, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Portneuf River.

    Portneuf River

    Idaho · about 33 mi

    Rainbow, brown & cutthroat trout

Regulations

About this

Seasons, limits, special regulations and closures for each reach are on the agency pages below. Read them before you go.

2 official designations

Each comes from the agency's own published list; where the list names a reach it is quoted. A designation applies to the listed reach, not necessarily the whole water. Listed in the finder under trout.

The water on the map

About this

Measured from the NHDPlus High Resolution (flowlines and waterbodies) (U.S. Geological Survey, read 2026-11-04) for this water’s own mapped feature. Rounded figures; they describe the channel, not today’s conditions.

Length
136.7 mi (128.3 in ID)
Drains
10,140 sq mi
Drop
2,024 ft · 14.8 ft/mi
Flows into
Snake River
Watershed
Blackfoot

Public land along it

About this

Areas the Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), public access (U.S. Geological Survey, Gap Analysis Project, read 2026-11-05) lists as owned or held in easement and open to the public, crossed by the mapped channel. Boundaries are mapped, not surveyed. Nothing on this page grants or implies access: check the agency map, posted signs and landowner permission before you fish.

47.2 of 128.3 mi on public land

  • Pocatello Field OfficeBureau of Land Management · 21.4 mi
  • Blackfoot ReservoirBureau of Reclamation · 16 mi
  • Blackfoot River Wildlife Management AreaState Fish and Wildlife · 5.6 mi
  • Caribou National ForestForest Service · 2.8 mi
  • Idaho Department of LandsState Department of Land · 1.4 mi

Nothing on this page grants or implies access.

Guides and shops near Blackfoot River

About this

Listings marked Unclaimed are built from open map records and the business's own website: confirm licensing, rates, dates and hours directly.

Guides

No guide within 40 miles yet.

3 shops nearby

How these are chosen

Guides whose own website names this water come first, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Shops: fly shops first. A distance is shown when the shop’s website gives its location (within 60 miles); otherwise the shop is in one of the towns within 25 miles of the water.

Guide and shop listings come from the Legendary directories.

Species and hatches

About this

The species the agency lists here; presence varies by reach and season.

Listed by the state agency

  • Mountain Whitefish

When the bugs come off

Regional hatch months: Northern Rockies
About this chart

5 hatches charted for the region, not measured on this water. From Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

  1. January: no charted hatch
  2. February: no charted hatch
  3. March: no charted hatch
  4. April: no charted hatch
  5. May: 3 charted hatches
  6. June: 2 charted hatches
  7. July: 2 charted hatches
  8. August: 1 charted hatch
  9. September: 1 charted hatch
  10. October: no charted hatch
  11. November: no charted hatch
  12. December: no charted hatch

Mother's Day caddis (Grannom) (May) · Salmonfly (May to June) · Salmonfly (May to July) · Salmonfly (July) · Trico (August to September)

Plan a trip here

About this

None of our destination hubs is within 40 miles in a straight line. The trip planner builds a trip around the water itself: the guides and shops listed within 40 miles of it, its gauges and its nearest towns and airports.

No hub within 40 miles

Fish these abroad

About this

Matched on the fish the agencies list for both waters first, then the same water type, an official designation or flagship listing on both, and a similar mapped size where USGS hydrography covers both.

At most two waters per country. A shared fish is a listing, not a promise: presence varies by reach and season.

Like the Blackfoot River? Same fish, overseas.

  • The Tongariro River running clear over boulders between steep native bushFlagship water
    Photo credit

    The Tongariro River from the Tree Trunk Gorge track. Photo: Pseudopanax at English Wikipedia, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Tongariro River

    Waikato, New Zealand

    Same fish: rainbow trout · also a freestone river

  • The clear blue-green upper Clutha running past golden autumn poplars at Albert TownFlagship water
    Photo credit

    The Clutha River / Mata-Au at Albert Town, near the Hāwea confluence. Photo: Photo by Lewis: Verduyn-Cassels, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Upper Clutha River / Mata-Au

    Otago, New Zealand

    Same fish: rainbow trout · also a freestone river

  • The clear Radovna pooling below a spruce on a small island, beech forest aroundFreestone river
    Photo credit

    The Radovna. Photo: Mihael Simonič, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Radovna

    Gorenjska, Slovenia

    Same fish: rainbow trout · also a freestone river

  • The Derwent winding through its valley past farmland, hills behindFreestone river
    Photo credit

    The Derwent River from the Pulpit Rock lookout, Tasmania. Photo: Bill, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    River Derwent

    Tasmania, Australia

    Same fish: rainbow trout · also a freestone river

  • The Credit River running over a shallow bed under a leaning tree at StreetsvilleFreestone river
    Photo credit

    The Credit River at Streetsville. Photo: Mustang Joe, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Credit River

    Ontario, Canada

    Same fish: rainbow trout · also a freestone river

  • The Sava Bohinjka flowing clear and shallow between gravel banks and trees at BodeščeFreestone river
    Photo credit

    The Sava Bohinjka at Bodešče, below Bled, Slovenia (the reach of the ARSO gauge). Photo: Doremo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Sava Bohinjka

    Gorenjska, Slovenia

    Same fish: rainbow trout · also a freestone river

Fish it when it's winter here

Southern seasons open while ours close.

  • Lake Taupō's blue water framed by yellow kōwhai and bush, hills across the lakeFlagship water
    Photo credit

    Lake Taupō. Photo: Ériugena, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Lake Taupō

    Waikato, New Zealand

    Season open all year · DOC

  • Penstock Lagoon's open water below a shoreline of tall eucalyptsFlagship water
    Photo credit

    Penstock Lagoon, Central Highlands, Tasmania. Photo: Mike Cline, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Penstock Lagoon

    Tasmania, Australia

    Season open Aug–May · Inland Fisheries Service

  • The clear turquoise Río Limay flowing past green willows and rock outcropsTailwater
    Photo credit

    The Río Limay, Argentina. Photo: P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Río Limay

    Río Negro, Argentina

    Season open Nov–May · Patagonian fishing regulation

  • The broad blue-green Río Puelo between forested banks, mountains beyondFreestone riverRepresentative photo · not Río Petrohué
    Photo credit

    The Río Puelo at Las Gualas, Cochamó. Photo: Nicolás from seno de reloncaví, Chile, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Río Petrohué.

    Río Petrohué

    Los Lagos, Chile

    Season open Nov–May · SERNAPESCA

  • The Río Simpson running past the edge of Coyhaique under cliffs and hills in AysénLake or reservoirRepresentative photo · not Lago Llanquihue
    Photo credit

    The Río Simpson passing Coyhaique, Aysén. Photo: Manxuc, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Lago Llanquihue.

    Lago Llanquihue

    Los Lagos, Chile

    Season open Nov–May · SERNAPESCA

  • Lago Nahuel Huapi's blue water and wooded islands below snow-capped Andes, framed by conifersLake or reservoir
    Photo credit

    Lago Nahuel Huapi from Llao Llao. Photo: David, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Lago Nahuel Huapi

    Río Negro, Argentina

    Season open Oct–May · Patagonian fishing regulation

  • The braided Oreti River across green farmland, mountains on the horizonFlagship waterRepresentative photo · not Mataura River
    Photo credit

    The Oreti River near Lumsden, Southland. Photo: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped, via Wikimedia Commons Not Mataura River.

    Mataura River

    Southland, New Zealand

    Season open Oct–Apr · Fish & Game NZ

  • Old timber pilings reflected in the still water of Great Lake, a low wooded shore beyondFlagship water
    Photo credit

    Great Lake, Tasmania. Photo: Peripitus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Yingina / Great Lake

    Tasmania, Australia

    Season open all year · Inland Fisheries Service

Gear checklist

About this

A wade-fishing checklist for big western trout rivers: a 9 ft 5–6 weight outfit, nymph, dry and streamer setups, waders, boots and a wading staff, with estimated prices by tier and where to buy.

A woman in waders and a sun hat wades a broad river and casts, bluffs on the far bank

Big western rivers (wade fishing)

9′ rod, 5–6 weight, floating line · Rainbow and brown trout, whitefish

Open the checklist
Videos for this water (5)

Watch: reading a trout stream

About this

Seams, shelves and soft water, shown on real rivers.

Public YouTube videos from established channels, chosen by us to support this page. Not sponsored; the creators are not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear.

  • How I Learned to Read Water (Fly Fishing)Embedded from YouTube · Mad River Outfitters · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube
  • How To Read The Water with Tom RosenbauerEmbedded from YouTube · The New Fly Fisher · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube
  • Reading the Water to Successfully Locate TroutEmbedded from YouTube · Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube

Not sponsored All videos on reading water

Watch: nymphing basics

About this

Indicator rigs, depth and detecting the take.

Public YouTube videos from established channels, chosen by us to support this page. Not sponsored; the creators are not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear.

  • 90° Nymph RigEmbedded from YouTube · Huge Fly Fisherman · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube
  • Casting with an Indicator & Better Nymphing TechniquesEmbedded from YouTube · The New Fly Fisher · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube

Not sponsored All videos on nymphing

Fish Tales

About this

Trip stories anglers chose to share publicly and tagged with Blackfoot River.

No stories from here yet.

Sources for this page

Not a statement of access, fish presence or conditions.

Something wrong?

All 18 sources and dates

A water page organises discovery. It does not assert public access, legal access, current fish presence, guide availability or fishing conditions.

Flows, gauge statistics and flood stages come from USGS and the National Weather Service when the page is shown. Regulations, stocking, species and season statements link to the agency that publishes them; this page copies only the species names and the quoted sentences. Guide and shop listings come from the Legendary directories. Position: the USGS gauge BLACKFOOT RIVER NR SHELLEY ID. Water type is our own classification.