Fishing and Hunting
Few places in the continental U.S. offer the fishing and hunting opportunities that are so abundantly available to visitors in northern Idaho. The region falls within the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, and along with other state and federal public lands provides many diverse challenges for fishermen and hunters.
Fishing: In a region blessed with scores of lakes large and small, several major rivers and uncountable small streams you can imagine the fishing is outstanding. The large lakes all have large trout salmonid fisheries; in Lake Pend Oreille, gerrard-strain rainbow over 20 pounds are not uncommon. Priest Lake has similarly large mackinaw trout and Coeur d'Alene Lake has an impressive chinook salmon fishery. But that barely describes the fishing opportunities; around the region's lakes and streams there are prolific fisheries of rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, pike and walleye.
Hunting: For hunters, northern Idaho's vast forests and remote wild lands provide excellent hunting for most of the continent's major big game species, including white-tailed and mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, moose, mountain goat, black bear, mountain lion and gray wolf. Waterfowl and upland bird hunting is also very popular; major species include quail, grouse, pheasant, goose, duck, coot and snipe. There is small game hunting for rabbit and hare as well.