Hook Points
Posts
Hook Points

Hook Points

Idaho's Fishing Newsletter

Ryan Chris
July 07, 2026

In partnership with

Two Minutes a Day. Visible Results.

Your skin keeps score. Every year of skipped SPF, bad sleep, and stress shows up at once — wrinkles, eye bags, dark spots, loss of firmness. Most men think that's just aging. It isn't. It's fixable. Particle Face Cream is a 6-in-1 formula engineered for men's skin. Reduces eye bags, dark spots, and wrinkles. Restores firmness, hydrates deeply, revives dull tone. Two minutes a day. No complicated routine. Over 1,000,000 men already use it. Try it risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee. 20% off with code BH20.

Get 20% Off Today

A NOTE FROM RYAN!

From time to time, you will notice ads in the newsletter. As the subscribership to Hook Points has grown considerably, the costs to produce it and host it have now become significant. We have no plans to stop producing the letter as so many of you have told us that you find it useful! I’m happy about that!! In order to help offset the costs, we are working with a company that will help us find advertisers that pay well for ad placement. We get paid per click! You do not need to sign up for anything! Please help us offset the costs of Hook Points by clicking on the links. Please do not feel obligated to do so but the help would be welcomed!!

Fishing Reports

CJ Strike: Couple reports from some of our reliable crappie guys that saw a bit of a slow down. I feel like the hot weather and sunshine pushes these fish down just a little bit or some shallower ones up against bushes and shaded banks. If you’re trolling, a 1 or 2oz snap weight might be the difference maker. While the Flicker Shads and Shad Raps are still doing their thing, adding a Kokabow Dodger and Bug or Spinner can increase the number of bites and contribute to a fun mixed bag. On the deeper schools, vertical fishing soft plastics are a great idea. I prefer slightly heavier jig heads than most and often throw an 1/8oz while others are throwing 1/16 or 3/32. I do it for a couple of reasons…1 - deep fish aren’t usually spooky and so I don’t see the point in waiting for the bait to fall slowly (especially if they’re eating aggressively) and 2 - not uncommon for the ol’ afternoon wind to pick up at CJ and the heavier head helps me stay in contact with the bait. Bass fishing has been really good for smaller fish and decent for some 2-3 pound smallies if you know where to look. We have a mix of shallow and deep fish and quite a few different baits working. Try a popper or walking bait for topwater applications, a 3.3 Keitech on a Cipher 3/16oz Ball Head and a Daingerous 5” Loaded Swimbait for shallow to mid depth coverage and have an IRR Tungsten Finesse Jig, Orange Crusher Roboworm on a drops shot, Yamamoto Hula Grub on a football head, a Fattyz TRD on a Ned head and a Crush City Cleanup Craw on a C-rig!

Boise River: Lots of good bites on the Boise. Shrimp under a float or tumbled on a simple split shot rig are a couple of great options. In the deeper pools, small crankbaits and Rapala Countdown Minnows are awesome! If you are fishing some of the forks north of Boise, small spinners and spoons are smart choices.

Brownlee: Still full. WATCH OUT FOR DEBRIS! Reports of big logs in the water and in the wrong sunlight, almost impossible to see. Good fishing continues for small to medium sized bass and crappies. For the crappie, trolling is working but targeting the schools using your electronics and soft plastics on underspins are the way to go. Look for the schools around steeper bluff walls and near the 10-20’ mark on long main lake points. Similar to the CJ Strike report, bass are shallow all the way out to 40’. These Brownlee bass right now are crayfish eaters! The IRR jig is absolutely on fire right now! If you aren’t throwing that, try a Crush City Cleanup Craw, Ned rig in a brown, green pumpkin, orange crayfish-y kind of color and a Oxblood Roboworm. Don’t forget about a topwater! Take a popper and a walking bait with ya. Catfishing has been incredible! Fish around the bridge pilings at Steck Park and lots of catfish being caught around Farewell Bend. Around Woodhead, you can catch them all day long on small pieces of cut bait and nightcrawlers.

Snake River: Like last week - careful with the water levels! Fishing is good though - topwater and IRR jigs and ned rigs are about all you need!!

Wilson Springs: No report.

Lake Lowell: Fishing reports indicate an early bite and then a bit of a struggle until afternoon temps start to drop. I’d have a frog or a Buzzbait ready to throw in the morning as well as a spinnerbait. Later in the day with the sun up, start flipping! I’d have a Reaction Innovations Kinky Beaver, Crush City Bronco Bug or Cleanup Craw ready to roll. I’d keep that frog and spinnerbait working as I moved around as well! Especially on the edges of thicker grass clumps.

Cascade Reservoir: VERY mixed reports for both perch and bass!! For the perch, get on the troll and keep an eye on your electronics. The schools of big ones are smaller and not necessarily just deep. The best bait I keep hearing about is the 3” Keitech Easy Shiner either on a small jig head or on a drop shot. Don’t be surprised if you find some big perch spitting up crayfish…they love ‘em. For the bass, there is still a topwater bite for both smallies and largemouth. Try a walking bait or popper for the smallies and a frog for the green bass. As the day moves on, senkos around docks proved effective for one angler looking for largemouth. Drop shots, IRR Finesse Jigs and a Fluke on a Carolina rig are all good options for smallmouth.

Horsethief Reservoir: Couple decent reports this week. Lots of fish caught on the bottom using powerbait. Bite was really good early and late but really tough in the middle of the day!

Owyhee Reservoir: Good reports for some really nice largemouth - though it sounds like they aren’t catching quite as many. Topwater bite can be excellent and I’d have two rods rigged up and ready for it - buzzbait and a walking bait. For subsurface work, I’d be looking in everything from the bank out to 25’ with Shakey Heads, Ned rigs, IRR Finesse Jigs, a drop shot and a Neko rig!

Owyhee River: No Report.

Lucky Peak Reservoir: Some quality kokes were caught last week. Sounds like it was a really good morning bite. Take a couple 2-3oz snap weights with you if you aren’t using a downrigger and spend some time out in 20-30’. Couple reports of fish down in 50’ - but 20-30’ seemed to be the most common. In regard to cut quality, most reports are that it’s 50/50.

Arrowrock Reservoir: Tough to find the kokes!! One customer found em though…only a few - but in 50 feet. Great TROUT fishery right now and if you just want to have some fun reeling in a bunch of trout - this is the place!

Anderson Ranch Reservoir: Still the kokanee hot spot! Fish are in 20-30’ and not hard to catch. If you aren’t getting bit, make sure you have corn and make sure you aren’t under them.

Payette Lake: No report this week.

SALMON AND STEELHEAD BY CODY ARD!:

I’ve got no current report from the Upper Salmon near Stanley, the official report will come out tomorrow.

As far as the Southfork goes, another very slow strange weekend of salmon fishing. For the 3rd week in a row, SF has been experiencing very low catch rates despite what Pit tag data says and the fact that there are almost 500 fish that have made it to the trap/weir. Sounds to me like most fish are running at night and not getting the chance to be caught.

The quota is 537 Adults and as of July 5th only 244 Adults and 53 Jacks have been Harvested. Biggest fish has been 38 inches long.

My guess is, it'll stay open another weekend. Watch the IDFG website on Tuesday for the official report.

Local Ponds: If you are struggling to catch a pond bass right now, fish early, fish late and/or throw your baits in the nastiest crap you can!!

15% Off Sunline FC SNIPER FLUOROCARBON Spools and Boxes. While supplies last!!
Spinnerbait/Hoodie winner to be drawn on Tuesday Morning!!
Come try a Tight Lines 208 Class!
Looking to up your panfish game this year? Come check out Panfish School with instructor Jordan Rodriguez, happening July 15. This class will help you catch more crappie, perch, and bluegill (and some other fun surprises), with tons of insider tips, tackle giveaways, and more! And Jordan is offering a special for all Hook Points readers and Idaho Rod & Reel customers: Buy one, get one free admission! Simply register using this link and bring a plus-one for free! Click Here!
Can’t stand still for too long…sometimes you gotta shake things up! Can’t wait for you to see what we have planned over the next few months!
Buy a reel from Idaho Rod and Reel and it will now come with a Neoprene cover for it! Free of charge!!
Shop is STOCKED! Some very cool products and brands arriving almost daily!
^{Is there something you’d like to see in the shop? Email me at [email protected]…one random suggestion just might end up winning you a prize.}

Worth Watching

I should stop watching these…but I can’t 🤣

Technically Speaking...

Drop Shot is for EVERYONE!

Local and National Fishing News…and other “Stuff”

Catch and Keep…

Fish salvage order issued for the Big Wood River below Magic Dam and the Richfield Canal Diversion

Effective July 5 and continuing until October 1, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission ordered that bag and possession limits be removed on portions of the Big Wood River below the dam, from a point beginning at the railroad trestle, approximately 1.25 miles downstream of the dam, extending to the State Highway 75 Bridge. The order also includes the Richfield Canal from the upstream point of diversion from the Big Wood River to its confluence with the Little Wood River near Richfield, Idaho.

Idaho Department of Fish & Game

Summer Chinook Info

Upper Salmon River Chinook update - 7/1/2026

Idaho Department of Fish & Game

Steelhead/Salmon UPDATE!

Chinook fishing in the Little Salmon River is closed

Idaho Fish and Game closed sport fishery for Chinook salmon in the Little Salmon River on June 8 after harvest objectives were met. As of June 8, the Lochsa River is the only remaining Chinook fishery open.

Idaho Department of Fish & Game