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Blackfoot Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Idaho's carp-and-cutthroat paradox: a high-desert reservoir of trophy Bear Lake cutts, bowfishing armadas and pelican politics.

3/5

Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Water temp

~54 F est.

Air / High

74 / 76 F

Wind

SSW 17 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view

Friday

4

September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Blackfoot Reservoir feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. Today brings clear skies, wind SSW around 17 mph, steady pressure near 1006 hPa and a high of 76. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 77 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp74 F

High / Low76 / 43 F

WindSSW 17-24 mph

Pressure1006.0 hPa, steady

Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%

Sunrise / Sunset06:54 / 19:56

MoonLast Quarter, 50%

Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Clear, 76/43 F, wind 20 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. A 20 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Blackfoot Reservoir: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Blackfoot Reservoir calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

Rainbow trout

Brown trout

SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Blackfoot Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data

Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 72 F, wind to 14 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 73 F, wind to 21 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 70 F, wind to 12 mph.

Before you go

License

Idaho requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Idaho license. Cutthroat: trophy rules, limited harvest: check IDFG southeast region. Carp: unlimited, bowfishing welcome.

Access

BLM ramps and campgrounds off the Highway 34 loop; Soda Springs services.

About this water

18,000 fertile acres on the lava plains, Caribou County, ID. Trophy cutts and carp championships.

Fishing Blackfoot Reservoir: the full guide

The high-desert bowl

Blackfoot spreads shallow and fertile across southeast Idaho's lava plains: a reservoir famous for two opposite pursuits: Bear Lake-strain cutthroat that grow past 10 pounds on the scud-rich flats, and carp schools so vast the bowfishing world holds championships here.

Trophy cutthroat program

IDFG's cutthroat stocking rides the fertility: fish put on two pounds a year, cruising the shallow flats spring and fall where float tubes and long leaders intercept them (leeches and scuds stripped slow). The trophy rules (harvest limited: check current) protect a fishery that rivals Henrys for size if not fame.

The carp economy

Summer turns the flats bronze with carp: bowfishers wade and boat the shallows in a culture the reservoir embraced: tournaments, night barges, the works. Anglers fishing cutts share water courteously: the lake is big and the seasons interleave.

Lava-plain practicalities

Access runs BLM-simple (Blackfoot Reservoir campgrounds, gravel ramps): services live in Soda Springs: wind sweeps the flats hard by afternoon: and the pelican colonies (among the West's largest) both delight and frustrate: they eat cutts too, and the management debates are local sport.

Common questions

How big do Blackfoot Reservoir cutthroat get?

Double-digit fish exist: two-pound annual growth on the scud flats. Ice-out and October are the float-tube windows the faithful plan around.

Is the carp fishing serious at Blackfoot?

Championship-serious: the flats host national bowfishing events. The two cultures coexist: cutts at dawn, carp all afternoon.

Is fishing good at Blackfoot Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Snake River (South Fork)38 mi Henrys Fork61 mi American Falls Reservoir63 mi Bear Lake67 mi Snake River77 mi Logan River80 mi

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