New Angler Incentive Program – Lake Pend Oreille
Starting March 1st walleye anglers on Lake Pend Oreille, the Clark Fork River, and the Pend Oreille River can earn up to $1,000 per walleye when turned into an Idaho Department of Fish and Game, IDFG, fish-head freezer location.
Walleye Lottery
IDFG has tagged 50 walleye throughout the system and when these walleye are received by IDFG, a $1,000 check could be on its way to you! Simply cut the head of the walleye off, put it in the fish-head freezer with your contact information, and you could win.
What's innovative for catching walleye? Check out our ICAST review.
Walleye were illegally introduced into Noxon Reservoir in 1992 and since then have become prolific throughout the Clark Fork River, above Cabinet Gorge Dam. Recently, walleye have taken hold in Lake Pend Oreille, the Pend Oreille River, and the lower Clark Fork River. These fish prey heavily on juvenile fish which include species such as trout and kokanee.
Lake Pend Oreille has been managed as a trophy rainbow trout fishery for decades. The main forage for Gerrard strain rainbow trout is juvenile Kokanee. With the added pressure from lake trout and walleye, the kokanee can collapse, as they have done so in the past.
Many anglers have mixed emotions about the walleye in Lake Pend Oreille. Most anglers like to catch and eat them. However, the long-term impacts can be detrimental, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
Want to learn more about the long-term impacts and the lottery? Read this.
This new Angler Incentive Program aims to keep the walleye population in check through angler harvest. The alternative measure to help control the population is gill netting the walleye.
Need the best gear before you hit the lake? It's easy to order online here.
Whether you are a catch and release walleye fishermen, or you want to help keep their population in check, now is the time to get out and target walleye in this beautiful fishery.