Henry’s Lake, the best place in Idaho for ice fishing

ISLAND PARK, Idaho (KIFI) - As the weather grows cold, anglers head to their favorite fishing spots, drill a hole set up their ice shanties and see if anything bites.

Henry'sLake in particular has been named one of the best places in the state to ice fish, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Fish Biologists say anglers have the potential to catch trophy trout anytime they go there.

"We've got some of the largest Yellowstone cutthroat trout you'll see in the area," Hatchery Biologist Nathan Tillotson said. 'We have some very large rainbow trout and Yellowstone cutthroat trout hybrids that people can catch. We currently have the catch and release state record for hybrid trout. We just got the certified weight state record for Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Henry's lake."

However, ice fishing is not nearly as popular in the state as hunting or open-water fishing, despite how easy it is to get started.

"There's a lot of really special specialized gear for ice fishing..." Tillotson said. "But if you've got a regular old fishing rod and an ice chisel, you can go out and ice fish. You can find someone else's hole that they've drilled previously and fish through that, or you can make your own."

But head out quick fishing enthusiasts. The catch and release season starts Feb. 15.