In terms of the sheer variety of outdoor recreational activities like hiking and fishing Idaho is one of the most diverse places in America. The locals tend to take these everyday pleasures for granted as part of their live here in the Gem State, but visitors to our neck of the woods will find it beckons them to return again and again.

To Idaho’s natives, fishing is a way of life. No one asks if an Idaho man fishes, but rather when, and where. With thousands of miles of rivers and creeks — more than in any other state except maybe Alaska — and more than two thousand lakes and reservoirs, you can fish your whole life away and never stand in the same place twice.

Idaho’s fishermen, both native and migrant, quest out every spring to Lake Pend Oreille, Lake Coeur d’Alene, and Priest Lake up north, on the lookout for the Kamloops Trout, the Mackinaw Trout, and the fresh-water Chinook Salmon. Some of them chase down the elusive White Sturgeon, a magnificent creature that can live for a century and weighs as much as a small car. The Snake and Salmon Rivers are the best places to hunt down that unique game fish — but it’s best to bring a licensed professional with you; they’re not easy prey.

The rivers here in the Gem State are packed with all kinds of Salmon and Sturgeon and a giant mess of Steelhead, probably the most popular game fish in the state. Fishermen after those fish should head to the Clearwater, the Little Salmon, the Lower Salmon, the Upper Salmon, and the Snake Rivers.

Of course, it’s Trout fishing that made Idaho famous. Every creek, river, and lake in the state seems to be teeming with all manner of Trout. Trout can be snagged on bait spinners, flies, and just about any kind of lure. You can go trout fishing on a drift boat, from a kayak, an innertube, or a dock, or even just standing on the shore.

And no mention of all the fishing Idaho has to offer would be complete without mentioning the Whitefish, Perch, Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Bluegills, Crappies, Catfish, and other warm-water fish that await the fishermen in the southern part of the state.

Yeah, there’s pretty much every kind of sport fishing, vacation fishing, and even occasionally survival fishing here in the Gem State, and the friendly folks here will be happy to help you find that perfect spot to have a perfect afternoon catching the perfect fish. That’s why the locals call Idaho the Fisherman’s Paradise.