NAMPA, Idaho — Idaho Fish and Game is requesting that anglers who land a walleye in Lake Lowell do not put it back in the water, creating a unique opportunity for anglers to fish without a bag limit.
According to news releases from Idaho Fish and Game, this problem stems back to 2022, as they suspect someone illegally put walleye into the reservoir.
"You no longer have to report it, they just want you to take it out of the water and kill it," said Adan Torres, an angler we talked to who has heard about the news from Idaho Fish and Game. "Walleye are an invasive species that attack our local state fish."
Check out the video to see anglers at Lake Lowell, one showed us a walleye:
Walleye are native to the Great Lakes region, and it's a popular fishery. Idaho Fish and Game believes that without the same food source that walleyes get in the Midwest, they start to eat salmon, steelhead, and other fish native to Idaho.
Obviously, that is more of a concern for Idaho Fish and Game up north, as anglers in the Clearwater region, the Snake, and on the Salmon are also asked to catch, kill, and keep the walleye they catch. Spearfishing is allowed in the Clearwater region as of July 1, but anglers up north are still asked to report when they catch a walleye.
We ran into one group of anglers who caught a walleye on Lake Lowell, but for the most part, Torres tells us he fishes for bass, catfish, and bluegill in this reservoir in Canyon County.
"What I like about Lake Lowell is just the scenery, but also the bass fishing is really good," said Torres. "But, I haven't caught any walleye out here."
This request gives anglers the opportunity to catch more fish, and they tell us they are happy to help. Torres learned how to fish from his aunt and uncle, and it has turned into his passion. He looks forward to passing on that knowledge to his children.
"Being out here with my family is what makes it all worth it, and hopefully I get them into it," Torres said. "It’s like the old saying goes, you can give a man a fish and feed him for a day, or you can teach a man to fish and you can feed him for a lifetime."
