CALDWELL, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Fish and Game announced the Caldwell ponds off Hghway 20 will close later this month. The closure is part of a renovation project aiming to create a more suitable fish habitat.
The five-year gravel extraction project will result in one larger, deeper pond which will make for better fishing conditions for pond anglers. When completed, Caldwell Pond will be 30 feet deep and 30 acres in size. That is nearly four times as large as the eight-acre footprint of the current ponds.
The ponds will be closed to public access during the improvement period. This includes the trials, parking areas and the restrooms as well.
“We’re excited to see the long-term benefits of gravel removal at Caldwell Ponds,” Fish and Game fisheries manager John Cassinelli noted. “Anglers will have a much improved fishing experience when the renovated pond reopens.”
The 40-acre parcel encompassing Caldwell Ponds was purchased by Fish and Game in 1951 and opened as public fishing water two years later. Pond facilities were upgraded in 2007. More upgrades are planned after the completion of the gravel project.
Rainbow trout that would normally go to the Caldwell Ponds in October and November will be diverted to Manns Creek and Lucky Peak Reservoir. In 2020 through the completion of the project, those fish will be redistributed across other regional waters.
