5 Top Fly Fishing Spots Near Twin Falls Idaho

Written by Dean Jensen in Fly Fishing

People often ask where are some good places to fly fish near Twin Falls. I say here are 5 of the top fly fishing spots near Twin Falls Idaho. There are a lot more places that are just as close. Just remember to get your Idaho Fishing License at the Idaho Fish and Game.

Here are 5 top fly fishing spots near Twin Falls Idaho. There are several more of them.

 

Dierkes Lake
Dierkes Lake

If you are looking for some family fun and not worried just about Fly Fishing. There is a lake about three miles east and about one and a quarter miles north. It is called Dierkes Lake   

This lake is owned by the City of Twin Falls it is on 191 acres it has lots of features for everyone to enjoy.

Dierkes Lake does have some pretty good fishing for trout and panfish. There are some people that come here to fly fish and let their children play. I think it is just an excuse so that dad can come and do some fly fishing. There was a woman fishing from the bank and all of a sudden she started squealing and jumping up and down. Then after about 7 or 8 minutes, she brought in a nice trout about 16 inches long. The amazing thing was that she didn’t lose it she had a little kids pole with about 4-pound test. I was laughing so hard because she was jerking and reeling so hard I thought she was going to rip his lips off. There are also a lot of panfish here for people to catch,

Here are a few features.

  • Benches
  • Biking
  • Drinking Fountain
  • Electricity
  • Fishing
  • Grills
  • Open Green Space
  • Picnic Tables
  • Playground equipment
  • Restrooms
  • Shelters
  • Swimming
  • Trails
  • Volleyball

Also, it has lots of amenities

  • Concession stand
  • Drinking fountain
  • Dog training area
  • Fishing
  • Gate fee is $3
  • Grills
  • No alcohol allowed
  • Non-motorized boat launch
  • North shelter that seats up to 36 people with electricity and grills available
  • Picnic tables

Dierkes Lake playground equipment

  • Playground equipment
  • Portable picnic tables
  • Restrooms
  • Rock climbing area
  • Sand volleyball pit
  • The south shelter that seats up to 54 people with electricity and grills available
  • Swimming area with lifeguards on duty from June to August
  • Walking trail (not paved) around the lake that is 1.7 miles

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Magic Reservoir:

Magic Reservoir is located in southern Idaho midway between Ketchum and Twin Falls. It offers some of the best fishing, boating, and water sports in the area.
This Reservoir is open and available year round.
Fishing here is good for bank anglers and boat anglers alike.
Boating is a popular activity, as is waterskiing and wakeboarding.
Wildlife enthusiasts enjoy the many waterfowl and birds of prey in the area.

Magic Reservoir has 14,000 acres of water and shoreline. These offer some of Southern Idaho’s best fishing, boating and water skiing at this semi-developed recreation site. It is managed and operated by the Bureau of Land Management. Available the year-round, it is also popular for ice fishing in winter. The Resort and the RV facilities are available along with docks, fuel, and parking.

Magic Reservoir is approximately 36 miles south of Sun Valley. Travel south on Highway 75 past the junction with Highway 20. Turn west at East Magic Reservoir Road.

The facilities include boat ramps, campsites, handicap access, and parking.

Bureau of Land Management: Phone: (208) 732-7200

Fishing

Fishing here is great for bank anglers and boat anglers alike, with large amounts of rainbow and brown trout as well as lots of yellow perch. Magic Reservoir is a good place for a lot of different types of fishing with great access. There is plenty of bank fishing areas to pick from. But many people choose to troll in small boats so they can have access to areas that bank fishermen can’t. There are a lot of people that use float tubes or paddle boats. We have caught some pretty big rainbows along with the browns. If you fish down by the dam you can almost wear yourself out catching the yellow perch at times.

Boating:

Boating is a very popular activity, as is waterskiing and wakeboarding, and jet skiing. Wildlife enthusiasts are also very excited with the many waterfowl and birds of prey that are in the area.

Camping:

For those looking to stay in the area a bit longer, there is abundant space for camping and RV’s. There are nine semi-developed recreation sites that are available with vault toilets, picnic tables, and boat access. There is no drinking water available and they do have a 14-day camping limit.

Whether you come to Magic Reservoir to fish, or boat/or just plain relax you can enjoy yourself in this scenic area.

Salmon Falls Reservoir

Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir is a 14-mile reservoir where you can catch nine different species of fish.

It is one of the premier walleye fisheries in Idaho where trophy catches are a common occurrence. The reservoir has five dedicated recreation sites that provide primitive camping facilities.

There’s one fully developed site at Salmon Dam that has designated camping units, picnic sites, recreational vehicle dump station.  There is also a boat ramp that is available for you to launch your boat.

If the reservoir levels are high, boat launching might be hard in the East side bays. These are such as Grays Landing, Big Bay, Sandy Bay, and Norton Bay. Parking is limited and the shoreline launching is limited.

Just a short drive:

A short drive south of Twin Falls, this large reservoir in Idaho’s high desert provides lots of fishing styles with boat ramps and long shorelines. BLM manages Lud Drexler Park and campground near the dam.

Facilities that are available depending on location. Road conditions can deteriorate when saturated. You can help maintain the natural beauty of this area by driving on only existing roads when they are dry. Winter may have ice fishing, depending on local conditions.

On E 3600 N on US Hwy 93 in Twin Falls go 21 miles south to Rogerson. Turn west onto Jarbidge/Three Creek Rd (1520 N Rd) and go 7.5 miles to the dam. The boat ramp access is just beyond the campground. There are several dirt roads heading west from Hwy 93 south of Rogerson. These can provide access to the central portion of the reservoir. These include Greys Landing, Norton Bay, and other access points.

Boat Motor Restriction
None

Boat Ramp
Yes

Dock
Yes

Toilet
Yes

Campground
Yes

ADA Access
No A

These are the known Game Fish

  • Bluegill / Pumpkinseed / Sunfish
  • Crappie
  • Rainbow Trout
  • Rainbow X Cutthroat Trout
  • Smallmouth Bass
  • Walleye

Roseworth Reservoir

Cedar Creek Reservoir

DIRECTIONS. Take Highway 93 to Rogerson, Idaho. Take the Three Creek Highway out of Rogerson 17 miles west to Cedar Creek Reservoir.

Cedar Creek Reservoir is also known as Roseworth Reservoir, it is located about 17 miles west of Rogerson, Idaho. The reservoir was created in 1910 by the construction of a dam across Cedar Creek by the Idaho Farm Development Company. This fishing destination attracts area anglers in search of rainbow trout.  This is just a fun place to go just and have fun. We go here often if the fishing at Salmon Falls Reservoir is not doing well. It is about a 20-minute drive from Salmon Falls Reservoir. Cedar Creek is only about one hour out of Twin Falls. A remote trout fishery in a sagebrush, high desert setting. It has great shoreline access as well as high and low water boat ramps. This fishing destination attracts area anglers in search of rainbow trout.

Facilities:

  • Parking area
  • Vault restrooms
  • Docks

Oakley Reservoir

Oakley Reservoir as it is called is really Goose Creek Reservoir. It is a 70-mile long body of water that is located southwest of Oakley. It runs into the northern parts of Utah and Nevada

When we reached the top, however, we realized the trip was worth it.

A larger than expected reservoir that went between rocky hillsides, with blue sky and cotton clouds, that stretched farther and wider than the water it was breathtaking. It wasn’t the Everglades, but it was refreshing different than the dry, fields we had witnessed all morning.

We could have gone farther, because Trapper Creek Road continued forward, down a slope and around a bend in the mountain. But we exited below the dam onto an access road that led down to the reservoir. Here we ran into one of its in-flowing streams, in an area that is known as Lower Goose Creek.

Locals Come Out

A fisherman, who had probably been at the reservoir since sun up, was reeling in a rainbow trout. When we pulled up, we were able to see his catch it looked like about 16 inches or so, it was his third fish of the day.

Another fisherman, came from Burley to try his luck at the rod.

He said he had a can of corn and some marshmallows, “So, just for the fun of it, I thought I’d come out here come to see if I could catch anything.

Getting to see wildlife is one of the perks of a Goose Creek visit.

The whole of Goose Creek Reservoir stretches 70 miles into the northwest corner of Utah, and to the northeast of Wells, Nev. Lower Goose Creek in Cassia County is formed by the Oakley dam. The reservoir covers 550 hectares, according to Scott Stanton, regional fisheries biologist for the Department of Idaho Fish and Game.

“It’s pretty much managed as a walleye and trout fishery,” he said. Fish caught from the reservoir vary in size, Stanton said. The area was last stocked June 11, 2008, with more than 49,000 fingerlings, according to Fish and Game’s Website.

“It’s utilized by a lot of people in southern Idaho,” he said, “but perhaps a little more remote than other reservoirs, like Salmon Falls.”

No matter: if the fishing is good, or not anglers will come. Perhaps they’ll come anyway.

Dean Jensen

I started fly fishing in 1972 and I have learned quite a bit about this wonderful sport called fly fishing and I want to share some of the things that I have learned.

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