Fish Lake Pend Oreille and earn cash through the Angler Incentive Program

Why the AIP matters

The AIP helps Fish and Game manage Lake Pend Oreille's diverse fisheries, which includes trophy rainbow trout, kokanee, bull trout, lake trout, walleye and many other species.

Lake trout and walleye are effective predators, and without proper management, both species can reduce kokanee populations. 

Kokanee are a critical part of Lake Pend Oreille's, because they support the lake's world-renowned trophy rainbow trout fishery while also providing popular fishing opportunities of their own. Anglers interested in learning more can watch:

The AIP for lake trout began in 2006, and thirteen years later the incentive program was expanded to include walleye. Anglers have earned approximately $1.5 million in rewards from lake trout since 2006 and roughly $125,000 from walleye since 2019. Over the past year alone, lake trout anglers earned approximately $32,000 and walleye anglers around $23,000.

The AIP is funded by the Clark Fork Settlement Agreement through Avista. The overarching goals of the CFSA include the protection, mitigation and enhancement of fish and wildlife populations and associated habitat within the lower Clark Fork River-Lake Pend Oreille Basin.

Rob Ryan Mitigation Staff Biologist with Fish and Game said, “Anglers and spearfishers participating in the AIP have played and continue to play an instrumental role in Lake Pend Oreille kokanee recovery. Walleye are also a real challenge for maintaining balance in Lake Pend Oreille, and we hope walleye anglers and spearfishers will be just as influential in managing that species”.