Idaho Parks on the Water: Beaches, Boat Launches and Fishing Spots

Coeur d'Alene

In Coeur d'Alene, Coeur d'Alene City Park has a swimming beach on about 35 acres, with a skate park and a playground for when everyone's dried off. McEuen Park is the boating stop, with a boat launch and mooring plus a splash pad for the kids. Atlas Mill Park has a swimming beach and a kayak launch, and Johnson Mill River Park fits a boat dock, a swimming beach and fishing into about an acre. East Tubbs Hill Park has a beach too, and the 10th Street Trail and the East Side Trail both meet it.

Post Falls and the Spokane River

In Post Falls, Q'emiln Park has a swimming beach on the south channel of the Spokane River, across about 77 acres with trails and a climbing wall. Corbin Park sits on the Spokane River with a beach and fishing, and Falls Park is on the north channel with fishing and the North Idaho Centennial Trail. Black Bay Park and Kiwanis Park each have a swimming beach, fishing and a wooded area.

McCall and Cascade

McCall has a run of small beach parks. Art Roberts Park is only about a third of an acre of lake access, but it has boat docks, a beach and a swimming area. Brown Park has a beach, a dock and fishing plus a playground, and Legacy Park pairs a beach and a dock with a splash pad. Rotary Park has a beach and a boat launch, and Davis Beach is a lake access park with a beach, a grill and picnic tables.

For river water, Riverfront Park stretches about 31 acres along the North Fork Payette River with a boat launch and fishing. In Cascade, Fischer Pond has fishing, a walking trail and a volleyball court.

Boise and the Boise River

The Boise River parks in Boise lean toward fishing and long walks on the Greenbelt. Esther Simplot Park covers nearly 88 acres on the river with fishing, birding and a playground, and Julia Davis Park adds about 94 acres with fishing, an amphitheater and a tennis court. Marianne Williams Park and Veterans Memorial Park also sit on the Boise River with fishing, and Veterans adds disc golf.

Neighborhood parks in Boise have fishing too. Molenaar Park, Redwood Park and Terry Day Park each pair it with a playground, and Molenaar and Redwood add a dog park.

Around the Treasure Valley

In Caldwell, Rotary Pond Park sits on the Boise River around a pond, with a sandy beach and fishing docks on about 38 acres. Star Riverwalk Park in Star lets you fish from the bank of the Boise River, with a path along the water, and Pamela Baker Park in Eagle has a fishing pond. In Kuna, Nicholson Park has a beach and fishing on Indian Creek, and Sadie Creek Park has a beach for swimming, fishing and a dog park.

Eastern Idaho

In Idaho Falls, South Tourist Park has a boat launch and camping with the Greenbelt Path running past, and Johns Hole Forebay Park also goes by the name Snake River Boat Launch. Gem State Park has a boat launch and docks on Gem Lake, where you can fish, and Ryder Park has fishing on about 33 acres.

Blacktail Park in Ammon and North Bingham County Park in Shelley each have a boat ramp, and the Shelley park adds fishing and camping. Jefferson County Lake Park in Rigby has a boat ramp and river frontage on about 67 acres. In the Rexburg area, Beaver Dick Park has a boat ramp on the Henrys Fork of the Snake River, and Twin Bridges Park has another. Farther out in Lemhi County, Island Park has a boat ramp and river access on the Salmon River.

Twin Falls County

Centennial Waterfront Park in Twin Falls lets you launch a boat, fish or swim, with Perrine Coulee running along it and a playground with swings on land. Dierkes Lake Park has swimming and fishing plus concessions and a volleyball court, and Rock Creek Park has fishing along Rock Creek and disc golf on about 40 acres. Out in the county, Murtaugh Lake Park has a boat launch, fishing and camping, and Balanced Rock Park in Castleford has a canoe and kayak launch with fishing and camping.

Around the Rest of the State

Gem Island Sports Complex in Emmett has river frontage on the Payette River where you can fish between games, and Marsing Island Park covers about 10 acres on the Snake River with fishing and a walking trail. In Pocatello, the Portneuf Wellness Complex has a beach and fishing on about 76 acres. Arthur Kelly Park in Soda Springs has fishing on about 61 acres, and Legacy Park in Mountain Home has a creek with fishing on about 37 acres.

Up north, fishing ponds turn up in Moscow at Kiwanis Park and Hordemann Pond and in Lewiston at Clearwater Park. The Moscow park pairs its pond with a playground and a pavilion, and Paradise Creek runs past.