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“Spotting” Salmonids: put your fish ID skills to the test!

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“Spotting” Salmonids: put your fish ID skills to the test!


Think you’ve got ‘em all? Check your answers with the descriptions below to see if you’re truly the master of spotting salmonids… 

Note: salmon undergo significant color and body shape changes during their spawning migration from saltwater to freshwater; the characteristics described below refer to their freshwater mature adult phase coloration, which is what you would expect to see in Idaho.

A) Chinook Salmon (Scientific name: Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

  • You can identify a Chinook Salmon by continuous dark spots on the top half of their body from their head to their tail, and spots are present throughout both lobes of the tail. These fish also have a black mouth with a black gumline. Body color ranges from olive green to brown: the females are slightly lighter in color than the males, and the males will sometimes have maroon/red on their belly and sides. 
  • Fun fact: Chinook Salmon are the largest of the Pacific salmon species and are also referred to as King Salmon.

B) Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)

  • Coho Salmon look similar to Chinook Salmon and they can be challenging to tell apart, but not impossible! Coho also have continuous dark spots on the top half of their body from their head to their tail, but they only have spots on the upper lobe of their tail, the lower lobe is plain. Coho have a black mouth with a white gumline. Body color ranges from dark brown to maroon/red. 
  • Fun fact: Coho are native to Idaho and were extirpated years ago, but now, thanks to reintroduction efforts, they are making a comeback in our great state! Coho are also referred to as Silver Salmon.

C) Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)

  • Sockeye Salmon are a little easier to tell apart from Chinook and Coho. Sockeye have no distinct spots and have a white mouth with a white gumline. Body color is a show stopper: solid bright red body and a green head, gorgeous! You may also encounter Kokanee Salmon in Idaho, which looks very similar to Sockeye, but are landlocked and do not migrate to the ocean.
  • Fun fact: The Snake River Sockeye Salmon run has the longest freshwater migration (about 900 miles) and the highest elevation gain (6,547 feet) of any Sockeye population in the world! Sockeye Salmon are also referred to as Red Salmon.

D) Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

  • Steelhead have evenly spaced dark spots throughout most of their body and onto their tail. Body color ranges from dark green to pale silver green with a distinct pink or red stripe down their side and a pink or red patch on their cheek. Their colors will usually intensify during their spawning season in the spring from mid-April to late June. Steelhead look very similar to Rainbow Trout but are usually much larger in size because they migrate to the ocean for increased food opportunities.
  • Fun fact: The catch-and-release Idaho state record for steelhead was recently broken in October 2023 – the lucky angler caught a whopping 41-inch steelhead! (New catch/release record steelhead landed | Idaho Fish and Game)

E) Cutthroat Trout (multiple Oncorhynchus species)

  • Cutthroat Trout are sometimes confused with Rainbow Trout, but their dark spots are sparse near their head and most spots are heavily concentrated towards their tail. Cutthroats earn their name by the bright red or orange slash on the underside of their chin. Body color is variable depending on the species of cutthroat and can range from pale gray-green to yellowish brown, with red or orange on their bellies during spawning season. Don’t be fooled! – Rainbow Trout x Cutthroat Trout hybrids (known as “cutbows”) are also common in Idaho and can show characteristics from both species. So, if the trout you’ve caught has an orange chin slash, more evenly distributed spots, and some white-tipped fins, then it is likely a hybrid.
  • Fun fact: Several previously well-known subspecies of cutthroat trout have been recently reclassified into four different species: Coastal, Westslope, Lahontan, and Rocky Mountain cutthroat trout. Although their taxonomic classification has changed, they still share the same identifying characteristics listed above when comparing them to other salmonids.

F) Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus)

  • Unlike all the species above, Bull Trout have light spots on a dark background. They have no spots on their dorsal fin, which is key to telling them apart from a Brook Trout or other salmonids. Bull Trout can also be identified by a bright white leading edge on the front of their pectoral and pelvic fins. Their bellies can turn orange during spawning. Bull Trout also look similar to Lake Trout, another char species in Idaho, but Lake Trout have a deeply forked tail and Bull Trout do not.
  • Fun fact: Bull Trout are listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act and are therefore catch-and-release only. Since Bull Trout have no black markings on their dorsal fins, an easy saying to remember while fishing is “no black – put it back!”

G) Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

  • Brook Trout are challenging to tell apart from Bull Trout (especially when they are small) in that they share these characteristics: light spots on a dark background, white leading edge on their pectoral and pelvic fins, and red or orange bellies during spawning. However, they have key differences that are important to remember, because Bull Trout are protected and Brook Trout are not. So, let’s seek the spots! First, Brook Trout spots extend onto their dorsal fin in a mottled pattern, whereas Bull Trout have a plain dorsal fin. Second, Brook Trout have distinct “squiggly worm tracks” on their back, called vermiculation, whereas Bull Trout do not have this spot pattern. Third, sometimes Brook Trout will have blue halos around a select few spots on their side, whereas Bull Trout have no blue halos.
  • Fun fact: Brook Trout are native to eastern North America and are the state fish of nine states – not surprisingly, most of them are eastern states!

So…how’d you do? Whether you aced it or have some serious studying to do, be sure to check out Idaho’s fishing regulations (Fishing Seasons and Rules | Idaho Fish and Game) before you head out on the water, you never know which of these species you may encounter. This is not an all-inclusive list of Idaho’s salmonids, but it’s a good starting point to go forth and impress your friends with your newly acquired fish ID knowledge. And remember, always seek the spots!



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Idaho Lottery results: See winning numbers for Pick 3, Pick 4 on April 19, 2026

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The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 19.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing

Day: 9-5-1

Night: 8-0-6

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Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 19 drawing

Day: 2-7-0-3

Night: 4-3-3-3

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Idaho Cash numbers from April 19 drawing

15-28-31-38-45

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Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing

32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?

  • Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
  • Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
  • Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
  • Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • 5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.
  • Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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‘Unrelenting’: Statehouse reporters recap 2026 legislative session in Idaho Falls – East Idaho News

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‘Unrelenting’: Statehouse reporters recap 2026 legislative session in Idaho Falls – East Idaho News


IDAHO FALLS — Two prominent Idaho Statehouse reporters say this past legislative session was “unrelenting,” chaotic, largely driven by budget cuts, and they see the Legislature getting more powerful.

Kevin Richert and Clark Corbin recapped this past legislative session at a forum on the ISU Idaho Falls Campus on Thursday.

Richert is a senior reporter at Idaho Education News, with more than 30 years of experience covering education policy and politics. Corbin is a senior reporter at the Idaho Capital Sun who has covered every Idaho legislative session, gavel to gavel, since 2011.

The event was hosted by the City Club of Idaho Falls, which “exists to sponsor and promote civil dialogue and discourse on all matters of public interest” and strives to be “nonpartisan and nonsectarian,” according to its website.

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Budget cuts

Both Richert and Corbin said this session was driven by budget cuts. Corbin said this was due to a lack of revenue stemming from past income tax and the adoption of new federal tax cuts.

“Cuts for almost every state agency and state department dominated the legislative session,” Corbin said. “We’re talking about 4% budget cuts for most state agencies and departments in the current fiscal year, and we’re talking about an additional 5% budget cuts for almost all state agencies and departments starting next year — fiscal year ’27 — and continuing permanently.”

RELATED | Gov. Little signs so-called ‘crappy bill’ to cut state budget

Richert said he thought higher education was taking the brunt of budget cuts. “It’s not a question of whether tuition fees are going to go up at the universities; it’s a question of how much,” he said.

When asked what the future would hold, Corbin said the budget cuts aren’t likely to go away, and their effects will be felt over time.

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“There could always be a change of leadership in the House, but they do expect the budget crunch to continue in the next year’s legislative session,” Corbin said.

‘Radiator capping’

Richert said he has one word to describe this year’s legislative session: “unrelenting.”

One thing that made it feel that way was that some bills were recycled over and over, he said. For example, Richert said the Legislature saw five different versions of a bill that proposed cuts to the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance.

“We had multiple bills that came from the dead,” he said.

The journalists said this is partly due to a tactic called “radiator capping.” The term means to replace the entire car — the bill’s text, in political terms — while only keeping the radiator cap: the bill number. By rewriting a bill on the House or Senate floor while maintaining its number, failed bills can effectively bypass the committee process.

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“Those are the changes they tried to make on immigration bills, on union bills this year,” Corbin said. “It made it extremely difficult for the public to have any idea what was going on, to have any opportunity to participate in the legislative process and share their opinions.

A more powerful, more chaotic Legislature

Richert said Idaho’s annual legislative sessions are trending longer, commonly going into the early part of April, and producing a record number of bills.

“There are rumblings that this Legislature, as a body, is wanting to expand its reach over more and have even more power over the other branches of government to the point of — are we trending towards more of a full-time professional legislature?” Richert said. “We’re a long way from there.”

“The legislative branch of government, particularly the Idaho House of Representatives, is the most powerful I’ve seen it in 16 years of covering state government,” Corbin said.

He added that this year’s legislative session was unlike any he’s experienced.

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“The overall temperature in the building was bad,” Corbin said. “It was divisive. It was chaotic. People were not hiding their feelings of disgust for each other. These traditional ideas of decorum and respect very much fell by the wayside.”

Richert said Gov. Brad Little vetoed very few bills that came across his desk, and the ones he did weren’t high-profile.

RELATED | Idaho Gov. Brad Little issues 5 vetoes. Here are the bills affected

“I think the governor behaved like he was very concerned about the supermajority-controlled Legislature, and I think that that Legislature, in turn, asserted itself and took control of the agenda this year,” Corbin said.

Are legislators representing Idaho?

Corbin said some bills this year also focused on the LGBTQ+ community, such as a bathroom restriction for transgender individuals, and a bill that banned the City of Boise from waving a Pride flag.

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RELATED | Idaho governor signs bill to criminalize trans people using bathrooms that align with their identity

RELATED | Boise removes LGBTQ+ pride flag as Idaho governor signs bill to fine city for its display

When asked if these were what Idahoans wanted, Corbin said it doesn’t necessarily appear so to him, based on his review of Boise State University’s annual public policy survey.

“For years and years, I’ve heard concerns about affordability of housing, access to housing, managing the growth of the state of Idaho, having quality public schools available for our young people — that also generates a workforce pipeline for some of our businesses,” Corbin said. “I’ve heard about paying for wildfires. I’ve heard about having good roads, supporting access to public lands, public recreation, those are the concerns I hear from Idahoans.”

“But the Legislature spent a significant amount of time over the last two, three, four years placing additional restrictions on LGBTQ communities, placing restrictions on what teachers can and cannot teach in their classrooms, what school boards can and cannot do,” Corbin continued. “They talked about requiring a moment of silence every day to begin the public school day, where children could pray or read the Bible.”

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RELATED | Gov. Brad Little signs public school ‘moment of silence’ bill into law

Corbin said it may be his own opinion, but perhaps it is easier to “make a bunch of noise about what’s going wrong and (distract) people with social issues” rather than focus on harder issues that Idaho faces.

“I think what you saw on the policy space is a reflection of the fact that you had legislators thinking about reelection, and legislators with time on their hands — and that’s not always a good combination,” Richert said.

Accountability

When asked how people can keep legislators accountable, Corbin said it can be done by following the state Legislature through trusted news sources, going to community events and voting.

“This is a great year to practice accountability, because all 105 state legislators and all statewide elected officials are up for election this year,” he said.

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Idaho Lottery results: See winning numbers for Powerball, Pick 3 on April 18, 2026

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The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Saturday, April 18, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 18.

Winning Powerball numbers from April 18 drawing

24-25-39-46-61, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 5

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 18 drawing

Day: 9-5-1

Night: 0-2-4

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 18 drawing

Day: 4-6-0-4

Night: 9-9-8-2

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Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from April 18 drawing

18-21-22-32-42, Star Ball: 10, ASB: 03

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Idaho Cash numbers from April 18 drawing

08-19-22-31-44

Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 18 drawing

17-19-47-48-55, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?

  • Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
  • Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
  • Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
  • Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • 5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.
  • Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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