Fisher Bottom Ranch

Details & Features

Fisher Bottom Ranch is situated at the half-way point in the famous canyon stretch of the South Fork of the Snake River. Known for fantastic dry fly fishing and picturesque setting, this tailwater fishery has become a preferred destination spot for fly fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts. There are over 2 miles of river frontage including two major side channels that are easily wadeable, that serve as refuge for a good number of resident fish, including native cutthroat trout, brown trout and rainbow trout. In a sought-after location on the South Fork of the Snake River, this historic Idaho ranch provides a true Rocky Mountain sporting lifestyle.

This ranch is comprised of 437 acres located in the South Fork Canyon, an area rich in natural scenery and awe-inspiring landscapes that are defined by lush hay meadows, cottonwood-lined river bottoms and magnificent rock outcroppings. Like much of the canyon, the Fisher Bottom Ranch experiences an elevation change of approximately 550 feet ranging from 5,100 feet at the river edge to its highest point at 5,647 feet. This change in elevation and the natural contours of the ranch create a diversity of terrain seldom found on a ranch of this size.

The ranch can be best described by breaking it into portions in its natural form. The lower portion of the ranch, the river bottom section, contains approximately 2.2 miles of the South Fork River, a classic tailwater fishery that forms the ranch’s northern and eastern borders on the river’s meander. Over time, the river has created a chain of islands along this stretch, forming a natural buffer from the main stem of the river and providing fishable side channels that tend to be more wade-friendly and attractive for resident fish populations. As the locals say, these channels are often overlooked by even the most experienced guides and fisherman on the 26-mile journey through this canyon stretch. Two private boat launches are accessible on this portion of the ranch.

This Idaho ranch for sale is rich in history and bears the name “Fisher” in honor of the famous Idahoan, author, Vardis Fisher. Fisher, who grew up on the river bottoms of this ranch, wrote the novel “Mountain Man, “ which later became the basis for the famous movie, Jeremiah Johnson. His original homestead remains along with other improvements including a modest 1,292 sqft, 3BR, 1BA main cabin that was refurbished by the current owners in the mid ‘90s and a 180 sqft detached study used by Fisher. In accordance with the existing conservation easement on the ranch, an incoming owner could be approved to expand the existing buildings as follows, main cabin to 3,972 sqft with an additional 500 sqft allowed for exterior decking. The homestead cabin can be expanded by 600 sqft and the study cabin should remain 180 sqft.

There is an existing conservation easement in place on Fisher Bottom Ranch. Through the cooperative efforts of the current owners and the Bureau of Land Management, an easement was placed on this historic ranch in 2002 protecting its unique scenic beauty and wildlife habitat in perpetuity. Details of the easement can be provided upon request.

The South Fork of the Snake River is a tailwater fishery that flows out of Palisades Dam on the border of Wyoming and Idaho. The diversity of hatches, both aquatic and terrestrial, exceeds other rivers of the West, and gives the South Fork the reputation as one of the best dry fly fisheries in the world. The river flows for 66 miles across southeastern Idaho, through high mountain valleys, rugged canyons and broad flood plains to its confluence with the Henry’s Fork near Menan Buttes, west of Rexburg, Idaho.

The Fisher Bottom Ranch, rich in Idaho culture and history, recreational attributes and scenic beauty, offers a discerning Buyer the rare opportunity to own a true legacy property on one of the best tailwater fisheries in the western United States.