Benjamin Smith of Thatcher, Idaho, set a new catch-and-release brown trout record for the state with a 31-inch fish taken August 28 from the Bear River in Franklin County. Caroline Langdale had held the prior mark of 30.5 inches after a May 2026 catch on the South Fork Snake River that lasted about three months. Idaho Fish and Game called trout longer than 30 inches uncommon in the state and noted surprise that the earlier record lasted so briefly. The program measures total length from snout tip to tail end and requires the fish to be released alive. The Bear River, known chiefly for native cutthroat, also produces rainbow and brown trout.