Bills Lake in Idaho County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Idaho, Bills Lake belongs to Idaho County. The ground round it is lake country bush. This is a pocket water of some 21 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is among the larger waters listed here for Idaho County. The town to know is Hamilton, 28 miles out. The big place round here is Spokane, 178 miles distant. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Bills Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Idaho County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, Chinook salmon and cutthroat trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Bills Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 19°F to 55°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Expect Bills Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Emerald Lake at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Rules at Bills Lake are worth checking on the day.