Blacktail Lake, Idaho: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Bonner County, Idaho, sits Blacktail Lake. The country here is mixed forest. It covers about 3 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Bonner County list. The nearest town is Ponderay, 18 miles away. Spokane is the closest city, 76 miles away. Within a short drive: Moose Lake 1.6 miles, Gem Lake at 2.4 miles, Lake Estelle 2.5 miles, Lake Darling at 4.3 miles and Smith Lake 5.5 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Blacktail Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Bonner County include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and sockeye salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Fish Blacktail Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 57°F and January at 20°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. The water is typically free of ice between late April and mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. At Blacktail Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Moose Lake, 1.6 miles away. Treat access at Blacktail Lake as something to verify.