Bull Trout Lake Fishing in Custer County, Idaho

• Overview

  Look for Bull Trout Lake in the Custer County part of Idaho. The water sits 6,929 feet up. Surface area is around 69 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Shoreline comes to about 1.3 miles, small enough to learn in a day. It is among the larger waters listed here for Custer County. You are 52 miles from Challis. Boise is the closest city, 67 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Bull Trout Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for Custer County names rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and Arctic grayling. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Bull Trout Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 18°F in December to roughly 55°F in July. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid May. Averages suggest open water from about mid May through to roughly mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Bull Trout Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Martin Lake is 0.6 miles off. Check the position on Bull Trout Lake before loading the car.