Cave Lake in Kootenai County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Cave Lake in Kootenai County, Idaho. The surface lies 2,119 feet up. At 760 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. The edge covers about 5.8 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. It ranks among the bigger water on our Idaho list. Saint Maries sits 11 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Spokane is the closest city, 40 miles away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Cave Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. 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. Across Kootenai County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and sockeye salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Read Cave Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 28°F to 65°F. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. On Cave Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Medicine Lake is 1.1 miles distant. Treat Cave Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.