Cirque Lake Fishing in Custer County, Idaho

• Overview

  Cirque Lake falls in Custer County, part of Idaho. Elevation runs to 10,069 feet. Compared with other Idaho water on our list, it sits high. Nearest town is Sun Valley, 31 miles off. The nearest city of size is Boise, 86 miles away. Close neighbours run: Sapphire Lake a shade over 0.4 miles, Slide Lake within 0.4 miles, Neck Lake a shade over 0.5 miles, Hook Lake within 0.6 miles and Sheep Lake a shade over 0.7 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Cirque Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Custer County records list rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and Arctic grayling among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Cirque Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 16°F to 50°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early June. The lid tends to go about early June and return around early November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Anyone fishing Cirque Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Sapphire Lake, 0.4 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Cirque Lake.