Fishing at Cocolalla Lake, Bonner County, Idaho

• Overview

  Cocolalla Lake stands in Bonner County, Idaho. It stands 2,201 feet above sea level. About 815 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The margin runs to about 5.8 miles in total. Size puts it in the front rank of our Bonner County list. The nearest town is Sandpoint, 11 miles away. Further out sit Ponderay (13 miles) and Priest River (14 miles). The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Cocolalla Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Bonner County cover rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, sockeye salmon and brook trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Cocolalla Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 26°F and July at about 65°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The year turns gently, without extremes at either end. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Time your trip to Cocolalla Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Round Lake, 2.6 miles away. Rules at Cocolalla Lake are worth checking on the day.