Fishing Crater Lake in Custer County, Idaho

• Overview

  The Custer County entry here is Crater Lake, in Idaho. Everything around it is pine and birch. About 16 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Compared with other Idaho water on our list, it sits high. Some 31 miles away sits Challis, the nearest settlement. After that come Sun Valley at 33 miles and Ketchum at 34 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Crater Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Custer County records list rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Chinook salmon and sockeye salmon among the fish reported. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Crater Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 16°F to 50°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Winter locks it down, and early June brings it back. From about early June to around early November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It sets the rhythm of the year at Crater Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Gunsight Lake is 1 mile off. Check the position on Crater Lake before loading the car.