Cummings Lake in Lemhi County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Cummings Lake is a Lemhi County water, Idaho side. The setting is lake country bush on every side. The nearest town is Salmon, 22 miles away. Then Hamilton, 54 miles, and Challis, 68 miles. Others close at hand: Allan Lake 7.7 miles away, Morgan Jones Lake the better part of 13 miles, Frog Pond Lake 14 miles away, Ovis Lake the better part of 14 miles and Pass Lake 17 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Cummings Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Fish documented in Lemhi County include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Chinook salmon and brook trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Cummings Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 20°F to 60°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Cummings Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Allan Lake, 7.7 miles away. What applies at Cummings Lake may have changed since it was mapped.