Cutthroat Lake Fishing Guide, Idaho County, Idaho

• Overview

  Cutthroat Lake is listed under Idaho County, Idaho. The surface lies 7,408 feet up. Small at around 9 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. The nearest town is McCall, 49 miles away. The nearest city of size is Boise, 129 miles away. In the same area: Sheepeater Lake about 0.6 miles, Fish Lake some 1.1 miles off, Lemhi Lake about 1.8 miles, Little Sheepeater Lake some 3 miles off and Flossie Lake about 3.2 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Cutthroat Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Idaho County cover rainbow trout, Chinook salmon and cutthroat trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. At Cutthroat Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 53°F and December about 18°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid May. The season between ice runs from about mid May to mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Cutthroat Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Sheepeater Lake at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Cutthroat Lake.