Fishing Elk Lake in Idaho County, Idaho

• Overview

  Idaho County, Idaho, is where Elk Lake sits. It sits in pine and birch country. A splashy cast here empties the swim; a quiet one owns it. Our Idaho County list holds plenty of bigger water. Nearest place of any size is Grangeville, 51 miles away. Further out sit Hamilton (52 miles) and Kamiah (53 miles). No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Elk Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Idaho County include rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, cutthroat trout and bull trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Elk Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 20°F to 55°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. Averages place the thaw at early May and the freeze at mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Anyone fishing Elk Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Running Lake sits 5.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Elk Lake.