Lake Pend Oreille Fishing in Bonner County, Idaho

• Overview

  Bonner County, Idaho, is where Lake Pend Oreille sits. The water sits 2,047 feet up. It covers about 144.9 sq miles, which means weather matters as much as tactics. There is far more edge than the surface area suggests, thanks to the arms. It is the biggest water on our Bonner County list. Sandpoint sits 9.7 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Then Ponderay, 11 miles, and Priest River, 22 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Pend Oreille

  Our records hold no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bonner County records list rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, sockeye salmon and brook trout among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The shape of Lake Pend Oreille decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 65°F, while January sits near 30°F. Whether it freezes depends on the year. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. The season on Lake Pend Oreille follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Records list it as a dammed water rather than a natural one, which shows in the shape of the basin. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Kilroy Lakes sits 4.1 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Lake Pend Oreille in what we hold.