Lower Gospel Lake, Idaho: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Idaho County entry here is Lower Gospel Lake, in Idaho. The bank gives way to lake country bush. At 11 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Grangeville is the closest town at 22 miles. After that come Kamiah at 41 miles and McCall at 51 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lower Gospel Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Idaho County include rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, cutthroat trout, bull trout and brook trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Lower Gospel Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 52°F, while December sits near 20°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Count the season from break-up, usually mid May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid May and starts locking again about mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. That is the shape of the year on Lower Gospel Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Upper Gospel Lake, 0.4 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Lower Gospel Lake for certain.