Fishing at Lower Standard Lake, Bonner County, Idaho

• Overview

  Within Bonner County, Idaho, you have Lower Standard Lake. The bank is 5,105 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 6 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Supplies mean a trip to Bonners Ferry, 18 miles off. Spokane is the closest city, 78 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Lower Standard Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Bonner County records list rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, sockeye salmon and brook trout among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Lower Standard Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 19°F and August at about 57°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It holds true on Lower Standard Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Upper Standard Lake, 0.6 miles away. Check the position at Lower Standard Lake before loading the car.