Medicine Lake Fishing in Kootenai County, Idaho

• Overview

  Medicine Lake sits within Kootenai County in Idaho. The surface lies 2,123 feet up. Around 204 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Around 3.5 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. Most waters listed here for Kootenai County are larger. Saint Maries lies 11 miles from the water. Spokane sits 42 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Medicine Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, sockeye salmon, channel catfish and Chinook salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Read Medicine Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 28°F in January to roughly 65°F in August. Conditions shift steadily rather than sharply. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Plan any trip to Medicine Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A slipway is marked about half a mile from here. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Cave Lake is 1.1 miles off. Signs at Medicine Lake carry more weight than any list.