Palisades Reservoir in Bonneville County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Idaho, Palisades Reservoir belongs to Bonneville County. Everything around it is rolling bush. At 21.7 sq miles you are fishing a fraction of it whatever you do. The outline is heavily broken, with arms and bays reaching well back from the main body. Nothing else we list in Bonneville County covers more water. Hoback sits 17 miles from the bank. Star Valley Ranch lies 20 miles off, Rafter J Ranch another 20 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Palisades Reservoir

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Species logged across Bonneville County include cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, lake trout and Coho salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Work Palisades Reservoir in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 62°F; by January the average is down near 18°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. At Palisades Reservoir the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lower Palisades Lake at 13 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Palisades Reservoir before loading the car.