Platinum Lake in Shoshone County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Platinum Lake belongs to Shoshone County, Idaho. It lies 5,745 feet above sea level. Small at around 2 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is a small entry by Shoshone County standards. Some 41 miles away sits Plains, the nearest settlement. After that come Thompson Falls at 46 miles and Frenchtown at 49 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Platinum Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Shoshone County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Arctic grayling, brook trout and brown trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Platinum Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 58°F and January about 21°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. On Platinum Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Silver Lake is 0.6 miles distant. For Platinum Lake in particular, ask before you travel.