Roaring Creek Lakes in Lemhi County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Roaring Creek Lakes is set in Lemhi County, Idaho. Elevation runs to 8,156 feet. Surface area runs to about 11 acres — small enough to read in one session. Some 32 miles away sits Salmon, the nearest settlement. The nearest city of size is Boise, 137 miles away. Neighbouring water: Goat Lake about 1.4 miles, McGuire Lake out at 2.7 miles, Big Clear Lake about 2.9 miles, Pothole Lake out at 3 miles and Glacier Lake about 3 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Roaring Creek Lakes

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Lemhi County cover rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Chinook salmon and brook trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Roaring Creek Lakes a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between December at about 17°F and July at about 53°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid May. The season between ice runs from about mid May to mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That shapes the year on Roaring Creek Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. 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. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Goat Lake, 1.4 miles away. Ask locally about Roaring Creek Lakes if anything is unclear.