Fishing Slate Lake in Idaho County, Idaho

• Overview

  Slate Lake is listed under Idaho County, Idaho. The land about it is pine and birch. The water measures roughly 5 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. The nearest town is Grangeville, 24 miles away. The big place round here is Boise, 138 miles distant. Round about: Upper Slate Lake 0.4 miles, Upper Knob Lake lies 1.8 miles on, Upper Gospel Lake 2.4 miles, Middle Knob Lake lies 2.4 miles on and Lower Knob Lake 2.5 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Slate Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Idaho County: rainbow trout, Chinook salmon and cutthroat trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Slate Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 52°F, while December sits near 20°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid May. Expect the water usable from around mid May until roughly mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Slate Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Upper Slate Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm access to Slate Lake locally before you travel.