Smokey Lake in Clearwater County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Smokey Lake lies within the bounds of Clearwater County, Idaho. It sits in rolling bush. At 3 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Most waters listed here for Clearwater County are larger. 32 miles away sits Frenchtown, the nearest town. It is 140 miles to Spokane, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Smokey Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Clearwater County names rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and Chinook salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Smokey Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between December at about 19°F and August at about 57°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Look for the thaw near early May; the fishing lifts straight after. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Smokey Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Leo Lake sits 0.5 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Smokey Lake in what we hold.