Fishing at Spirit Lake, Kootenai County, Idaho

• Overview

  Out in Kootenai County, Idaho, sits Spirit Lake. Elevation runs to 2,434 feet. It measures some 2.4 sq miles, and wind has room to build across it. There is roughly 10 miles of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Size puts it in the front rank of our Kootenai County list. Spirit Lake at 2.2 miles is the nearest place to stop. Further out sit Rathdrum (8.9 miles) and Hayden (13 miles). The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Spirit Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Kootenai County include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, sockeye salmon and channel catfish. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Spirit Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 64°F, with January the cold end at about 26°F. Seasons here are moderate, and the fishing runs most of the year. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. The season on Spirit Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A launch point is recorded some half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Twin Lakes is 3.5 miles off. The position on Spirit Lake is worth confirming on the day.