Fishing Square Rock Lake in Idaho County, Idaho

• Overview

  Idaho County in Idaho is where Square Rock Lake sits. The bank is 6,152 feet above sea level. Small at around 6 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. 45 miles away sits Hamilton, the nearest town. Then Kamiah, 51 miles, and Grangeville, 53 miles. Close by you also have: 1.5 miles out stands Goat Lake, Lonesome Lake at 2.6 miles, 3.5 miles out stands Red Lake, Doe Lake at 3.7 miles and 3.8 miles out stands Bilk Lake. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Square Rock Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Idaho County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, cutthroat trout, bull trout and brook trout. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Anyone new to Square Rock Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 54°F in July and bottoms out near 19°F in December. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Anyone fishing Square Rock Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Goat Lake, 1.5 miles away. Signs at Square Rock Lake carry more weight than any list.