Fishing Stingray Lake in Idaho County, Idaho

• Overview

  Stingray Lake stands in Idaho County, Idaho. The surface lies 6,736 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 7 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Hamilton at 26 miles is the nearest place to stop. It is 178 miles to Spokane, the nearest city. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Stingray Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Idaho County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, cutthroat trout and bull trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Anyone new to Stingray Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 56°F and December near 18°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. At Stingray Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Brushy Fork Lake at 1.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Stingray Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.