Upper Standard Lake in Bonner County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Upper Standard Lake lies within the bounds of Bonner County, Idaho. The setting is mixed forest on every side. At 13 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The town to know is Bonners Ferry, 18 miles out. Ponderay lies 27 miles off, Sandpoint another 29 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Upper Standard Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Public occurrence data for Bonner County names rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, sockeye salmon, brook trout and brown trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The near bank of Upper Standard Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 57°F; the cold one sits at 19°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan any trip to Upper Standard Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Lower Standard Lake, 0.6 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Upper Standard Lake for certain.