Whitehouse Pond, Idaho: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Idaho County end of Idaho holds Whitehouse Pond. Around the bank it is mixed forest. Small at around 3 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Idaho County list. Stevensville is the closest place, 33 miles off. Hamilton lies 35 miles off, Lolo another 37 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Whitehouse Pond

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Idaho County records list rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, cutthroat trout, bull trout and brook trout among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Whitehouse Pond gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 61°F and December about 22°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. Ice clears near early April and comes back about late November in a typical year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Whitehouse Pond rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Walton Lakes at 6.3 miles is the sensible second choice. Signs at Whitehouse Pond carry more weight than any list.