Fishing at Winder Reservoir, Franklin County, Idaho

• Overview

  Winder Reservoir is set in Franklin County, Idaho. The bank gives way to lake country bush. Surface area is around 77 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The edge runs 2.4 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. The nearest town is Preston, 5.7 miles away. Lewiston follows at 14 miles, then Richmond at 18 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Winder Reservoir

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Fish documented in Franklin County include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, walleye, brown trout and largemouth bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Winder Reservoir fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 21°F and July at about 70°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late March. Open water usually runs from late March until about early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Anyone fishing Winder Reservoir regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This one is mapped as intermittent, so a wasted trip is a real risk in a dry year. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Condie Reservoir, 2.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Winder Reservoir is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.