Cliff Lake Fishing in Shoshone County, Idaho

• Overview

  Cliff Lake is a Shoshone County water, in Idaho. It stands 5,915 feet above sea level. Around 42 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Among the waters listed for Shoshone County, none is wider. The closest town, Plains, is 26 miles distant. Spokane sits 111 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Cliff Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Shoshone County: rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and Arctic grayling. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Cliff Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 20°F in January up to 57°F in August. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Cliff Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Diamond Lake is 0.9 miles off. Rules at Cliff Lake are worth checking on the day.