Fishing Hamby Lake in Lemhi County, Idaho

• Overview

  This water sits in Lemhi County, Idaho. It stands 8,117 feet above sea level. At about 36 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 1.2 miles on foot. It is among the larger waters listed here for Lemhi County. The nearest town is Salmon, 13 miles away. The big place round here is Boise, 170 miles distant. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Hamby Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Lemhi County names rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Chinook salmon and brook trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Take Hamby Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 19°F in December to roughly 53°F in July. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late May. The lid tends to go about late May and return around mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Hamby Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Some banks are open only from a marked point. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Lake Geneva is 0.6 miles distant. Nothing on Hamby Lake should be assumed from this page alone.