Little Lake in Lemhi County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Lemhi County end of Idaho holds Little Lake. Rolling bush runs right down to the water. This is a pocket water of some 12 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It sits higher than most water we list in Idaho. Salmon lies 13 miles from the water. For a city, Boise is 170 miles off. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Little Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Lemhi County include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and Chinook salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Fish Little Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 52°F and December near 17°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late May. On average, late May opens the water and early November closes it again. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan any trip to Little Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Rock Island Lakes at 0.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat Little Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.