Fishing at Moore Lake, Shoshone County, Idaho

• Overview

  You will find Moore Lake in Shoshone County, Idaho. It lies 5,302 feet above sea level. It covers about 15 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The town to know is Plains, 26 miles out. For a city, Spokane is 107 miles off. Not far off: Cliff Lake some 4.1 miles off, Diamond Lake 4.2 miles, Swimming Bear Lake some 5.6 miles off, Hidden Lake 5.6 miles and Heart Lake some 6.3 miles off. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Moore Lake

  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. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and Arctic grayling. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Moore Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 58°F and January near 21°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Moore Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Some banks are open only from a marked point. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Cliff Lake at 4.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Moore Lake before loading the car.