Ridge Lake Fishing near Salmon, Idaho

• Overview

  Within Lemhi County, Idaho, you have Ridge Lake. It sits in pine and birch country. About 10 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Supplies mean a trip to Salmon, 14 miles off. For a city, Boise is 170 miles off. Near neighbours: Rock Island Lakes a touch under 1.3 miles, Upper Miner Lakes within 1.7 miles, Heart Lake a touch under 1.7 miles, Little Lake within 2.2 miles and Lake Geneva a touch under 2.3 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Ridge Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Lemhi County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Chinook salmon, brook trout and Arctic grayling. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The shape of Ridge Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 53°F for July and 19°F for December. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Break-up comes around late May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up sits around late May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Expect Ridge Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Rock Island Lakes is 1.3 miles off. None of that is settled for Ridge Lake in what we hold.