Fishing at Straight Lake, Clearwater County, Idaho

• Overview

  Straight Lake lies within the bounds of Clearwater County, Idaho. Height above sea level is 6,378 feet. This is a pocket water of some 9 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Frenchtown is the closest place, 35 miles off. Spokane sits 129 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Straight Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Clearwater County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Chinook salmon, Arctic grayling and brook trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Anyone new to Straight Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 57°F at the top of summer and 20°F at the bottom of winter. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It sets the rhythm of the year at Straight Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Steep Lakes, 1.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Straight Lake for certain.