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Best Fishing Lakes In Idaho

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Guide to top places to fish for bass, catfish, crappie and more in ID.

By AA-Fishing Staff Writers

The purpose of this page is to share basic information about the best fishing lakes in the state, and the species found in each lake. Brownlee Reservoir, C J Strike Reservoir, Cascade Reservoir, Coeur D'Alene Lake, Dworshak Reservoir, Hayden Lake, Henry's Lake, Lake Lowell, Lake Pend Oreille and Priest Lake are the most popular places for fishing in Idaho, offering anglers the chance to pursue a variety of fish species. Ice fishing is an option at many of these lakes.

  • American Falls Reservoir, ID
  • Anderson Ranch Reservoir, ID
  • Arrowrock Reservoir, ID
  • Blackfoot Reservoir, ID
  • Brownlee Reservoir, ID
  • Cascade Reservoir, ID
  • C J Strike Reservoir, ID
  • Coeur D'Alene Lake, ID
  • Crane Creek Reservoir, ID
  • Deadwood Reservoir, ID
  • Dworshak Reservoir, ID
  • Hayden Lake, ID
  • Henry's Lake, ID
  • Island Park Reservoir, ID
  • Lake Lowell, ID
  • Lake Pend Oreille, ID
  • Lucky Peak Lake, ID
  • Magic Reservoir, ID
  • Payette Lake, ID
  • Priest Lake, ID
  • Palisades Reservoir, ID
  • Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir, ID

Idaho is blessed with a diverse range of fishing lakes, offering a variety of warm water and cold water fishing opportunities. Warm water lakes, known for their higher water temperatures, provide habitat for species such as bass, panfish, and catfish. These lakes are abundant in vegetation and offer excellent fishing for anglers targeting warm water species.

Lake Lowell, located near Boise, is a popular warm water lake in Idaho. It offers exceptional fishing for largemouth bass, crappie, and catfish. Anglers can explore its coves and channels to target bass or cast around submerged structure for crappie. Lake Lowell provides an ideal setting for a day of warm water fishing excitement.

In contrast, cold water lakes in Idaho are known for their lower water temperatures and are home to popular cold water species like trout and salmon. These lakes often have cooler, oxygen-rich waters that support thriving populations of cold water fish species.

One such cold water lake is Henrys Lake, situated in southeastern Idaho. Known for its trophy-sized trout, Henrys Lake offers excellent fishing opportunities for native Yellowstone cutthroat trout and hybrid cutthroat-rainbow trout. Anglers can experience the thrill of casting flies or trolling lures in the clear waters of Henrys Lake, surrounded by stunning mountain views.

Idaho's diverse fishing lakes cater to a wide range of angling interests, whether it's pursuing warm water species in lakes like Lake Lowell or targeting cold water species in lakes like Henrys Lake. With its wealth of lakes and the abundance of fish species, Idaho remains a haven for anglers seeking memorable fishing experiences in both warm and cold water environments.

Fishing Boats For Rent In Idaho


Bass Fishing Lakes

Largemouth Bass
Largemouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass

Anderson Ranch Reservoir, Brownlee Reservoir, C J Strike Reservoir, Cascade Reservoir, Coeur D'Alene Lake, Dworshak Reservoir, Lake Lowell, Little Payette Lake, Magic Reservoir and Lake Pend Oreille are considered the best options for largemouth and smallmouth bass. More...


Catfish Fishing Lakes

Channel Catfish
Channel Catfish

Flathead Catfish
Flathead Catfish

Brownlee Reservoir, C J Strike Reservoir, Cascade Reservoir, Coeur D'Alene Lake, Dworshak Reservoir, Lake Lowell and Lake Pend Oreille are favorite options for channel and flathead catfish. More...


Crappie Fishing Lakes

Black Crappie
Black Crappie

White Crappie
White Crappie

Brownlee Reservoir, C J Strike Reservoir, Cascade Reservoir, Coeur D'Alene Lake, Crane Creek Reservoir, Dworshak Reservoir, Hayden Lake, Hells Canyon Reservoir, Lake Lowell and Lake Pend Oreille are the most popular for black and white crappie. More...


Sunfish, Panfish & Perch Fishing Lakes

Bluegill
Bluegill

Green Sunfish
Green Sunfish

Pumpkinseed Sunfish
Pumpkinseed Sunfish

Warmouth
Warmouth

Yellow Perch
Yellow Perch

American Falls Reservoir, Anderson Ranch Reservoir, Brownlee Reservoir, C J Strike Reservoir, Cascade Reservoir, Coeur D'Alene Lake, Lake Lowell, Lake Pend Oreille, Lake Walcott and Priest Lake are popular spots to fish for bluegill, bream, perch and other sunfish. More...


Walleye Fishing Lakes

Walleye
Walleye

Lake Pend Oreille, Oneida Lake, Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir and Oakley Reservoir (which produced the Idaho state record walleye) are some of the better lakes for walleye fishing. More...


Trout Fishing Lakes

Rainbow trout
Rainbow trout

Brook trout
Brook trout

Brown trout
Brown trout

Cutthroat trout
Cutthroat trout

Lake trout
Lake trout

Arrowrock Reservoir, Bear Lake, Chesterfield Reservoir, Deadwood Reservoir, Hayden Lake, Henry's Lake, Lake Pend Oreille, Lucky Peak Lake, Payette Lake and Priest Lake are the favorite options for steelhead, rainbow, cutthroat, brook, brown and lake trout. More...


Salmon Fishing Lakes

Atlantic Salmon
Landlocked Atlantic Salmon

Coho Salmon
Coho Salmon

Cascade Reservoir, Coeur D'Alene Lake, Deadwood Reservoir, Dworshak Reservoir, Hayden Lake, Island Park Reservoir, Lake Lowell, Lake Pend Oreille, Payette Lake, Palisades Reservoir and Priest Lake are the most popular for atlantic and coho salmon fishing. More...


Visit the Idaho fishing page for links to information covering a wide variety of fish species and destinations in the state. Visit the Idaho map to identify your best route to these top fishing locations.

 

Best Destinations By State.

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