Lake Pend Oreille is a lake in Idaho, near Bonner County.
Stocking records show that the following fish or strains were stocked here. A historical stocking does not by itself prove that a self-sustaining population remains today.
Lake Pend Oreille is a lake in Bonner County, Idaho.
Use the shape you can see at Lake Pend Oreille: check the best cover, the first drop, and one open-water line before moving.
Lake Pend Oreille is Idaho's largest and deepest lake, stretching 43 miles and dropping to 1,158 feet. Kokanee feed its famous Gerrard rainbow trout and lake trout, while bass and perch use the warmer bays.
Find kokanee before setting a trolling depth, pull large minnow plugs for Gerrard rainbows, jig for lake trout, and work rock or weeds for bass.
The Navy uses the lake's extreme depth for acoustic research. Bayview, the Clark Fork end, and the Pend Oreille River side can differ sharply in depth, water color, and fish movement.
After a bite on Lake Pend Oreille, write down whether the fish used current, rock, weeds, wood, open water, or a creek edge because that short note helps separate kokanee salmon, rainbow trout, lake trout and westslope cutthroat trout without relying on a broad report from another end of the water.
Fish kokanee salmon, rainbow trout, lake trout and westslope cutthroat trout on separate passes at Lake Pend Oreille when they use different depths and cover, changing lure depth or speed once before leaving the exact feature that produced there.
Before making a long move on Lake Pend Oreille, compare the best nearby feature at two depths so the result shows whether kokanee salmon are absent or the lure is simply moving above or below them.
Fish listed for Lake Pend Oreille include Kokanee Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, and Black Crappie.
On a careful second pass near a narrow cove near visible bait, keep a small jig tipped with a worm or minnow close to bottom on a shelf for yellow perch.
During the start of a weather change near a quiet corner after warm rain, fish a small jig or minnow around wood, weeds, and sharp little drops for black crappie.
On a check of nearby water near the first break in stained water, drag a tube or Ned rig across rock and the hard edge of a point for smallmouth bass.
On a check of nearby water near a creek-side turn before changing depth, work a soft plastic, jig, or spinnerbait around weeds and protected cover for largemouth bass.
On a methodical search near the edge of deeper water where food is present, Other targets listed here include Rainbow Trout; give each one its own bait and depth instead of trying to catch everything with the same rig.
On a cold winter outing near an open-water edge close to shade, do not let the deepest number control the whole day; nearby cover, firm bottom, and food usually matter more than the deepest hole by itself.
While using one careful route near a soft-to-hard bottom change after warm rain, spring runoff can add color and pull fish toward fresh water; green weeds and the first drop become stronger summer targets; in fall, follow bait toward points and shallow flats, while winter rewards a slower search.
During the final pass near a protected point under flat light, a light spinning rod, thin line, a few small spoons, inline spinners, and jigs cover the listed trout; carry one slightly heavier setup when other fish or windy water call for more control.
On a bright afternoon near a small drop under flat light, record the wind, water color, lure depth that worked, and cover after a bite; those four notes are more useful on the next trip than a long list of spots that did not produce.
During the last hour of daylight near a clean gravel patch before changing areas, keep the first hour simple: use one moving bait to find active fish, slow down with a jig or natural bait on the best edge, and repeat the same setup when two bites come from matching depth and bottom during that part of the trip.
The main difference is simple: Lake Pend Oreille is Idaho's largest and deepest lake, stretching 43 miles and dropping to 1,158 feet.
Start with this: Find kokanee before setting a trolling depth, pull large minnow plugs for Gerrard rainbows, jig for lake trout, and work rock or weeds for bass.
Pay attention to this: The Navy uses the lake's extreme depth for acoustic research.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.