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Best chinook salmon lakes in Idaho

13 Idaho waters hold chinook salmon, 2 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The king. Deep, cold open water all summer; staged off river mouths in fall. Follows the 42-52°F band.

1. Lake Coeur d'Alene — 210 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
2. American Falls Reservoir — 53 ft max · Crappie, Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon
3. Anderson Ranch Reservoir — 303 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Chinook Salmon
4. Salmon River (Upper) — 10 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead, Cutthroat Trout
5. Deadwood Reservoir — 38 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Kokanee
6. Lower Goose Creek Reservoir — 19 ft max · Walleye, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon
7. Chesterfield Reservoir — 21 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout
8. Lost Valley Reservoir — 21 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Cutthroat Trout
9. Rose Lake — 30 ft max · Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Chinook Salmon
10. Bull Run Lake — 273 ft max · Chinook Salmon
11. Kelso Lake — 48 ft max · Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Brown Trout
12. Blue Lake — 12 ft max · Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout, Muskellunge, Chinook Salmon
13. Bull Trout Lake — 46 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Brook Trout

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When to fish chinook salmon in Idaho

• Spring 5–40 ft — Cold surface water lets kings feed shallow — warm-water pockets near river mouths and the first drop-off hold bait and fish.
• Summer 50–120 ft — Kings ride the 42-52°F band well below the thermocline — deep basins and steep structure where bait schools stack.
• Fall 10–50 ft — Spawning-run fish stage off tributary mouths before running the rivers — the year's best big-fish window.
• Winter 30–90 ft — Immature kings winter deep and scattered; a slow deep troll finds loners.

Also in Idaho: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best coho salmon lakes · best steelhead lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best kokanee lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best cutthroat trout lakes

Chinook Salmon elsewhere: Ontario · Québec · Michigan · Washington · New York · California · Alaska